Location
Lat 15° 2' 50N Long 121° 4' 29E Located roughly 100 miles northeast of Manila, in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Also known as Acle.
Wartime History
During January 1945, a secret American radio station operated in the Sierra Madre Mountains near Akle run by USAFFE guerrillas.
Airfield
Location
Located in a naturally flat area at the foot mountains behind Akle village.
Construction
During early January 1945, the flat area was cleared and packed down by Filipino laborers, to allow a group of American aviators to be rescued.
Wartime History
Around January 12, 1945 US Army Piper Cub aircraft landed to rescue a group of 28 American aviators that bailed out or were shot down behind enemy lines. The group included Col. Gwen G. Atkinson pilot of P-47D 42-25419 shot down January 3, 1945. Later, a group of US Army Alamo Scouts were landed at the same runway to perform a reconnaissance of the Manila area prior to the liberation of the city.
References
No Glamour... No Glory! The Story of the 58th Fighter Group of World War II, page 224-225
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Last Updated
October 23, 2019
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