page_title: Colombey-les-Belles Aerodrome
section_title: Post-Armistice
hierarchical_section_title: Colombey-les-Belles Aerodrome / History / Post-Armistice
caption_attribution_description: English: Colombey-les-Belles Aerodrome - 1st Air Depot Support Buildings. Taken after the armistice as all camouflage has been removed. Source: Series 1, Paris Headquarters and Supply Section, Volume 30 History of the 1st Air Depot at Colombey-led-Belles, Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
context_page_description: Colombey-les-Belles Aerodrome, was a temporary World War I airfield in France used by the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force. It was located near Colombey-les-Belles, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.
  Colombey-les-Belles Aerodrome was the location of the 1st Air Depot. It was the largest American facility in the combat zone of the Western Front and arguably, the most important, as the 1st Air Depot supplied and equipped every Air Service unit after their arrival at the front and entered combat.
context_section_description: After the Armistice was signed, the 1st Air Depot was designated as the demobilization point for all Air Service units in the Zone of Advance (Western Front).  At that time, it consisted of 48 Combat Aero Squadrons; 45 Service Squadrons; 23 Balloon Companies; 4 Photographic Sections; 5 Headquarters organizations and 12 Air Park Squadrons, outside of the depot organizations proper.   
  The process of demobilization meant the squadron would fly its aircraft and bring its personnel by truck from its forward combat airfield to Colombey to be stripped of all war equipment.  An Observation Squadron had a full complement of 45 officers, and a Pursuit Squadron 25.  The usual number to accompany a squadron back to the United States was nine,  the remainder of the officers being released and ordered to the United States as casual individuals.
  Aircraft were stripped of their guns by the Ordnance Department; their radio equipment by that department, the trucks being turned over to the Motor Transport Corps, and all other combat equipment sorted and stored at the depot. Due to the large number of units being processed, it became necessary to erect many more hangars to take care of the planes being delivered by the squadrons. Also, a sufficient number of planes were kept in operational condition to supply those units still in the field and also to the Third Army Air Service, on occupation duty in the Rhineland. Once the aircraft had their guns, cameras, radios and other supplemental equipment removed, the French and English aircraft were ferried to Orly Aerodrome so they could be stricken off record and returned to their host countries.   The United States DH-4 built aircraft were sent to Romomartin for final disposition.
  It was found that the process of demobilization of a unit took about 48 hours to receive and strip a squadron and have it ready for transport to one of the base ports for embarkation back to the United States. The overwhelming number of personnel outstripped the capability to transport units home, and the vast majority of units were ordered to proceed to transient camps where personnel waited for a ship to board and  go back to the United States.
  In addition to this duty, the 1st Air Depot was called upon to dismantle the combat airfields on the front. This meant about 100 fields were to be dismantled, either by turning them over to the French or by removing all structures on them, collecting all equipment and supplies left at them, and turning over the land to the French Government so the original owners could use it for peaceful uses. Until April 1919, the Air Service kept 25 combat squadrons, 13 Balloon Companies and other necessary units in the field. This was reduced to 14 Squadrons and 10 Balloon companies of the Third Army Air Service by the end of April when all units in France were ordered demobilized. The last American Air Service units in France were processed by the Depot on 3 May.
  The entire Third Army Air Service, excepting that of the III Corps 138th Aero Squadron, one air park, and one construction squadron, were relieved from further duty with the Third Army on 12 May 1919, and ordered to proceed to the 1st Air Depot for demobilization. The 138th was reassigned to Air Service HQ and took over the courier and liaison duties of the Third Army until the entire Third Army Air Service Headquarters itself was demobilized on 2 July 1919.
caption: Various support buildings (photo taken after the Armistice)
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