Bronson Field is a former Naval Auxiliary Air Station located in western Escambia County, near Perdido Bay and Tarkiln Bayou. The complex consisted of a multi-runway paved airfield and a series of seaplane ramps on the shore of Perdido Bay. Bronson Field has not been used by the Navy for aviation purposes in many years and is now officially known as the Blue Angel Recreation Park and is used for recreational purposes.
History
In 1939, the Navy purchased 640 acres near Perdido Bay for use as an outlying field (OLF), which was initially named Tarkiln Field. Initially, the facility was used by primary trainers from Corry Field. In March 1942, construction of a temporary wartime base began at the site. Around that time the Navy also purchased another 263 adjoining acres on Perdido Bay for a seaplane facility. On November 18, 1942, NAAS Bronson Field was commissioned, so named in honor of Lt. Clarence Bronson, Naval Aviator No. 15, who lost his life in a bomb explosion. The airfield consisted of a large circular mat crisscrossed by four 4,000-foot runways.
Bronson Field was used primarily for dive bomber, fighter, and seaplane training. Baseball great Ted Williams was among those trained at the base.
The field was decommissioned as a NAAS in 1946, and was thereafter used as an outlying field. The Navy tore down most of the temporary wartime buildings in the 1950s, but continued to use the hangars for parts storage into the next decade.