ConnorField, Quartzsite Az Early WASP training Field?

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This is a head scratcher. While I was in Quartzsite over Thanksgiving I was talking with the locals about the history of the town. Quartzsite is a town of around 2.000 people year round. The winter months see a uptick of snow birds spikes up in the tens of thousands.

The locals pointed out Ft. Tyson to me and a hop, skip and a jump from this are what is left of Connor Field. They, and I mean they pointed out the WASPs had a group of trainees their early on in the war. This was news to me. 

After I came home I called Avenger Field Museum and it was explained to me that WASP's did train at other fields back east early on for a short period of time, but they knewnothing about Connor Field. I also contacted TWU about this and I am waiting for them to dig down on it, but off the top of their heads they had no knowledge of this.

I did some internet searching on this and found some compelling tidbits that back up the claim.

The claim that has weight is from a bio on Buck Connor. Buck served in the Army and Navy before the 1900's. He was a early silent movie actor who took up flying. He was one of the first aviators in California and Arizona. He had homes in both states and built a runway by his home in Quartzsite Az, This site was operational before WW1.

Another site gives other books as the source of  the information. I do not have these books.

From this point on I will post the sites that claim Connor Field that trained WASP's before Avenger Field became active. The number of WASP's at Connor Field is given as 30, this happens to be the same number of WASP's in the first graduating class.

I do not know if this claim is true or not, but it legs and very well could be.

 

 

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This is the "Little known and Abandoned Airfields" site making the claim.

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/index.htm

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This the find a grave on Buck Connor/\.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/130980226/george_washington-connor#

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This is a bio on Buck Connor.

https://www.b-westerns.com/villan74.htm

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Another bio on Buck Connor.

http://www.klohoker.com/Qsite-History/Buck-conner.htm

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klohoker.com

http://www.klohoker.com/Qsite-History/Buck-conner.htm

Buck Conners History - Klohoker

Obscured from view amidst a jumble of old machinery across the road opposite the Quartzsite Yacht Club is a fourteen-foot-square fenced off plot of ground which is the grave site of George....I still have issues opening this on my computer, but my phone opens it just fine.

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klohoker.com

http://www.klohoker.com/Qsite-History/Buck-conner.htm

Buck Conners History - Klohoker

Never one to remain idle, Conner also became interested in flying, and he was one of hew earliest licensed pilots in California and Arizona. He built the airstrip which is just south of his old ranch.........For some reason  I can't open this site now, I did before. If you can open it, read it

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https://www.epageflip.net/i/977328-may-2-2018/7

This newspaper story says the same thig, but it cites sources.

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 I met with Richard Oldham, the first Mayor of Quartzsite. Oldham is in his mid-late 80's and he told me his memories of the WASP's getting hair done by his mom and some runway mishap. This was interesting and helpful, but I wanted another source. I went to the Quartzsite library and was directed to this book. It was written by Oldham's mom at a time when it would have been in the living memory of her contemporary's. I consider this a solid source.

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I went to Quartzsite cemetery to visit Buck Connor's grave and this Plack was next to it.

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I went to the Quartzsite Museum and they allowed me to dig in the files. I found this request in the Oldham file.

 

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I asked Oldham about this and he confirmed he owned Connors field at one time and the building in question was the only one still standing, but in bad condition. The guy who bought Connors field from him tore that building down. This is all that remains.

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This is what I now know...Connor field is not listed as a field used to train pilots during WW2. A search for civilian run pilot training fields in Arizona does not show anything on Connor field, but a newspaper search clearly shows it was in fact used for training military pilots. I have no idea how this place fell into the cracks of history, but it did. Buck Connor signed a second contract for the Army Air Force to use his field. The first contract was during WW1 when his field was designated an emergency landing field. 

 

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I know the claim of WASPs being at this location cannot be, The WASPs did not come to be until 1943. Everyone and everything says that 1942 is the year that women came to Quartzsite. The question now is who came. A look at Nancy Love shows her first group of girls numbered 29. A check with Avenger Field still shows no information that confirms this happened, but the information gathered was compelling enough for them to have a researcher dig down on what actually happened. I will continue digging and I can't wait to see what Avenger comes up with.