USAAF used Kheria air base during World War - II

AGRA: Coming October 8, as the five operational commands and two functional commands of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will be celebrating its 83rd Annual day, not many may know that more than dozen airbase including Kheria - Asia’s largest airbase - was once active base for United States Army Air Force (USAAF) aircrafts -particularly bombers and military transport aircraft.
Developed by Royal Air Force (RAF) in World War II, Kheria airbase served as strategic air transport and refueling hub for the USAAF around 1942 to 1945 against Japanese force in Burma and China, a fact which was revealed by Kheria airbase chief Air Commodore S Srinivasan ahead of Air Force Day in Agra. With aircrafts like twin-engine cargo C-47 Skytrain alias Dakota, four engine high altitude heavy transport C-87 Liberator and heavy bombers such as, B-24 Liberator, Handley Page Halifax, B-25 Mitchell, Avro Lancaster and Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress were flew by USAAF and allied pilots from Kheria air base.
B-24 liberator taking off from India based airbase (Historichistory.com & IAF)
Speaking to TOI, defence and security analyst former Wing Commander Praful Bakshi said, “Significant number of sorties were made from Kheria airbase by USSAF pilots, who later made their own airbase in eastern part of India such as Kharagpur, Salboni, Chakulia, Piardoba, Kalaikunda, Salua, Hijli, Digri, Dudhkundi and Amarda Road.”
“Operational since early 40s with an motive of providing strategic airlift, refueling and reconnaissance aircraft base, the airbase is still serving the current IAF for the same,” he ​claimed​.
Wng Cmdr Bakshi said, “During the China- Burma- India theatre of operations ​in​ World War II, Americans military transport and bombers aircraft were using Kheria airbase along with more than a dozen airfields to make sorties over ‘HUMP’ (name given by Allied pilots in the WW-II to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains) to assist and resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and the units of the United States Army Air Forces based in China.”
As per archives of IAF, RAF airfield/base were poor and the runways were still in the process of being lengthened when the USAAF aircrafts first arrived. There were nearly 5000 air force men of US who were stationed across India during World War-II.