SWNCC Files
Memorandum by the Acting State Member, State–War–Navy Coordinating Committee (Hickerson)
SWNCC 285/1
Reference is made to SWNCC 285, Appendix “A”, Paragraph D of Page 7,84 wherein the Secretary of State is requested by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to furnish to the Secretaries of War and Navy a list of those locations at which there is a requirement indicated in the Annex where U.S. forces may be withdrawn without adversely affecting the negotiations for long-term rights.
In accordance with this request, there is set forth in the enclosure (Appendix)85 a report indicating the views of the Department of State with respect to the effect upon future negotiations of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from bases where we have long-term requirements.
The following phrases are used to indicate the recommended line of action:
“Proviso” meaning at time withdrawal is effected an agreement should be made that such action is without prejudice to possible future negotiations.
“None” meaning withdrawal will have no effect on possible future negotiations.
“Stay”
“Stay for time-being” meaning existent situation is not sufficiently clear to enable us to pass on the SWNCC request and thus troops should remain until the picture becomes clearer.
“Covered by post-war agreement” meaning our line of action has already been determined.
Appendix
| Country and Location | Facility | Requirement | Recommended Action |
| british commonwealth | |||
| Ascension Island | Airfield | Essential | Proviso |
| Australian Mandate | |||
| Admiralty Islands | Airfield Naval Base | Essential | Proviso |
| Bahamas | |||
| Oakes Field, Nassau | Airfield, AACS | Required | Proviso |
| South Caicos | Weather, AACS | None | None |
| Burma | |||
| Mingaladan Airport, Rangoon | Airfield | Transit & Tech. Stop | None |
| Canada | |||
| Whitehorse—Fort | Airfields | Required | None |
| Nelson—Edmonton | (Weather) | ||
| Route (includes Fort St. John, Watson Lake and Port Hardy) | (AACS) | ||
| Fort Chimo—Frobisher | Weather | Required | None |
| Bay Route to Greenland | Airfields | ||
| Mingan | Weather, AACS | None | None |
| River Clyde | AACS | None | None |
| Padloping Island | AACS | None | None |
| Lake Harbor | AACS | None | None |
| Ellice Islands | |||
| Funa Futi (Disputed Sovereignty) | Airfield | Required | Proviso |
| Fiji Islands | |||
| Nandi (Viti Levu) | Airfield Weather, AACS | Required | Proviso |
| Gilbert Islands | |||
| Tarawa | Airfield Weather | Required | Proviso |
| India | |||
| Karachi Airport | Airfield | Transit & Tech. Stop | None |
| Agra Airport | Airfield | Transit & Tech. Stop | None |
| Kharagpur-Dudkhundi | Airfield | Transit & Tech. Stop | None |
| Calcutta | Airfield Weather | Transit & Tech. Stop | None |
| Dum Dum Airport | Weather | Transit & Tech. Stop | None |
| Barrackpore Airport | Weather AACS | Transit & Tech. Stop | None |
| Line Islands | |||
| Christmas Island (Disputed Sovereignty) | Airfield | Required | Stay |
| Newfoundland (other than 99-year bases) | |||
| Goose Bay, Labrador | Airfield | Required | Stay |
| Cape Harrison, Labrado | Weather, AACS | None | None |
| Hebron, Labrador | Weather, AACS | None | None |
| St. Johns | Airfield | None | None |
| Wesleyville | Weather | None | None |
| New Hebrides | |||
| Espiritu Santo (French-British) | Airfield Weather Naval Base AACS | Required | Proviso |
| New Zealand | |||
| Aitutaki Island | Airfield | Transit & Tech. Stop | None |
| Upolu (Mandate) | Airfield | Required | Proviso |
| Phoenix Islands | |||
| Canton Island (Disputed Sovereignty) | Airfield | Essential | Stay |
| United Kingdom | |||
| London | Headquarters | None | None |
| Bovineton | Airfield | None | None |
| Prestwick (Scotland) | Airfield (Navigational Aide Alternate) | None | None |
| Exeter | Naval Facilities | None | None |
| Solomon Islands | |||
| Guadalcanal—Tulagi | Airfield Weather | Required | Proviso |
| cuba | |||
| Batista Field | Airfield | Required | None |
| San Julian | Airfield | Required | None |
| La Fe | Seaplane Base | Required | None |
| denmark | |||
| Greenland | |||
| BW–1 (Narsarssuak) | Airfield Naval Base | Essential | Stay |
| BW–3 (Simíutak) | AACS, Weather | Essential | Stay |
| BE–2 (Ikateq) | Airfield, AACS | Essential | Stay |
| Marrak | Airfield | Essential | Stay |
| BW–8 (Sondrestramfjord) | Airfield, AACS, Weather | Essential | Stay |
| Grondal | Naval Base | Essential | Stay |
| ecuador | |||
| Galapagos | Airfield | Essential | Stay for time-being |
| egypt | |||
| Payne Field Cairo | Airfield | Transit & Tech. Stop | None |
| france | |||
| Algeria | |||
| Maison Blanche Airport, Algiers | Airfield | Transit & Tech. Stop | None |
| Biskra | AACS | Transit & Tech. Stop | None |
| French Guiana | |||
| Rochambeau Field, Cayenne | Airfield Weather AACS | Transit & Tech. Stop | None |
| French Indo-China | |||
| Tan Son Nhut (Airport) (Saigon) | Airfield | Transit & Tech. Stop | None. |
| French Morocco | |||
| Cazes Field—Casablanca | Airfield | Required | Stay |
| Port Lyautey | Naval Air Base | Required | Stay |
| New Caledonia | |||
| Tontouta (Noumea) | Airfield Weather, AACS | Required | Stay |
| Bora Bora | Weather Facilities | Required | Stay |
| Senegal | |||
| Dakar | Naval Base | Required | Stay |
| Airfield | Required | Stay | |
| guatemala | |||
| San Jose Airport | Airfield | Transit & Tech. Stop | None |
| iceland | |||
| Meeks Field, Keflavik | Airfield | Essential | Stay |
| Reykjavik (Fossvogur) | Naval Facilities, Airfield | Essential | Stay |
| Hvalfjord | Naval Base | Essential | Stay |
| italy | |||
| Libya | |||
| Wheelus Field, Tripoli | Airfield | Transit & Tech. Stop | Stay for time-being |
| Eritrea | |||
| Asmara | Army Detachment | Provision for Retention for indefinite period | Stay for time-being |
| liberia | |||
| Roberts Field (Monrovia) | Airfield | Required | None |
| netherlands | |||
| Biak | Airfield Weather, AACS | Required | None |
| Curacao | |||
| Hato Field | Airfield | Required | None |
| Morotai | Airfield | Required | None |
| Surinam | |||
| Zandery Field | Airfield Weather, AACS | Required | None |
| nicaragua | |||
| Las Mercedes Airport, Managua | Airfield | Transit & Tech. Stop | None |
| panama | |||
| Several Airfields in Republic of Panama | Airfields | Essential | None |
| peru | |||
| Talara | Airfield | Required | Stay for time-being |
| portugal | |||
| Azores | |||
| Lagens Field, Terceira | Airfield | Essential | Covered by post-war agreement |
| Santa Maria | Airfield | Essential | Covered by post-war agreement |
| saudi arabia | |||
| Dhahran Airport | Airfield | Transit & Tech. Stop | Stay |
| siam | |||
| Don Muang Airport, Bangkok | Airfield | Transit & Tech. Stop | None |