The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum WWII exhibit
Photo Courtesy of Boca Raton Historical Society
A small town during World War II, Boca Raton wasn’t on many people’s radars. But radar was certainly being used in Boca Raton. It was on the Boca Raton Army Air Field that Britain’s most advanced weapons technology — airborne radar — was tested, installed on B-57s and operated by pilots who trained there.
The area was selected because of its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, good climate and an existing airport. The radar technology was used to detect German U-boats (their version of submarines) off the Florida coast, aiming at merchant ships ferrying supplies to allies.
The Army Air Forces’ only radar training station during WWII grew to 800 buildings with more than 16,000 troops. Thousands of men and women were stationed there from 1942 to 1947. As the war ended, so did the need for training. But it wasn’t man that led to the demise of the facility; it was Mother Nature. In 1947, two hurricanes hit the area, leaving the air field uninhabitable.
Today, Florida Atlantic University (FAU) stands on 1,000 acres of the former airfield. Four of the base’s original 800 buildings remain in use as university facilities.