Baileytown

A Lost Town of Southern New Jersey
World War II                               

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Bagwell Bailey John D. Herr Enos Lore Bailey John Herr Bailey Owen Tribbett The Schoolhouse World War II Maps of Baileytown


Immediately south of the Millville Airport and extending almost to Dividing Creek, the United States Government acquired 18,000 acres, covering 20 square miles, for use as an aerial target area.   Every property owner in this region was required to sell his property to the War Department or risk having it taken through condemnation. 

Baileytown, being located just south of the airport, was the ideal location for a planned gunnery range.  The construction of targets began in late 1942 immediately after the last family had moved out.  Wooden replicas of military targets such as ships, trains, convoys, airplanes, and ammo dumps were placed in what were once productive farm fields.  Beloved homesteads, now abandoned, became "targets of opportunity."  By the time the war ended, Baileytown was in ruins.

 
Above and left:
Abandoned Baileytown farms, 1943.  
Note wooden military targets in fields. 




 

 




  
War Department's "Option for Purchase of Land" from a Baileytown property owner

 


Wooden replicas of military targets

 
Millville Army Air Field