Lindsey Air Station, Wiesbaden Germany
Longitude: 8.325
Origin of current name: Named in honor of Capt Darrel R. Lindsey, who received the Medal of Honor posthumously for heroism in aerial combat as a member of the 394th Bomb Gp, 9 Aug 1944. Capt Lindsey led a formation of 30 B-26 bombers in an attack on the strategically important L'Isle Adam railroad bridge over the Seine River.
Date current name was assigned to base: November 28, 1958
Previous Names: Installation formed from three contiguous base caserns: name unk, 1875-31 Mar 1897; Gersdorff Kaserne, 1 Apr 1897; Oranien Kaserne, 25 Sep 1909; Infanterie Kaseme, Nov 1909; complex called Schiersteiner Kaserne Displaced Persons' Camp No. 563 in Apr 1945; Camp Lindsey, 13 Nov 1946; Lindsey AB, 15 May 1954.
Base Units: Unk, 1875-Apr 1945; United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (UNRRA), Apr 1945; 501st Air Svc Gp, 1 Jun 1946; 7120th AB Gp, 1 Jul 1948 (rdsgd 7100th AB Gp, 1 Nov 1953; 7100th Spt Gp, 1 Jan 1958; 7101st AB Wg, 15 Nov 1959; 7101st AB Wg [USAFE Base Comd], 24 Nov 1964); 601st Cmbt Spt Gp, 1 Jun 1973; Det 5, 601st Cmbt Spt Wg, 1 Jan 1976; 7100th AB Gp, 1 Jul 1977-.
Changes in Capability: Prior to and during World War I the base served as a training camp for the German Army; hosted the German 80th and 87th Inf Regts after 1920; at the close of World War II provided barracks for various USA ground force units; Lindsey, without an airfield, was a barracks and administrative center for displaced persons under the direction of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), providing logistical support for this agency as well as for the American Red Cross in Germany, United States Air Forces in Europe, United States Forces European Theater, Office of Military Government, United States, and the War Crimes Commission from Apr 1945 to 13 Nov 1946; off-base installation of Wiesbaden AB from Nov 1946 to 1 Jul 1976, when Sembach AB assumed control of Lindsey; Lindsey achieved its greatest prominence between Dec 1953 and 14 Mar 1973 when it was host base for HQ Comd, USAFE; Lindsey assumed primary installation status under USAFE on 1 Oct 1977; provided support for various assigned and attached Air Force units in the Wiesbaden area since 1 Oct 1977.
Changes in Status: German Army barracks, 1875-1945; USA barracks, 28 Mar 1945; United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Displaced Persons Camp, Apr 1945; off-base installation of Wiesbaden AB, 13 Nov 1946; off-base installation of Sembach AB, 1 Jul 1976; primary installation under USAFE, 1 Oct 1977.
Current Role: Clay Kaserne / Wiesbaden Army Airfield
History:
Lindsey Air Station originated as a German military airfield built in the 1930s and used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. In 1945, U.S. forces captured the airfield and quickly put it into operation as part of the occupation of Germany. Its location near Wiesbaden made it a valuable site for command, transport, and administrative functions in the American zone.In the immediate postwar period, the installation became closely tied to the development of U.S. command infrastructure in Europe. Lindsey Air Station served as a headquarters and support base rather than a major flying installation. Over time, it became associated with senior command elements of U.S. forces in Europe, including headquarters functions linked to what would become U.S. Army Europe.
Unlike larger tactical air bases, Lindsey's role was primarily administrative, command, and communications-focused. While it retained an airfield component (now Wiesbaden Army Airfield), its importance lay in housing headquarters staff, logistics units, and communications facilities. It functioned as a key node in coordinating U.S. military activities across Europe during the Cold War.
Following the end of the Cold War, U.S. military restructuring in Europe led to the closure of Lindsey Air Station as a USAF-designated installation in 1993. However, the site did not shut down; instead, it transitioned fully to U.S. Army control and was renamed Clay Kaserne. Today, it remains one of the most important U.S. Army installations in Europe, serving as headquarters for major commands and continuing its long-standing administrative and operational support role.