Advanced landing ground

Advanced Landing Ground (ALG)
UK, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Occupied Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia
Photo of the runway at Advanced Landing Ground A-43 (St Marceau, France) being constructed by IX Engineering Command, August 1944
TypeMilitary airfield
Site information
Controlled byRoyal Air Force
United States Army Air Forces
Site history
Built1944–1945
Battles/warsEuropean Theatre of World War II
Garrison information
OccupantsRAF Second Tactical Air Force
Ninth Air Force
Twelfth Air Force

Advanced landing grounds (ALGs) were temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II during the liberation of Europe. They were built in the UK prior to the invasion and thereafter in northwest Europe from 6 June 1944 to V-E Day, 7 May 1945.

Unlike the permanent airfields built in the United Kingdom and designed for the strategic bombardment of Germany, the tactical combat airfields on the continent were temporary, often improvised airfields to be used by the tactical air forces to support the advancing ground armies engaged on the battlefield. Once the front line moved out of range for the aircraft, the groups and squadrons moved up to newly built ALGs closer to the ground forces and left the ones in the rear for other support uses, or simply abandoned them.