Debach was one of the last Eighth Air Force heavy bomber bases to be completed. It was built by the 820th Engineer Battalion (Aviation) between late '43 and early '44. Pronounced locally as 'Deb-idge', the base was built to a class A standard with accommodation for nearly 3,000 men, the majority in newly-built Nissen huts to the south-west of the main field and a smaller number at nearby Thistledon Hall. The damage to the Hall by this occupation was so great that the decision was taken to demolish it after the war, leaving only the foundations of the building behind. The 493rd Bomb Group flew their first mission from here on D-Day, 6 June 1944. Problems with breaking-up runways dogged the Group's flights and repairs had to be made in the early part of 1945. After U.S. forces left the air field was used as a camp for German PoWs.