Pruniers airfield was part of a huge depot built for the United States Army Air Service during World War I as an aircraft engineering facility.

On 3 June 1911, the new society organized the demonstration of a Blériot Aéronautique monoplane which was flown for eight and one-half minutes from the military training and firing range of "La Butte".

[2] On 31 March 1912, the city council received a letter from the Ligue National Aéronautique (an aviation lobbying association whose president was Georges Clemenceau) suggesting that some land be provided for an airfield.

With the help of the LNA, a "station aéronautique" is set on the military range of La Butte, one miles out of Romorantin, on the road leading to the futur Pruniers airfield, with one hangar at the edge of the field; the new aerodrome was inaugurated in June 1913.

[2] On 28 June 1917, the first American forces arrived, the 75th, 109th and 116th Aero Squadrons (Construction) which initially established quarters for themselves in the French Army Camp des Bluets about three miles away from the facility.

[3] A compound for the American soldiers assigned to Romorantin was established at a French barracks named North Camp Gièvres in the nearby town of Pruniers-en-Sologne.

[3] What was unique about the center was that the American-built railroads on the site amounted to over 200 km (120 mi) of narrow-gauge and standard-gauge trackage.

[2] Initially, the main purpose of the center was the assembly and final testing of airplanes and engines manufactured in the United States.

Aircraft manufactured in the United States were dis-assembled and crated prior to shipment to East Coast Seaports.

There, the crates were loaded onto ships that sailed north to Halifax, Nova Scotia where they were assembled into convoys for the trans-Atlantic crossing.

The assembled aircraft were then flown to the 1st Air Depot at Colombey-les-Belles Aerodrome where they would be assigned to the combat squadrons at the front.

Beginning in September 1918, a separate facility for Italian Caproni Ca.5 heavy bomber aircraft was established, however the Armistice in November 1918 ended the war before it could be put into production[3] The Engineering Department also established an aircraft salvage and repair facility in Building B-1 to salvage, reclaim and repair crashed airplanes retrieved from the front.

When an aircraft was damaged in combat, or would crash on our side of the front line, a crew would be sent from the 1st Air Depot to dismantle the plane and bring it back to be repaired, if possible.

2 also managed the storage of over 3,000 Merlin fixed and Lewis flexible mounte machine guns, 10,000 spare magazines each holding 97 rounds of ammunition, over a thousand gunner's belts and various other ordinance equipment.

[3] A scarcity of railroad rolling stock meant that cars arriving at the Depot needed to be unloaded quickly so they could be released for other uses.

Caquot Observation balloons, manufactured both in France as well as the United States were received at Romorantin and rigged for combat use.

A large amount of cloth, adhesive tape, rubberised glue, and silk, roes and cords were kept on hand for repairs.

[3] The Transportation Department was responsible for the overhauling, repair and shipment of all motor vehicles used by the Air Service in France.

It also treated personnel who were injured in the course of their duties or off-duty recreational activities, those who required dental work, and those who contracted Venereal Diseases.

Also captured German aircraft, abandoned on airfields in France, were sent to Romorantin for various testing and then dis-assembly for shipment back to the United States.

A group of 200 guards were hired to protect the facility, however many people looted and ransacked the deserted buildings still filled with goods.

Many do not return[2] During the occupation, known Luftwaffe units assigned to the airfield were:[4] Romorantin was attacked by twenty-one American Eighth Air Force B-24 Liberators (Mission 295) on 10 April 1944, destroying most of 1./JG105 and its facilities.

The Germans abandoned the airfield in the last days of August 1944 and the Free French Army moved into the area on 2 September.

Today, the depot is located in the site of the main World War I American 1-A and 1-B DH-4 assembly buildings and primarily supports the Dassault Rafale F1 Advanced Technology Fighter.