| Manbulloo Airfield | |
|---|---|
| Manbulloo, Northern Territory, [1] Australia | |
  Manbulloo Airfield | |
| Coordinates | 14°35′58.35″S132°11′24.22″E / 14.5995417°S 132.1900611°E Coordinates: 14°35′58.35″S132°11′24.22″E / 14.5995417°S 132.1900611°E |
| Type | Military |
| Site history | |
| In use | 1942-1945 |
Manbulloo Airfield was a World War II airfield built at Manbulloo Station, near Katherine, Northern Territory.
Works on the airfield were initially undertaken by the 43rd Engineer Regiment (US Army) in April 1942. The Allied Works Council completed the works and the airfield was operational by 19 May 1942. The runway was 1,981 m × 30 m (6,499 ft × 98 ft).
The B-24 Liberators from the 529th and 530th Bombardment Squadrons moved to Manbulloo shortly after arriving from the United States in April 1943, with headquarters of their parent unit, the 380th Bomb Group being at Fenton Airfield. With the Northern Territory being subjected to the occasional Japanese air raid at the time, it was decided to disperse the operational squadrons over several airfields. From Manbulloo Airfield the squadron attacked Japanese airfields, ground installations, shipping, and industries in the Netherlands East Indies and the Bismarck Archipelago. Other missions included disruption of enemy sea channels; dropping photoflash bombs and propaganda pamphlets. Both squadrons were reassigned to Long Airfield in late 1943.
The airfield was closed in 1944 and apparently abandoned. Today from the air no wartime buildings, taxiways or hardstands are evident, only the remains of the main NW-SE runway exist which is being used as an access road to an irrigated mango plantation, which was planted in 1972, the first commercial mango plantation in NT, it is now owned by Manbulloo Limited who export mangoes around the world. The remains of what appears to be a second runway (NNW-SSE) is faintly visible in aerial photography, along with some roads possibly a part of the airfield are also faintly visible. No evidence of a containment area is visible.
An access road to the airfield is joined to the Victoria Highway, however, the airfield is on private property as part of the million hectare cattle property Manbulloo Station.
On 12 June 2010, the airfield's operations centre and abattoir was listed on the Northern Territory Heritage Register. [2]
The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional unit of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is attached to the United States Air Forces Central Command component of ACC and is stationed at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates.
RAAF Base Darwin is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located in the city of Darwin, in the Northern Territory, Australia. The base shares its runway with Darwin International Airport, for civil aviation purposes. The heritage-listed RAAF Base Darwin is a forward operating base with year-round activity with approximately 400 personnel.
Coomalie Creek Airfield was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) airfield built in 1942 in what is now the locality of Coomalie Creek, Northern Territory, Australia during World War II.
Batchelor Airfield, is an airport located south of Batchelor, Northern Territory, Australia. The airport currently has no commercial air services; however, it is utilised by the Northern Australian Gliding Club and the Alice Springs Aero Club as a flight training base.
Fenton Airfield was a World War II military airfield in the Northern Territory of Australia located at Tipperary Station in what is now the locality of Douglas-Daly and named after flight lieutenant Clyde Fenton.
Long Airfield was a World War II military airfield located in the locality of Douglas-Daly, Northern Territory, Australia.
Mareeba Airfield is an airfield located 4.3 nautical miles south of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. Built in 1942 as a US Army Air Force base during World War II, the airfield had two runways, with a complement of taxiways, hardstands and a containment area. After the war, much of the airfield reverted to agricultural use, while the southern runway remains as an active airfield.
The 529th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 380th Bombardment Wing at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York, where it was inactivated on 1 September 1991.
The 530th Combat Crew Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 380th Bombardment Wing at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York, where it was inactivated on 1 July 1991.
Aguadulce Army Airfield is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II airfield in Panama used as part of the defense of the Panama Canal. It was closed on 1 March 1948.
The 531st Bombardment Squadron was a unit of the US Air Force, first activated during World War II. After training as a heavy bomber unit in the United States, it moved to the Southwest Pacific Theater, entering combat in May 1943, flying combat missions from Australia while attached to the Royal Australian Air Force, earning two Distinguished Unit Citations and a Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. In 1945 it moved forward to the Philippines, then to Okinawa. Following V-J Day, the squadron returned to the Philippines and was inactivated there in February 1946.
Chateaudun-du-Rhumel Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Algeria, located about 6 km north-northwest of Chelghoum el Aid, in Mila province, about 47 km southwest of Constantine.
Canrobert Airfield was a World War II military airfield in Algeria, located approximately 4 km south of Oum el Bouaghi, approximately 70 km southeast of Constantine. It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force during the North African Campaign against the German Afrika Korps. The Allied commanders made desperate efforts to prepare forward airfields for the use of fighters and fighter-bombers. Canrobert was one of these intermediate fields.
Enfidaville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, located approximately 13 km north-northwest of Harqalah; approximately 90 km southwest of Tunis. It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force during the North African Campaign as a B-24 heavy bomber and troop carrier base. Known units assigned were:
Hergla Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Tunisia, which was located approximately 12 km north-northwest of Harqalah in al Janubiyah Wilayat province, about 90 km south-southwest of Tunis.
Oudna Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, which was located approximately 7 km southwest of La Mohammedia; about 14 km south-southwest of Tunis It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force during the North African Campaign as a heavy B-17 Flying Fortress bomber airfield. Known units assigned were:
Medenine Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, which was located just to the west of Medenine, 46 km N of Tataouine; 430 km south-southeast of Tunis.
The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a 40 km (25 mi) radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy. The airfields were used by the United States Army Air Force Fifteenth Air Force as part of the strategic bombardment campaign against Nazi Germany in 1944 and 1945, as well as the Twelfth Air Force, the Royal Air Force and the South African Air Force during the Italian Campaign (1943–1945).
RAF Gambut is a complex of six abandoned military airfields in Libya, located about 5 kilometres (3 mi) north-northeast of the village of Kambut, and 50 kilometres (31 mi) east-south-east of Tobruk. During World War II, the complex was an important facility, used by the Royal Air Force and many RAF squadrons were temporarily based there.
North-Western Area Command was one of several geographically based commands raised by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. Its wartime sphere of operations included the Northern Territory, adjacent portions of Queensland and Western Australia, and the Dutch East Indies. The command was formed in January 1942, following the outbreak of the Pacific War, from the western part of Northern Area Command, which had covered all of northern Australia and Papua. Headquartered at Darwin, North-Western Area Command was initially responsible for air defence, aerial reconnaissance and protection of the sea lanes within its boundaries.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/ .
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Manbulloo Airfield . |
