Fenton Airfield
Encyclopedia
Fenton Airfield is a World War II
military airfield located at Tipperary Station, Hayes Creek, Northern Territory, Australia
.
Abandoned since 1945, the site is an outstanding example of a World War II heavy bomber airfield construction and layout, and is one of three surviving examples of heavy bomber airfields in the Katherine-Darwin region.
The airfield is open to the public; the main runway, taxiways and hardstands are accessible. Remnants of the control tower remain and items of aircraft wreckage can be found in the area.
Clyde Fenton
. The single runway was 6,000 ft (1,828.8m) long and 100 ft (30.48m) wide.
It was mainly utilised by Liberator bombers mounting long range raids against Japanese forces in the Netherlands East Indies North Western Area of Operations and the South West Pacific Area
.
Further development of the airfield was undertaken by No. 1 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF, No 14 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF and New South Wales
Department of Main Roads
under the Allied Works Council
. The runway was enlarged to approximately 7,218 ft (2,200m) long and 164 ft (50m) wide and about sixty aircraft dispersal bays, some with earthen revetments.
During its operational use Fenton Airfield was a major airfield, being headquarters for many Royal Australian Air Force Squadrons, and United States Army and Air Force units. Reconnaissance flights were flown over Timor
Island, New Guinea
and Celebres Islands
, and attacks and armed reconnaissance missions were carried out against Japanese airfields, ground installations and shipping. On 29 February 1944 the USAAF 380th Bombardment Group flew a 16-hour mission from Fenton to Borneo
, flying over 2,500 nautical miles (4,000 km).
With the end of the war in late 1945, the airfield was abandoned. Over the years, it has reverted in large part to the natural terrain from which it was built. All of the base infrastructure is gone, with concrete and various foundations, piles of rubble and the occasional aircraft part remaining. In aerial photographs, the remains of some roads that probably led to dispersed parts of the base away from the operations area such as the bomb dump and the administrative containment area are faintly visible, but no structures exist.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
military airfield located at Tipperary Station, Hayes Creek, Northern Territory, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Abandoned since 1945, the site is an outstanding example of a World War II heavy bomber airfield construction and layout, and is one of three surviving examples of heavy bomber airfields in the Katherine-Darwin region.
The airfield is open to the public; the main runway, taxiways and hardstands are accessible. Remnants of the control tower remain and items of aircraft wreckage can be found in the area.
History
The airfield was built by C Company and HQ Detachment of the 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion between 27 April 1942 and 16 July 1942. The airfield was named after Flight LieutenantFlight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Clyde Fenton
Clyde Fenton
Dr Clyde Fenton was the Northern Territory's first flying doctor. Unlike the other doctors with the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, Clyde was also his own pilot. Fenton was a self taught pilot, and flew without the aid of any navigation equipment, air charts, and often proper landing...
. The single runway was 6,000 ft (1,828.8m) long and 100 ft (30.48m) wide.
It was mainly utilised by Liberator bombers mounting long range raids against Japanese forces in the Netherlands East Indies North Western Area of Operations and the South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area was the name given to the Allied supreme military command in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands in the Pacific theatres of World War II, during 1942–45...
.
Further development of the airfield was undertaken by No. 1 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF, No 14 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Department of Main Roads
Roads and Traffic Authority
The Roads and Traffic Authority is a former New South Wales government agency that was responsible for major road infrastructure, licensing of drivers, and registration of motor vehicles. The RTA directly managed State roads and provided funding to local councils for regional and local roads...
under the Allied Works Council
Allied Works Council
The Allied Works Council was an organisation set up to oversee and organise military construction works in Australia during World War II.Established in February 1942, the Allied Works Council was responsible for carrying out any works required by the Allied Forces including providing any equipment,...
. The runway was enlarged to approximately 7,218 ft (2,200m) long and 164 ft (50m) wide and about sixty aircraft dispersal bays, some with earthen revetments.
During its operational use Fenton Airfield was a major airfield, being headquarters for many Royal Australian Air Force Squadrons, and United States Army and Air Force units. Reconnaissance flights were flown over Timor
Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...
Island, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and Celebres Islands
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
, and attacks and armed reconnaissance missions were carried out against Japanese airfields, ground installations and shipping. On 29 February 1944 the USAAF 380th Bombardment Group flew a 16-hour mission from Fenton to Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, flying over 2,500 nautical miles (4,000 km).
With the end of the war in late 1945, the airfield was abandoned. Over the years, it has reverted in large part to the natural terrain from which it was built. All of the base infrastructure is gone, with concrete and various foundations, piles of rubble and the occasional aircraft part remaining. In aerial photographs, the remains of some roads that probably led to dispersed parts of the base away from the operations area such as the bomb dump and the administrative containment area are faintly visible, but no structures exist.
Units based at Fenton Airfield
- No. 1 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF
- No. 6 Repair and Salvage Unit RAAF
- No. 11 Signals Unit RAAF
- No. 14 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF
- No. 21 Squadron RAAFNo. 21 Squadron RAAFNo. 21 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force general reserve squadron. It saw action as a fighter, dive bomber and heavy bomber unit during World War II.-History:...
(B-24B-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
) - No. 23 Squadron RAAFNo. 23 Squadron RAAFNo. 23 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force is a non-flying base operations and training squadron headquartered at RAAF Base Amberley near Brisbane, Queensland. The Squadron was formed in 1937 and saw action during World War II as a bomber squadron.-History:No...
(B-24) - No. 24 Squadron RAAFNo. 24 Squadron RAAFNo. 24 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. The Squadron was formed in 1940 and saw action as a bomber squadron during World War II. Since the end of the war the Squadron has been an RAAF Reserve squadron located near Adelaide, South Australia....
(B-24) - 82nd Wing RAAF (No.'s 21, 23 & 24 Squadrons RAAF)
- United States Army Air Force Fifth Air ForceFifth Air ForceThe Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
- 64th Bombardment Squadron (43d Bombardment Group), B-17 Flying Fortress 2 August-25 September 1942
- 43d Materiel Squadron
- 319th Bombardment Squadron (90th Bombardment Group), B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
, 5 February-23 June 1943- Deployed from: RAAF Base DarwinDarwin International AirportDarwin International Airport is the busiest airport serving the Northern Territory and the tenth busiest airport in Australia. It is the only airport serving Darwin....
, NT
- Deployed from: RAAF Base Darwin
- 380th Bombardment Group, B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
, May 1943-9 August 1944- 528th Bombardment Squadron, 28 April 1943 – 20 August 1944
- 529th Bombardment Squadron
- Assigned to: Manbulloo AirfieldManbulloo AirfieldManbulloo Airfield is 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 in April 1942. The Allied Works Council completed the works and the airfield was operational by 19 May 1942...
, NT, 28 April-7 November 1943 - Assigned to: Long AirfieldLong AirfieldLong Airfield is a World War II military airfield located near Hayes Creek, Northern Territory, Australia.Also known as "Long Strip", the airfield was constructed in late 1943 by No.14 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF. The bitumen surfaced runway was long and wide...
, NT, 7 November-10 July 1944 - Assigned to: RAAF Base DarwinDarwin International AirportDarwin International Airport is the busiest airport serving the Northern Territory and the tenth busiest airport in Australia. It is the only airport serving Darwin....
, NT, 10 July-February 1945
- Assigned to: Manbulloo Airfield
- 530th Bombardment Squadron
- 531st Bombardment Squadron
- Assigned to: Manbulloo AirfieldManbulloo AirfieldManbulloo Airfield is 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 in April 1942. The Allied Works Council completed the works and the airfield was operational by 19 May 1942...
, NT, 28 April-5 December 1943 - Assigned to: Long AirfieldLong AirfieldLong Airfield is a World War II military airfield located near Hayes Creek, Northern Territory, Australia.Also known as "Long Strip", the airfield was constructed in late 1943 by No.14 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF. The bitumen surfaced runway was long and wide...
, NT, 5 December-21 July 1944 - Assigned to: RAAF Base DarwinDarwin International AirportDarwin International Airport is the busiest airport serving the Northern Territory and the tenth busiest airport in Australia. It is the only airport serving Darwin....
, NT, 25 July-1 March 1945
- Assigned to: Manbulloo Airfield
- 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion, United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
- 404th Quartermaster Air Depot Platoon, United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Japanese Bombing Raids on Fenton Airfield
- 30 June 1943 (12:30pm)
- 6 July 1943 (12:02pm)
- 13 August 1943 (9:45pm)
- 13 August 1943 (11:12 pm)
- 21 August 1943 (03:07 am)
- 15 September 1943 (00:25 am)
- 18 September 1943 (03:50 am)
See also
- United States Army Air Forces in AustraliaUnited States Army Air Forces in AustraliaDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Forces established a series of airfields in Australia for the collective defense of the country, as well as for conducting offensive operations against the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy...
(World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
)