RAAF Station Archerfield was a permanent Royal Australian Air Force

Royal Australian Air Force

The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...

 station at Archerfield Airport

Archerfield Airport

Archerfield Airport is a small airport located 7 1/2 miles at Archerfield in the south west of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. For some time it was the primary airport in Brisbane. During World War II it was used as a Royal Australian Air Force station. Airport traffic peaked in the 1980s...

 in Brisbane

Brisbane

Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

, Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

, 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...

, from 1939 to 1956.

1939 - 1945

At the outbreak of World War II

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...

 in September 1939, the RAAF took over the Royal Queensland Aero Club facilities at Archerfield Airport

Archerfield Airport

Archerfield Airport is a small airport located 7 1/2 miles at Archerfield in the south west of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. For some time it was the primary airport in Brisbane. During World War II it was used as a Royal Australian Air Force station. Airport traffic peaked in the 1980s...

. Club aircraft were impressed into service and flying instructors were commissioned into the RAAF. No. 2 Elementary Flight Training School was transferred to Archerfield look after flight training. No. 23 Squadron RAAF

No. 23 Squadron RAAF

No. 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...

, now officially called "City of Brisbane Squadron", received the Australian built CAC Wirraway

CAC Wirraway

The Wirraway was a training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1939 and 1946...

 to defend the city against air attack.

Up to 1941, Archerfield was being upgraded as a military base for the RAAF pending completion of RAAF Base Amberley

RAAF Base Amberley

RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force base located southwest of Ipswich, Queensland and southwest of Brisbane. It is currently home to No. 1 Squadron and No. 6 Squadron , No. 33 Squadron and No. 36 Squadron...

. In 1940 a new administration block with control tower on top was built and the RAAF built hangars and huts along the southern boundary of the field.

The attack on the US base in Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

 coincided with another on US bases in the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. The loss of these bases made Australia, especially the north of the country, a valuable staging area for the war against the Japanese. In the following months, military aircraft of several countries competed for space with the civil airliners still operating.

On 1 July 1942, the RAAF transferred control of the airfield to the United States Army Air Forces

United States Army Air Forces

The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....

. Visitors to the station included General Douglas MacArthur and a young Gough Whitlam

Gough Whitlam

Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...

, then a navigator on a Lockheed Ventura

Lockheed Ventura

The Lockheed Ventura was a bomber and patrol aircraft of World War II, used by United States and British Commonwealth forces in several guises...

.

In February 1945, the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 moved its Transportable Aircraft Maintenance Yard No.1, known as TAMY 1, to Archerfield. The Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 base was known as HMS Nabsford and a plaque commemorating it and the British personnel who served in the Pacific theatre can be viewed in the old administration building along with plaques from the RAAF and the US 5th Air Force.

1945 - 1956

No. 23 Squadron RAAF

No. 23 Squadron RAAF

No. 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...

 was reformed at Archerfield in 1947 flying the CA-17 Mustang 20. No. 1 Initial Flying Training School was based at Archerfield in 1951 until it was merged with No. 1 Basic Flying School in 1954. No. 23 Squadron RAAF

No. 23 Squadron RAAF

No. 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...

 re-equipped with the De Havilland Vampire

De Havilland Vampire

The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...

 in 1955, but the grass fires started by the Vampires’ jet exhausts on the grass runways necessitated relocating the squadron to RAAF Base Amberley

RAAF Base Amberley

RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force base located southwest of Ipswich, Queensland and southwest of Brisbane. It is currently home to No. 1 Squadron and No. 6 Squadron , No. 33 Squadron and No. 36 Squadron...

. The Station Headquarters was closed soon after.

Royal Australian Air Force

• No. 23 Squadron RAAF
  No. 23 Squadron RAAF
  No. 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...
  
  : 1939 - 1942 (CAC Wirraway
  CAC Wirraway
  The Wirraway was a training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1939 and 1946...
  
  , Avro Anson
  Avro Anson
  The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
  
  , Lockheed Hudson
  Lockheed Hudson
  The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
  
  ), 1947 - 1955 (CA-17 Mustang 20, Vampire
  De Havilland Vampire
  The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
  
  )
• No. 1 Initial Flying Training School, 1951 - 1954 (Tiger Moth
  De Havilland Tiger Moth
  The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...
  
  )
• No. 3 Initial Flying Training School, relocated from RAAF Station Sandgate 194
  194
  Year 194 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Septimius and Septimius...
  
   - 1954, before relocating to Kingaroy, Queensland
  Kingaroy, Queensland
  Kingaroy is an agricultural town in Queensland, Australia, approximately or about 2½ hours drive north-west of the state capital Brisbane. The town is situated on the junction of the D'Aguilar and the Bunya Highways...
  
  
• No. 2 Elementary Flight Training School, 1939 - 1942 (Tiger Moth
  De Havilland Tiger Moth
  The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...
  
  , Gypsy Moth)
• No. 2 Air Ambulance Unit RAAF
  No. 2 Air Ambulance Unit RAAF
  No. 2 Air Ambulance Unit RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force air ambulance unit of World War II. The Unit was formed on 1 March 1942 at RAAF Base Fairbairn and flew its first operational sortie on 7 March. No. 2 Air Ambulance Unit operated throughout Australia during 1942 and began flights to New...
  
  : 1944 - 1946 (Fox Moth
  De Havilland Fox Moth
  |-References:NotesBibliography* Hotson, Fred W. The de Havilland Canada Story. Toronto: CANAV Books, 1983. ISBN 0-07-549483-3.* Jackson, A. J. British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972: Volume II. London: Putnam , 1988. ISBN 0-85177-813-5....
  
  , Moth Minor, Lockheed Hudson
  Lockheed Hudson
  The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
  
  , DH.84, C-47 Dakota
  Douglas DC-3
  The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
  
  )
• No. 4 Communications Flight: 1942 - 1946 (Avro Anson
  Avro Anson
  The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
  
  , Lockheed Hudson
  Lockheed Hudson
  The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
  
  , CAC Wirraway
  CAC Wirraway
  The Wirraway was a training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1939 and 1946...
  
  , Tiger Moth
  De Havilland Tiger Moth
  The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...
  
  , Moth Minor, Lockheed Lodestar
  Lockheed Lodestar
  The Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar was a passenger transport aircraft of the World War II era.-Design and development:The prototype of the Lockheed Model 18, which first flew in 1939, was constructed from one of a batch of Lockheed Model 14 Super Electras which had been returned to the manufacturer by...
  
  , Bristol Beaufort
  Bristol Beaufort
  The Bristol Beaufort was a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber....
  
  , Bristol Beaufighter
  Bristol Beaufighter
  The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
  
  )
• No. 38 (T) Squadron RAAF
  No. 38 Squadron RAAF
  No. 38 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force transport squadron. The Squadron was formed in 1943 and saw active service in the Second World War, Korean War and Malayan Emergency. No. 38 Squadron has also supported Australian peacekeeping operations around the world including in Kashmir and East...
  
  : 1944 - 1946 (C-47 Dakota
  Douglas DC-3
  The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
  
  )
• No. 323 Radar Squadron RAAF: 1945
• No. 324 Radar Squadron RAAF: 1945
• No. 325 Radar Squadron RAAF: 1945
• No. 342 Radar Squadron RAAF: 1945
• No. 76 Squadron RAAF
  No. 76 Squadron RAAF
  No. 76 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force flight training squadron. Established in 1942, the squadron operated P-40 Kittyhawk fighter aircraft and saw combat during World War II. Following the war it formed part of Australia's contribution to the occupation of Japan until it was...
  
  : 1942 (P-40E Kittyhawk
  Curtiss P-40
  The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
  
  )

United States Army Air Force

• 19th Special Operations Squadron
• 21st Troop Carrier Squadron
  21st Airlift Squadron
  The 21st Airlift Squadron is part of the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. It operates C-17 Globemaster III aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide.-Mission:...
  
  
• 33d Flying Training Squadron
• 39th Troop Carrier Squadron
  39th Airlift Squadron
  The 39th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force unit based at Dyess Air Force Base, Abilene, Texas. The unit flies the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.-Mission:...
  
  
• 90th Fighter Squadron
  90th Fighter Squadron
  The 90th Fighter Squadron is part of the 3d Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. It operates the F-22 Raptor aircraft conducting air superiority missions.-Mission:...
  
  
• 1535th Ordnance S&M Company

Royal Netherlands Air Force

• NEI-Transport Section, Brisbane: 1944 - 1945 (Lockheed Lodestar
  Lockheed Lodestar
  The Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar was a passenger transport aircraft of the World War II era.-Design and development:The prototype of the Lockheed Model 18, which first flew in 1939, was constructed from one of a batch of Lockheed Model 14 Super Electras which had been returned to the manufacturer by...
  
  , B-25 Mitchell
  B-25 Mitchell
  The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
  
  )

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm

• Transportable Aircraft Maintenance Yard No.1