Manbulloo Airfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Manbulloo Airfield |
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| Manbulloo, Northern Territory, Australia | |
 Manbulloo Airfield
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| Coordinates | 14°35′58.35″S 132°11′24.22″E / 14.5995417°S 132.1900611°E |
| Type | Military |
| Site history | |
| In use | 1942-1945 |
Manbulloo Airfield was an important airfield (a place where planes take off and land) built during World War II. It was located near Katherine, Northern Territory, at a large cattle property called Manbulloo Station. This airfield played a key role in defending Australia during the war.
History of Manbulloo Airfield
Building the airfield started in April 1942. The 43rd Engineer Regiment from the US Army began the work. The Allied Works Council then finished it. By May 19, 1942, the airfield was ready to use. It had a long runway, about 1981 meters (over a mile) long and 30 meters wide.
In April 1943, large B-24 Liberator planes arrived from the United States. These planes belonged to the 529th and 530th Bombardment Squadrons. They moved to Manbulloo Airfield. Their main group, the 380th Bomb Group, had its headquarters at Fenton Airfield.
At that time, Japanese planes sometimes attacked the Northern Territory. To keep the planes safe, military leaders decided to spread out the squadrons. This meant placing them at different airfields, including Manbulloo.
From Manbulloo Airfield, the squadrons flew many missions. They attacked Japanese airfields and military buildings. They also targeted enemy ships and factories in places like the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and the Bismarck Archipelago. Other missions included stopping enemy sea travel. They also dropped special photoflash bombs and propaganda leaflets. Both squadrons moved to Long Airfield later in 1943.
The airfield was closed in 1944 and left empty. Today, if you look from the sky, you won't see any wartime buildings or taxiways. Only parts of the main runway remain. This old runway is now used as a road. It leads to a large mango farm that was started in 1972. This farm was the first commercial mango farm in the Northern Territory. It is now owned by Manbulloo Limited, which sells mangoes all over the world.
You can faintly see what looks like a second runway from aerial photos. Some old roads from the airfield might also be visible. The airfield is on private land, part of the huge Manbulloo Station cattle property. You can reach it from the Victoria Highway.
On June 12, 2010, an important part of the airfield was recognized. The airfield's operations centre and abattoir was added to the Northern Territory Heritage Register. This means it is a protected historical site.
Military Units at Manbulloo Airfield
During World War II, different military groups, called units, were based at Manbulloo Airfield. Here are some of them:
- 529th Bombardment Squadron (part of the 380th Bombardment Group) - from April 28 to November 7, 1943
- 531st Bombardment Squadron (part of the 380th Bombardment Group) - from April 28 to December 5, 1943
- No. 24 Squadron RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force)
- No. 34 Squadron RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force)
