Segi Point Airfield
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Segi Point Airfield is a former
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
airfield on
New Georgia New Georgia, with an area of , is the largest of the islands in Western Province, Solomon Islands, and the 200th-largest island in the world. Geography New Georgia island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of ...
in the
Solomon Islands archipelago The Solomon Islands (archipelago) is an island group in the western South Pacific Ocean, north-east of Australia. The archipelago is in the Melanesian subregion and bioregion of Oceania and forms the eastern boundary of the Solomon Sea. The ...
.


History


World War II

The Segi (Seghe) Point area was the base of the British Commonwealth
coastwatcher The Coastwatchers, also known as the Coast Watch Organisation, Combined Field Intelligence Service or Section C, Allied Intelligence Bureau, were Allied military intelligence operatives stationed on remote Pacific islands during World War II t ...
,
Donald Gilbert Kennedy Donald Gilbert Kennedy (March 1898 – 1976) was a teacher, then an administrator in the British colonial service in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony and the British Solomon Islands Protectorate. For his services as a Coastwatcher during t ...
, who had monitored Japanese shipping and aircraft (reporting by radio) and also rescued American airman who were shot down in the territory held by the Japanese. In May and June 1943 Japanese patrols moved into the Segi Point area. The Segi Point area was secured by the 4th Marine Raider Battalion on 30 June 1943 in the opening phase of the
New Georgia Campaign The New Georgia campaign was a series of land and naval battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II between Allied forces and the Empire of Japan. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allied strategy in the South Pacific to isolate the ...
. The 20th, 24th and 47th Naval Construction Battalions landed with the Marines and immediately began construction of a fighter airstrip. Bad weather and poor soil conditions delayed construction, but by 18 July a coral-surfaced by runway was ready for use. By the end of July taxiways and revetments had been completed. In August the runway was widened to and two gas tanks had been constructed and by September 52 hardstands had been completed. USAAF units based at Segi Point included: * 44th Pursuit Squadron operating P-40s US Navy units based at Segi Point included: * VB-305 operating SBDs *
VF-33 Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33) was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. Originally established on 11 October 1948 it was disestablished on 1 October 1993. It was the second U.S. Navy squadron to be designated VF-33. VF-33 History Korean War ...
operating F6Fs * VF-38 operating F6Fs *
VF-40 Fighter Squadron 40 or VF-40 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. Originally established on 15 June 1943, it was disestablished on 19 November 1945. It was the only US Navy squadron to be designated as VF-40. Operational history VF-4 ...
operating F6Fs


Postwar

The airfield remains in use today as Seghe Airport.


See also

*
Barakoma Airfield Barakoma Airfield is a former World War II airfield on Vella Lavella in the Solomon Islands archipelago. History World War II The U.S. 35th Infantry Regiment landed on Vella Lavella on 15 August 1943 as part of the Solomon Islands campaign. The ...
*
Munda Airport Munda Airport is an international airport adjacent to the town of Munda, Western Province in Solomon Islands. Originally built by Japanese forces during World War II and further developed by the U. S. Naval Construction Battalions 24 and 73 f ...
*
Ondonga Airfield Ondonga Airfield is a former World War II airfield on New Georgia in the Solomon Islands archipelago. History World War II The Munda Point area was secured on 5 August 1943. While the rehabilitation and expansion of Munda Point Airfield was th ...
*
United States Army Air Forces in the South Pacific Area During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces engaged in combat against the Empire of Japan in the South Pacific Area. As defined by the War Department, this consisted of the Pacific Ocean areas which lay south of the Equator between lon ...


References

{{reflist Airfields of the United States Navy Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II Military installations closed in the 1940s Closed installations of the United States Navy