Wards 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 opposing ...
airfield near
Port Moresby
(; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New ...
,
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
. The airfield was abandoned after the war and was developed into the Waigani area of Port Moresby.
The airfield was named in honor of Australian Lt. Col. K. H. Ward, who was involved with its construction and was KIA on 27 August 1942, during the fighting at Isurava on the Kokoda Trail. It was also known as "5-Mile or 5-Mile Drome" by Americans, for its distance from Port Moresby.
History
Wards Airfield (Ward's Strip) was built for heavy bombers and transport planes. By 1943, it was the busiest aerodrome in the southern hemisphere. Mainly used for cargo aircraft and larger planes, Ward's was nearest to
Jackson Airfield (7 Mile Drome), and at its height, its taxiways actually connected with those of 7-mile.
The major operational organization at Wards Airfield was the Headquarters,
54th Troop Carrier Wing
The Type 054 (NATO Codename Jiangkai I) is a class of Chinese multi-role frigates that were commissioned in the People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force in 2005. They superseded the Type 053H3 frigates. Only two ships, ''Ma'anshan'' (525), and ...
(3 May 1943 – 18 April 1944). Operational
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in f ...
groups and squadrons assigned to the airfield were:
*
317th Troop Carrier Group
The 317th Operations Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last stationed at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina as part of Air Mobility Command. It was activated in 1992 during the Air Force's Objective Wing reorganization, and ina ...
(30 September 1943 – April 1944)
*
374th Troop Carrier Wing 374th may refer to:
* 374th Airlift Wing, unit of the United States Air Force assigned to Fifth Air Force, stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan
*374th Fighter Squadron or 171st Air Refueling Squadron, unit of the Michigan Air National Guard's 127th ...
(December 1942 – 7 October 1943)
*
375th Troop Carrier Group (December 1942 – 7 October 1943)
*
6th Troop Carrier Squadron, 13 October 1942 – 2 October 1943
*
21st Troop Carrier Squadron, 18 February – 28 September 1943
*
22d Troop Carrier Squadron
D, or d, is the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''dee'' (pronounced ), plural ''dees''.
History
Th ...
, 24 January – 4 October 1943
*
33d Troop Carrier Squadron
The 33d Troop Carrier Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, redesignated as the Air Mobility Command Test and Evaluation Squadron. It is assigned to the Air Mobility Command. During the Second World War the 33 TCS was with the 37 ...
, 28 December 1942 – 5 October 1943
Several Reconnaissance groups were assigned to Wards to support Fifth Air Force operations:
*
6th Reconnaissance Group
Alec Trevelyan (006) is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1995 James Bond film ''GoldenEye'', the first film to feature actor Pierce Brosnan as Bond. Trevelyan is portrayed by actor Sean Bean. The likeness of Bean as Alec Tre ...
(10 December 1943 – 17 February 1944)
*
71st Reconnaissance Group
020 is the national dialling code for London in the United Kingdom. All subscriber numbers within the area code consist of eight digits and it has capacity for approaching 100 million telephone numbers. The code is used at 170 telephone exch ...
(7 November 1943 – 20 January 1944)
In addition the
90th Bombardment Group also based two
B-24 Liberator squadrons at the airfield.
*
320th Bombardment Squadron
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
, 10 February – December 1943
*
321st Bombardment Squadron
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
, 10 February – December 1943
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
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units stationed at the airfield were the 9th Group, 22nd Squadron (A-20) and 30th Squadron (Beaufighter).
General Kenney's Headquarters,
V Fighter Command was located at the airfield between December–January 1942. Reportedly, its cement slab foundations still remain today, located on a hill behind the airfield. A large 5th Air Force insignia and USAAF star, drawn into the concrete. Concrete steps, a garden and path that went up the ridge towards the HQ. In the 1980s traces of the paint still remained. Today, both the 5th AF logo and USAAF are partially broken, and the area is overgrown, but it still offers commanding views and an impressive remnant of the American era at the airfield.
This marking overlooks the Chinese Embassy. To visit the slab, drive down Sir John Guise Drive, cross the intersection with Independence Way and Godwit Street and keep going in the direction of the golf club. When that road begins to make a left turn, there is a hill on your right.
Wards Airfield was also the home of the USAAF 27th Air Depot. This group was responsible for assembling crated aircraft delivered by ship docked in Fairfax Harbor from the United States. Brand new aircraft were delivered to Port Moresby assembled and then flown to other bases. Ships continued to dock at Port Moresby until mid-1945 when transports switched to Manila Bay. For pilots wishing to pick up a brand new plane, they would have to go all the way back to Port Moresby
Current status
One can still drive along the main runway. In the post war years, most of its aircraft revetments were bulldozed flat, and a scrap dealer operated there, melting down aluminum from aircraft remains. Locals would siphon gasoline from the aircraft fuel tanks for their own use well into the 1950s.
Port Moresby Airfield Complex
:
Kila Airfield (3 Mile Drome)
:
Jackson Airfield (7 Mile Drome)
:
Berry Airfield (12 Mile Drome)
:
Schwimmer Airfield (14 Mile Drome)
:
Durand Airfield (17 Mile Drome)
:
Rogers (Rarona) Airfield (30 Mile Drome)
:
Fishermans (Daugo Island) Airfield
See also
*
USAAF in the Southwest Pacific
References
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
www.pacificwrecks.com
External links
{{USAAF 5th Air Force World War II
Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Papua New Guinea
Airports established in 1942
1942 establishments in the Territory of Papua