RAAF Adelaide River Airstrip

Site on Mt Bundy Station

 


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Some information about the Airstrips from the US Navy Fleet Radio Unit.

In an undated report believed to deal with the selection of a site for the HFDF installation, The intercept station was located on a series of lightly wooded hills and rises about three miles from Adelaide River center. Adjacent to the station was a large clay pan some miles in area, which had been used as an emergency landing strip during 1942 but was abandoned since it could only be used during the dry season. During the wet season, it would flood to a depth of a few inches with the unflooded area turning into wet clay while in the dry season, the surface turned to a powder dry surface soil of low conductivity. However, even in the dry season, water could always be found a few feet beneath the surface. It was decided that this particular clay pan would serve well as an HFDF site; particularly since this and other clay pans in the area were about the only flat areas of sufficient size.

I have recently come by information that a USAAF 49th Fighter Pursuit Group Squadron was using the airstrip for a short time and had a small camp on the edge of the flood plain to the East of Haynes Road on Mt Bundy Station, The type of aircraft was the P-40 Kittyhawk/Warhawk.

I have information about the Camera used that took most if not all of the AWM Photo's starting with S/n NWA were taken by the RAAF official photographer John Harrison. He used an Anniversary Speed Graphic 1940-1946, to which he could attach different lenses. The telephoto lens made objects appear closer than they appear in many photo's . Wartime model: no chrome. Bed and Body track rails linked, allowing focusing of wide angle lens within body. Solid wire frame viewfinder. Trim on face of body is found only on top and sides,


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I would like to thank Mr Edwin Ride at the A.W.M .Photographic section for having the caption changed from Strauss Airstrip to the RAAF Airstrip at Adelaide River situated on Mt Bundy Station. Of course the strips are no longer visible but I knew where they were. After Identifying the tree back in November 2011 it took until the end of May 2012 to convince the team in Canberra to make the change,

Thank you Edwin.

 

43rd Service Squadron USAAF at Adelaide River

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As seen by the tracks we took many tourists to this site



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