Eagle Farm Airfield, Brisbane, Queensland, in Australia during WW2

Eagle Farm Airfield - Hangars at bottom end of open area,
Eagle Farm Race Track at far left and Doomben Race Track to its right.
The old Gateway Motorway snakes upwards through the centre of the photo

Eagle Farm Airfield was officially opened as Brisbane's civilian airfield on 1 April 1925. Eagle Farm Aerodrome was not large enough to cater for the growth in aviation that occurred and it readily become boggy in wet weather A decision was made to move commercial aviation to a new airfield at Archerfield Airfield on the south side of Brisbane. It was some three times the size of Eagle Farm Airfield. Archerfield Airfield was opened on 1 April 1931.

With the outbreak of WWII in the Pacific on 7 December 1941, the United States Army Air Force USAAF arrived in Brisbane and developed Eagle Farm Airfield into a major aircraft erection depot where aircraft were assembled, repaired and serviced. The 81st Air Depot Group was the main unit based at Eagle Farm Airfield. The airfield was still very boggy after rain and the Queensland Main Roads Commission was engaged to import lots of fill to raise the level of the airfield and build new runways.

The following is the entry for Eagle Farm Aerodrome in "The History of the Queensland Main Roads Commission during World War II 1939 - 1945":-

Eagle Farm Aerodrome.

A transformation greater than that at Archerfield was effected at the Eagle Farm aerodrome in the face of many difficulties. This work was commenced in February, 1942, and continued to the end of 1944, the expenditure approximating Ł559,687, and employing up to 287 men. Three runways, taxiways, hardstanding, and extensive drainage were involved. Eleven houses were removed and re-erected. A total of 22,320 ft. of 24-inch diameter reinforced concrete pipes was laid and practically the whole of the north side of Brisbane for a distance of 12 miles was cleared of big gravel deposits for use in consolidating the plastic delta material upon which the field was built. The N.E.-S.W. runway was 3,000 ft. long and 150 feet wide with flanks of 225 feet, or 600 feet overall width. A week after the work of construction had started heavy rain fell and continued for nearly three weeks, converting the ground to a quagmire. Thousands of feet of ashes and coke breeze were carted from the gas works and deposited in order to keep trucks moving with borrow material from Nudgee. On several occasions two fire brigade pumps were used to get the water from the boxing.

About this time the American authorities advised that the runway was urgently needed for fighter plane protection of Brisbane. With the clearing of the weather, two 10-hour shifts were set to work, using 100 trucks, which hauled 33,000 cubic yards of borrow material over 9 5-mile lead, 12,000 cubic yards of gravel over a 6-mile lead and 1,250 cubic yards of screenings for bitumen on leads of up to 55 miles. This section was completed and a squadron of P.39 (Air Cobras) landed on Sunday afternoon, 29th March, 1942.

The N.W.-S.E. runway of similar dimensions to 1 N.E.-S.W. runway, with two connecting taxiways 1 mile in length by 50 feet wide were completed in May. From this stage the airfield was developed by lengthening the N.E.-S.W. runway to 6,000 feet, the N.W.S.E. to 5,000 feet and a new E.-W. runway was constructed 7,200 feet long with taxiways, hardstanding, and field drainage. The total quantities used comprised 1,094,892 cubic yards of earthworks imported, 232,528 cubic yards of D class gravel and 17,072 cubic yards of screenings for bitumen. The total area of bitumen work was 141 acres.

In September, 1943, the C.O., Fifth Air Force Service, received a letter from Lieutenant- General George C. Kenny, who wrote:-

The Lae offensive sharply increased our immediate need for fighter aircraft at a time when over 100 such were in course of erection in Brisbane. The situation was such that no matter how fast these fighters were turned out it could not be fast enough from the tactical standpoint. Action taken by the Fifth Air Force Service Command to meet this critical situation resulted in fighter aircraft being erected and delivered at a rate greater than ever before achieved in this theatre and exceeding our most optimistic schedule. The speedy delivery of these fighter aircraft contributed largely to the successful conclusion of the Lae Campaign.

In handing a copy of this letter to the Main Roads Commission the C.O. at Eagle Farm said that the Commission shared in the honours by reason of their speedy and efficient construction of this field.

Numerous crated and partially assembled aircraft arrived at Bretts Wharf and Hamilton Wharf on board light aircraft carriers. Many aircraft minus wings, were often towed along Nudgee Road to Eagle Farm Airfield.

Aircraft being unloaded from USS Barnes at Bretts Wharf on
21 July 1943. Then towed down Nudgee Rd to Eagle Farm airfield.

Looking south on Bunya St, in Dec 1943, the 81st ADG erected,
modified and delivered over 100 P-47 Thunderbolts

Long line of P-47 Thunderbolts and P-38 Lightnings erected
and awaiting delivery to an operational squadron

Bruce Hoy advised that the first P-38 Lightning in the above photo is in fact #42-66596, which was later shot down on 9 November 1943 whilst being flown by 2nd Lt. John Clay Smith, O-736392. It had been assigned to the 433th Fighter Squadron, 475th Fighter Group. It crashed near the shore of Fredrich Karl Harbor to the northwest of Madang. The remains of the pilot were later recovered and buried in Ohio, USA.

P-38 Lightnings, minus wings, awaiting erection in front of
Hangar No 6 and left at Hangar No. 5 at the right

In early 1943, the Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit ATAIU commenced operations inside Hangar 7 at Eagle Farm Airfield. Their role was to seize captured Japanese aircraft and obtain as much intelligence as they could from them. ATAIU rebuilt a Japanese Zero Type 32, an Oscar and a Tony.

Eleven R4D-5 aircraft of Air Transport Squadron Thirteen VR-13 arrived at Eagle Farm Airfield from USA on 10 July 1944 and took over two hangars. A further five R4D-5's and four Consolidated RY-2 aircraft (B-24 Liberator variant) arrived at Eagle Farm Airfield in August and September 1944. Squadron VR-13 transferred to Los Negros, Admiralty Islands in November 1944.

The Americans erected a Control Tower on the top
of Hangar No. 3. Crash truck in front of Hangar 3.

P-39 Airacobra at Eagle Farm Airfield with Hangar
No 3 at far right with the Control Tower on top

Tour of Eagle Farm airfield led by Roger Marks of the
Aviation Historical Society of Australia in July 2003

"The History of the Queensland Main Roads Commission during World War II 1939 - 1945"

DATE	LOCATION	SERVICE	AIRCRAFT	SERIAL NO.
25 Nov 42	Eagle Farm airfield	Dutch	B-22 (Falcon)	?
14 Jan 43 (1)	Eagle Farm	USAAF?	B-25C	#41-12438
28 Mar 43 (1)	Eagle Farm	USAAF?	B-25C Mitchell	#42-32314 (5th AF)
23 Apr 43 (1)	Eagle Farm	USAAF?	B-25C	#41-12496
12 Jul 43 (1)	Eagle Farm	USAAF?	CW-22B	#65-3765
18 Sep 45 (1)	Eagle Farm	USAAF?	C-47A Dakota	#42-23485