Livingstone Airfield, also knwo as 34 Mile Field, near Humpty Doo, NT during WW2

Livingstone Field, 34 miles south of Darwin was built by the 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion, less Company A and HQ Detachment, from 16 March to 13 April 1942. They built 5, 000 ft of runway that was 100 ft wide with 10 to 20 ft shoulders paved with 4 inches of clay bound gravel and a coat of diesel oil. Also built was 2,000 ft of taxiway 30 ft wide with 10 ft shoulders paved with 3 inches of gravel.

Livingstone Airfield was named after Lieutenant John Dick Livingstone Jr., a native of Clarksburg WV, USA, who was the first pilot killed in action at the airfield on 4 April 1942. The initial tent camp at the airfield was built in the bush next to the runway near a cattle property called Humpty Doo. The pilots of the 9th Squadron of the 49th Fighter Group bought beds with them from their hotel in Darwin.

The runway ran parallel to the main road that ran south from Darwin. An Officer's Mess was built, consisting of a hut with a concrete floor and a tin roof. It was open on all sides for ventilation. It was decked out with a mess table and some benches and easy chairs looted from the Hotel Darwin by "persons unknown".

Pilot, George Preddy made his phonograph and records available in the Officer's Mess. The mess had sets of cards, a radio, a cribbage board, a game of checkers and a chess game. All the luxuries of home!!

54 Squadron RAF moved from England to Darwin in 1943 and then to Livingstone airfield in 1944.

50 calibre machine guns of the 102nd Coastal Artillery Battalion (AA Separate), US Army were also based at Livingstone airfield in the Northern Territory. The unit had all arrived at Darwin by 8 April 1942. When they left their positions at Livingstone airfield they were taken over by the 40mm Bofors guns of the Australian 161st Light Anti-aircraft Battery (LAA Bty).

DATE	LOCATION	SERVICE	AIRCRAFT	SERIAL NO.
Unknown	4 miles south of Humpty Doo	RAAF	Wirraway	A20-643
4 Apr 42	34 Mile Strip	USAAF	P-40 Kittyhawk	2nd. Lt. Livingstone killed
6 Jun 42	10 miles east of Livingstone airfield	USAAF	Kittyhawk	2nd Lt. Miller killed
16 Jun 42	artillery range, 20 miles south of Livingstone airfield	USAAF	Kittyhawk	Belly landing after being hit during a Japanese bombing raid on Darwin - Pilot Lt. McComsey
23 Jun 42	few miles east of Livingstone airfield	USAAF	Warhawk (Kittyhawk)	#48 "Sissy", Lt. Fielder killed
16 Jul 42	3 miles south of Livingstone airfield	USAAC	P-40 Kittyhawk	41-24809, #83 "Mauree"
20 Nov 42	2 miles west of Livingstone	RAAF	P-38 Lightning	A55-2
21 Nov 42	Livingstone	RAAF	P-40 Kittyhawk	A29-115, #41-36094
abt Feb 43	Livingstone	RAAF	F.VC Spitfire	A58-30 (BR493)
abt Aug 43	Livingstone	RAAF	F.VC Spitfire	A58-70 (BS178)
abt Jan 44	Livingstone	RAAF	F.VC Spitfire	A58-44 (BR538)
abt Feb 44	Livingstone	RAAF	F.VC Spitfire	A58-129 (EE734)
abt Mar 44	Livingstone	RAAF	F.VC Spitfire	A58-164 (ER760)
abt Jun 44	Livingstone	RAAF	LF.VIII Spitfire	A58-318 (JF937)
abt Jun 44	Livingstone airfield	RAAF	LF.VIII Spitfire	A58-376 (JG266)
abt Jul 44	Livingstone airfield	RAAF	LF.VII Spitfire	A58-394 (JG373)

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