Lowood airfield during WW2

LOWOOD AIRFIELD
DURING WW2

620 acres of land was acquired by the Commonwealth at an estimated cost of 4,000 Pounds to establish Lowood airfield.

The Queensland Main Roads Commission commenced building the new airfield in September 1941 for a total approximate expenditure of Ł149,274. Clearing, grubbing, and grading provided a landing field with a 6,000 feet by 150 feet runway, taxiways, dispersal strips, and hardstanding areas. At the peak of the project, there were 181 Main Roads Commission staff employed to build Lowood airfield. Relief landing grounds were also established at nearby Wivenhoe and Coominya for training purposes.

The P-39 Airacobras of the 36th Fighter Squadron and 80th Squadron of the 8th Fighter Group, USAAF, moved to Lowood airfield on 13 March 1942.

The 101st Coastal Artillery (AA Separate) Battalion and the 94th Coastal Artillery (AA) Regiment, US Army arrived in Sydney on the "Queen Mary" on 28 March 1942, and travelled to Queensland by train. The 101st Battalion deployed its 0.50" calibre machine guns around Amberley and Lowood airfields and the 94th Regiment deployed some of its searchlights at Lowood.

The 36th Fighter Squadron moved to Antill Plains airfield near Townsville in April 1942.

By 10 May 1942, the 80th Squadron had moved from Lowood airfield to Petrie airfield, just north of Brisbane where they trained for combat for 2 months.

The American pilots were most unhappy with Lowood airfield. The RAAF moved back to Lowood in September 1942 with heavier aircraft.

23 Squadron RAAF relocated from Amberley Airfield to Lowood Airfield on 6 June 1942 and was redesignated No. 23 (Dive Bomber) Squadron and was progressively equipped with Bell P-39 Airacobra and CAC Wirraway aircraft. Later in June 1943, the Airacobras were replaced by Vultee Vengeance Dive Bomber aircraft. After a period of training, 23 Squadron was dispatched to Nadzab Airfield in PNG for war operations being actively engaged in Strike & Bombing OPS along the Markham Valley, Saidor, Madang, and Alexishafen (2 aircraft & 3 aircrew members were lost in these operations). The remnant 23 Squadron echelon finally departed Lowood Airfield on the 30 April 1944.

Lowood airfield was used as a motor sports race track after the war. Continued pressure from a local religious group lead to racing being discontinued on Sundays. Many race meetings were held between 1948 and 1952. The Air Ministry finally decided to close the ex-airfield for racing. However in late 1956 the area was purchased by the Queensland Racing Drivers' Club. The 25th Australian Grand Prix was hosted at Lowood on 12 June 1960. The race was won by Alec Mildren in a Cooper - Maserati T51 after 36 laps of the 4.545 kms circuit. The Queensland Racing Drivers' Club sold the race track in 1966 and moved all its races to Lakeside just north of Brisbane.

The area was then subdivided for small farms. Some of the concrete foundations for various airfield buildings are still visible today in the area. The main runway is now one of the local roads and some of the houses on either side of this road have bitumen for front lawns.

The partly underground bunker that was used as an Operations Building can still be seen on the northern slopes of nearby Mount Tarampa. The associated Lowood Transmitting Building which operated in conjunction with this Operations Building is another slightly smaller bunker located behind the Tarampa Baptist Cemetery on the way back towards Lowood.

Photo:- George Hatchman

Memorials at the start of Daisy Road, Lowood.

Photo:- George Hatchman

Daisy Road, Lowood

Photo:- George Hatchman

Memorial stone and plaque at Daisy Rd, Lowood

Photo:- George Hatchman

Memorial Plaque at Daisy Rd, Lowood

Photo:- George Hatchman

50th Anniversary sign at Daisy Rod, Lowood

Photo:- George Hatchman

Plaque showing the list of units based at Lowood Airfield during WWII

The above brass plaque on the monument near the site of the original Lowood airfield indicates the following Units were based at Lowood airfield. The monument was unveiled on the 50th Jubilee for Lowood airfield on 28 September 1991:-

RAAF

UNIT	AIRCRAFT	ARRIVED	DEPARTED
12 Elementary Flying Training School	Tiger Moths	12-1-42	18-4-42
23 Squadron	P-39 then Vengeance	6-6-42	30-4-44
75 Squadron	P-40 Kittyhawk	3-7-42	30-7-42
No. 10 Repair & Salvage Unit (in transit)	-	1-9-42	26-11-42
No. 14 Operational Base Unit	-	10-11-42	17-2-47
71 Squadron - "A" Flight detached	Avro Anson	10-12-42 -	28-12-43 14-6-44
Survey Flight	-	30-3-43	25-1-46
No. 21 Squadron	Vengeance	30-11-43	15-2-44
No. 47 Operational Base Unit (in transit)	-	9-12-43	16-1-44
No. 24 Squadron (Detachment)	Vengeance	15-3-44	27-6-44
32 Squadron	Beaufort	10-5-44	30-11-45
No. 3 Aircraft Depot (Detachment)	-	-	-