CRAWLEY US NAVY SEAPLANE BASE
ALSO KNOWN AS PELICAN POINT
ADVANCE BASE "A" FOR ABLE
IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The US Navy had a Seaplane Base at Crawley at Perth in Western Australia during World War 2. It was known as Pelican Point Advance Base "A" for "Able".

QANTAS also used five RAF-supplied PBY-5 Catalinas at the Crawley Sea Base. Four of these Catalinas were sunk in the ocean just off Perth when the war finished.

The Australian American Catalina Memorial Foundation was seeking approval in early 2000 to establish a WA Catalina Memorial display at Crawley. Apparently both the Western Australian and the Australian Federal Governments had promised funds towards this project. A Catalina was being restored in Texas, USA to be flown across to Australia for display in the possible Catalina Memorial display. When attempts to obtain funding for this display failed, in January 2007 it was moved in parts to the RAAF Association of Western Australia Aviation Heritage Museum and reassembled where it now stands.

The following were the US Navy Flying Boat bases in Western Australia during WWII. There was no Advance Base "C":-

Advance Base "A" (Able), Pelican Point, Perth
Advance Base "B" (Baker), Geraldton
Advance Base "D" (Dog), Bay of Rest, Exmouth Gulf
Advance Base "E" (Easy), Heron Haven

Units BASED AT PELICAN POINT

Squadrons

Crawley US Navy Seaplane Base

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank David McDonald and Dennis Whiley for their assistance with this web page.

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 19 November 2000

This page last updated 13 January 2020