Mareeba airfield, Queensland, during WW2

100 Squadron RAAF moved from Richmond to Mareeba on 22 May 1942 and then to Laverton on 2 July 1942.

On 23 October 1942, twelve B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 19th Bomb Group relocated from Mareeba to Townsville.

Bruce Graham told me that the 8th Fighter Group left Milne Bay and arrived at Mareeba in February 1943. They then moved to Port Moresby in New Guinea on 16 May 1943. Another unknown source indicated that the 8th Fighter Group were moved back to Townsville for rest and re-equipment.

5 Squadron RAAF relocated from Kingaroy airfield and arrived at Mareeba airfield in June 1943.

Mareeba airfield 11 July 1943, showing northern end
of runway and mart of the town of Mareeba (bottom right)

5 Squadron RAAF	100 Squadron RAAF	HQ, 1st Battalion, US 94 Coastal Artillery (A-A) Regiment, plus Batteries A (less I Platoon), b, C, I and K.
Australian 33rd Light A-A Battery	19th Bomb Group USAAC	43rd Bomb Group USAAC
8th Fighter Group USAAC

5 Jun 42	Mareeba	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-50 (T9602)
12 Jun 42	Mareeba area	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-56 (T9608)
25 Jun 42	Mt. Mulligan, 35 miles NW of Mareeba	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-36 (T9588)
26 Aug 42	Mareeba	USAAF	B-17 Flying Fortress	#41-2621 "Daylight Limited"
6 Sep 42	Mareeba	USAAF	B-17 Flying Fortress	#41-24428
14 Sep 42	Mareeba	USAAF	B-17 Flying Fortress	#41-24391 "Hoomalimali"
5 Nov 42	Mareeba	USAAF	B-17E Flying Fortress	#41-9012
16 Nov 42 (1)	Mareeba	USAAF?	B-17F Flying Fortress	#41-24402
25 Feb 43	between Cooktown and Mareeba	USAAF	P-400 Airacobra	1st Lt. John R. Casey killed
12 Jun 43	near Mareeba	RAAF	Wirraway	A20-289, 2 killed
9 Aug 43	Biboohra north of Mareeba	USAAF	P-38 Lightning	?
22 Aug 43	Mareeba	RAAF	Wirraway	A20-537, collided with A20-549 (see below)
22 Aug 43	Mareeba	RAAF	Wirraway	A20-549, collided with A20-537 (see above)
abt Jan 44	Mareeba	RAAF	Boomerang	A46-56
abt Apr 44	Mareeba	RAAF	Boomerang	A46-153
abt Oct 44	Mareeba	RAAF	Boomerang	A46-202
6 Nov 44	Mareeba	RAAF	Wirraway	A20-517

Shane Low, who lives on Ellery Road on a property owned by Catherine MacMahon, told me in October 2016 that he had found a US Army Air Force Pilot's wings on his property at the top of a ridge that backs onto the Barron River. The property is almost opposite the Mareeba Airfield on the highway,

The Wings badge was found using a metal detector about 6 inches down in the fork of two tree roots in an area near a track about 250 metres from the rivers edge. He also found a bunch of bullets and shell casings in the same general area. The bullet stamps are American , and are dated to the war years. This was most likely the site of one of the USAAF camp areas near Mareeba Airfield during WWII.

Reverse side of the Pilot's Wings found by Shane Low.
Maker's mark on reverse side says "Wallace Bishop Brisbane".

I'd like to thank David Adams for providing the above aerial photographs. David was a 10 year old living not far from the Mareeba strip at that time in 1942. He had some memories of mainly the B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 19th Bomb Group. He saw the explosion of the Fortress that crashed into the low western hill in the very early hours and did see some come back as they were getting out of school with very large holes in them. David has been involved with of four of the old warbirds at Mareeba airfield.

I'd like to thank Shane Low and Michael Musumeci for their assistance with this web page.

"Beau's, Butchers & Boomerangs, Mareeba - The History of a WWII Airfield 1942-1945"
By Damian Waters

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