Iron Range Airbase

[setter]

hi

truscott is/was a very large area /base and a hell of a lot of stuff litters the area although even to me to be frank most of it is junk - however allegedly there is iome significant stuff that was buried /dumped there and it is perhaps worth a dig in time however it is a secure area and has native title attached to it so it is hard to get on to and difficult to remove anything from - not impossible just difficult and i think something more will come of it in time once people mount a properly organised and authorised exploration there,

My 50c worth

Regards
John P

[Digger]

Iron Range, if I am correct was also referred to as Glaudie 1 and 2 with, I think 3 outlying emergency strips (being to the North, West and South if my memory serves me correctly). When I was studying in FNQ - Townsville I was lucky enough to go on a search of this area. This was 1980!, so just keep that in mind, the team was successful in recovering a large undercarriage leg with the remains of the wheel and trye still on it. It was partially buried and at first glance it was thought to be a water supply pipe or something like that. I can recall it was a fair distance westward of the main airstrip. I believe it was handed over to RAAF in townsville for display in the officers mess??????. I also have been told that another well known collector in FNQ who is now operating out of Mareeba may have recovered items from that area also. I revisited this area again in the 1990's doing some field searches for a supposed P-40 that had a rough landing at one of the emergency strips, but by this time alot of the features had been overgrown and as setter said, new fencing and gates prevented some areas being visited.

Truscott still has the remains of several B25's nearby and a number of wings belonging to Spitfire (very poor condition) B24 (starboard outer wing tip) and possibly the remains of a Hudson wing or something very similar. I have a mate who worked for an oil company that repaired a section of the old strip for ferrying in supplies etc. I also visited the area (not Truscott specifically) recently and flew around the kimberlies etc doing research on the forced landing of a famous Australian Aviator - named Sir Charles Kinsford Smith. The area around Truscott is traditional lands but my discussions and questions to the members at the mission, located at Kalumburu in North Western Australia, were recieved quite well. Truscott has been visited many times in recent years by various groups doing restorations. Darwin's Aviation Society is one, they recovered a B24 Ball turret I think and some Spitfire bits too but I am not 100% sure of this.



hope this is of some interest

Digger

[george]

Setter and Digger - Thank you for that wealth of information on Iron Range and Truscott, two places I think alot of us know very little if anything about. Of course, they both WOULD have to be secure, restricted airbases, with strong indications of burial pits. Digger, I agree that you were very lucky to get to see Iron Range at such an early date, and it seems you may have discovered a pit with the landing gear being visible. I don't suppose you did any digging, but you may have been right on top of a graveyard of bombers or their components. Since its now overgrown, as you noted, would you be able to locate the same sight of the landing gear and maybe you and John could coordinate a sample dig, as John seems to be able to get access to some of these areas. It sounds like Truscott has been a good hunting ground for what is on the surface, but no digging allowed, I guess. If Clark comes to fruition, though, I think it will overwhelm all the others combined. I have a feeling Clark holds many P-39s also, because so many Aircobras were abandoned in the Philippines.

I hope Classic Wings will do articles on both Iron Range and Truscott in the future, as they are both historial and intriging bases.

[Digger]

George,

I don't think I would have too many difficulties in relocating the burial site, I would just need the time and access. I have been advised that the undercarriage leg etc may have ended up with a private collector at Mareeba Qld????. As for truscott, details I have indicate this is all iron stone country and the digging of large pits would have been a major task. Its more likely anything dumped would have ended up like Clark, placed into an existing gully (ravine) and filled in. There is a book out on the market titled "Truscott" the secret airbase or something similar that covers alot of these issues. It also provides some good photo's of various bits and pieces that have been left behind, including earthmoving equipment, trucks and aircraft wreckage. I'll try to track done the exact details of the book and get back to you unless someone else comes up with it.

cya

Digger

[george]

Thank you, Digger. I would greatly appreciate information on the book about the secret airbase called Truscott. Sounds like the possibility of another Clark Field type situation. Very interesting.

[Walrus 7]

The following is a precis of the story "Secret Airbases: Iron Range" by Bob Piper. Published in "Flightpath" Vol. 16 No.2 November 2004.

Iron Range was established in a strategic location providing a base for US and RAAF bombers to hit the Japanese, and also for transit to Port Moresby. It was to be on the Cape York Peninsula 29 miles in from a coastal section known as Portland Roads. It was established in May/June 1942 by 26 Operational Base Unit RAAF. Initially there were to be two strips, Gordon and Claudie, each 7000 x 100 feet. The US 46th Engineers were also involved in construction of the aerodrome and access roads.

The first arrival on the Gordon strip was a B-18 Bolo. On 10 September 10 B-26 of 22BG arrived and departed two days later. They returned on the 13th but one landed short and struck tree stumps. One American soldier and the Australian co-pilot, G. Robertson of Hay NSW were killed.

On 16 November, a B-24D "Bombs for Nippon" flown by Paul R Larsen swung of the runway on take-off and collected two other Libs and a B-17. Total loss: four aircraft and eleven men.

Another accident in December 1942, when a B-24 carrying 12 500lb bombs crashed on take-off. All ten on board lost. Gordon Strip was closed for topping and sealing in January 1943, opening Claudie for the first time. Regular and tricky crosswinds made landing very difficult for the bomber pilots. As the war moved north, so did the Americans. 319, 320 and 321 Squadrons (Libs of 90 BG) left Iron Range as did 19 and 33 (Marauders of 22 BG). Also soon to evacuate Iron Range were 28 Service Sqn and 400 Bomb Sqn.

17 P-38s escorted by two B-24s arrived Claudie on 11 April 1943, the first of the Lightnings seen in Pacific Campaign. They were en-route to Port Moresby. On 15 June 1943, a 76 Sqn RAAF P-40 Kittyhawk (A29-362) crashed on the beach at Portland Roads. The pilot, NP Randall of Dalby QLD was killed. Another accident on the re-opened Gordon strip occured on 25 February 1944. P-40 Warhawk (42-10536) of Lt Hawke landed and pulled over onto the grass verge. P-47 42-2973 of Lt Mettler landed but began to bounce and veered of the strip hitting the P-40. Hawke was killed. The P-47 turned over but the pilot escaped injury.

The US forces withdrew from Iron Range turning the aerodrome over to the Australians with a handover date scheduled for 30 June 1944. The RAAF vacated Iron Range in May 1946 and the airport was turned over to the Department of Civil Aviation December 1946.

In all, four strips had been built at Iron Range: Gordon, Claudie (closed due flooding) and New Claudie. There was also a 3000 foot strip built by the 46th Engineers originally. Would-be aviation archaeologists can rest assured that nothing remains. The airport is now known as Lockhart River, the strip being a 1745 sealed section of the Gordon strip. It is now in the Iron Range National Park and access is with prior permission only.

It was reported in 1991 that Lt Hawke's P-40 was recovered. Mr Ron Lee of Melbourne apparently sold it to Graham Hosking at Tyabb Victoria, who in turn sold it to "New Zealand interests"


With apologies to the author if I have transcribed any of this wrong.

Walrus

[george]

Walrus 7 - That is very interesting information. What a history! So Iron Range was also a secret airbase, like Truscott. What is confusing is: everyone should "rest assured that nothing remains." Then they say a P-40 was recovered there in the 1990s. It seems like they are really saying there is lots of stuff there, but don't go looking. I mean, how could a place that remote and huge have absolutely nothing left. Very strange.

I sent you a PM, Walrus 7. Thanks for all your effort on this.

[Walrus 7]

George,

Yes, I had thought about the statement that "nothing remains." Possibly because the aerodrome reverted to civil, they cleaned the place up, but then why leave one little Warhawk?

Incidently, the original article referred to Hawke's aircraft as a P-40 Kittyhawk, but I changed this based on the premise that the US always used the term 'Warhawk' for all their P-40s and that it was only the Commonwealth countries that used 'Tomahawk' and 'Kittyhawk.' The serial number quoted was not a RAAF number so I presumed it had to be US.

The article also contained an inaccuracy that the B-18 Bolo was a bomber version of a DC-3. I presume this is a typo and should read DC-2.

Walrus

[Digger]

So that's what happened to the P-40?
It was actually there but my timing must have been out by perhaps a year or two..........Bugger!



thanks for the update

Digger

[Walrus 7]

Try:

BEASY, John & Carol.
TRUSCOTT The Diary of Australia's Secret Wartime Kimberley Airbase.
Australian Military History Publications. Loftus, NSW. 1995. First Edition; xiv, 303, indices; 34 diagrams; 156 illusts & maps; hardcover in mint dust jacket; mint condition (new). Scarce. The authors are officers in the Royal Australian Navy, in 1991 they conducted the first comprehensive site survey of the remains of Truscott Air Base, a well documented history of an important and little written about aspect of Australia's air defence during World War II.

http://www.warbooks.com.au/IndividualBo ... rbase.html

Happy hunting!

Walrus

[george]

Walrus - You tracked down specifically the book Digger was referring to. I will pursue getting myself a copy - sounds like it will be a wealth of info on the secret base. Thanks to you both.

[Digger]

Yep, beat me to it, but here are some more specific's and contact details

"Truscott - The Diary of Australia's Secret Wartime Kimberley Airbase 1943-1946" by John and Carol Beasy. Published 1995 by Australian Militiary History Publications. AUSTRALIAN MILITARY HISTORY PUBLICATIONS 13 Veronica Place. LOFTUS 2232 AUSTRALIA Tel (International +61 2) 9521-6515 or 015-284-760


good luck with it.

Digger

[setter]

Hi Walrus and others

I am a little confused by the statement that G Hoskins sold a P40 to New Zealand interests as this may get confused with the P40F Merlin powered one he traded to the RNZAF museum for his Corsair now in Darwin being restored.

Can you please give ac identity to this other P40 so confusion doesn't set further into my aging brain -

Kindest regards
John P

[Walrus 7]

Setter,

Perhaps Graham Hosking had two? The Hawke P-40 was 42-10536. I don't know the serial of which a/c was traded for the Corsair, but I might be able to find out.

Walrus

[setter]

Hi Walrus

I wrote a small article for Flypast this Month (Feb) which has a photo of the NZ swaped P40F (Merlin engine) swaped by Graham Hoskins for the Corsair was Sn 41-14205 and it is being restored as an Alison engined P40E NZ3024 - A pity but they didn't have P40Fs ...

So I would love to know more about the P40 you are talking about 42-10536 as I can't find much of a record of it and I would like to know where it wound up in NZ.

Any thoughts??

Kindest regards
John P