Bohle River Aerodrome Explained

Bohle River Aerodrome
Location:	Townsville, Queensland
Built:	1942
Coordinates:	-19.2828°N 146.6993°W
Pushpin Map:	Queensland
Pushpin Map Caption:	Location in Queensland
R1-Number:	1
R1-Length-F:	5580
R1-Surface:	bitumen sealed rolled sand

Bohle River Aerodrome was an aerodrome located 12.66km (07.87miles) west of Townsville, Queensland, Australia.

The aerodrome was constructed in 1942, during World War II, for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as part of a group of airfields to be used as aircraft dispersal fields in the event of Imperial Japanese attack on the Townsville area.

The aerodrome consisted of a bitumen sealed 5580x NE-SW runway. A remote receiving station was constructed nearby.

It was utilised as a 1/4-mile drag strip until its closing on 25 August 2012, to make way for a new housing estate.

Units based at Bohle River Aerodrome

• 40th Fighter Squadron of 35th Fighter Group – 20 April 1942
• No. 8 Squadron RAAF – 6 June 1943 – 15 September 1943
• No. 30 Squadron RAAF – 17 August 1942 – 14 September 1942
• No. 76 Squadron RAAF (P-40 Kittyhawk's) – 15 April 1942 until July 1942
• No. 86 Squadron RAAF – 13 May 1944 – 26 May 1944 & 10 January 1945 – 20 December 1945
• No. 100 Squadron RAAF – 22 September 1942 – 22 November 1942
• No. 5 Repair and Salvage Unit RAAF
• No. 11 Mobile Fighter Sector RAAF HQ – 11 December 1943 – 10 February 1944
• No. 22 Repair and Salvage Unit RAAF – 11 December 1943 – 10 February 1944
• No. 44 Operational Base Unit RAAF – February 1943 – April 1943

See also

• List of airports in Queensland

References

• OzatWar website
• RAAF Museum website
• Pacific War Airfields Project website