Not sure how recent the photo is, but I'll kick it off by suggesting Kikori, Gulf Province, PNG.

PNG yes. Kikori no.
Try the other side of the mountains.
Photo was about 2003
(arpinun wantok)

A small part of the airfield looked like this after the Japanese had been evicted and the Allies had become established there instead.
https://www.pprune.org/members/46878...re1214-t-5.jpg

Emirau !!!

Not Emirau.
You have gone too far over the mountains, and besides, there were no Japanese defenders there to evict.
However, the Marines did land there at the same time during the campaign to neutralise Rabaul and capture Hollandia.
You will also need an extra runway to get a match.

Just along the coast from But - Aitape?

Not Aitape, but you are getting close.
I picked this one because you reminded me of a previous life with your last challenge,
This (and much more) was still visible back in those days
https://www.pprune.org/members/46878...12-tadji-1.jpg

Tadji? OH if correct...

Well done Rod! Tadji it is.

It was a big base for both the Japanese and the Allies
Not much there now, but signs of the three parallel runways still exist.

https://www.pprune.org/members/46878...re1217-t-4.jpg

New Guinea in those days was a great place for war relics.
A small diversion up the Markham Valley on a Lae to Madand flight would take you past Shaggy Ridge where a notable battle was fought in almost impossible conditions high in the mountains.
I remember that shattered tree on the peak was still visible as I went past.
https://www.pprune.org/members/46878...aggy-ridge.jpg
Flying around PNG was much more interesting than flying a jet airliner around the world at x thousand feet with nothing to see outside! :ok:

Dora-9 has declared OH.

Terry

What was the "significant clue" in the picture in the OP??

It looks like most ghastly spots in Papua TBH

The 'Marston Matting" or pierced steel planking in the foreground I thought would be a good indication of American construction in WW2.
The weather was very nice up in the higlands, though.
Not so nice if you are climbing mountains and being shot at!

Thanks.....

Terry, bugger, and I was looking at the same place on GE - just got the name wrong.

Actually it was the 100 Squadron Beauforts in Terry's second photo that gave the game away...

Open House?
 

Here's a quickie, taken yesterday.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/912/4...a2812111_c.jpg

Terry - a couple of images of Tadji when under Japanese control.
https://lhyura.bl.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none

https://qdmkla.bl.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none

Thanks nvubu. It looks live parachute retarded bombs were very popular back then.
You were a bit unlucky with the airfield identification.
I have noticed that GE seems to have different classes of airfield icons that appear/disappear at different zoom levels.
Bad luck that there was also an Aitape airfield close by to confuse the identification.

That didn't last long. It's a bit quiet at Hamad right now :)

Over to India Four Two

If you post a photo of an airfield that no longer exists it can last a bit longer :E
as no one has seen it like the photo in the past week or so.
But not much longer as there are some smart people around here who latch onto the tiniest clues!