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-   -   Which Aerodrome Mk III (https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/459713-aerodrome-mk-iii.html)

Asturias56 24th Feb 2020 10:54

They look like P-61's along the side of the strip. A Commonwealth connection could take us to New Guinea

dook 24th Feb 2020 10:59

Did you read my post above ?

Asturias56 24th Feb 2020 11:33

Are you talking about your post ~18482?

If so I think you've got the wrong end of the stick - he/she said" Not Tabitauea (North or South) . Neither is or has been, to my knowledge, an international airport." - he was referring to the guess by DESCOL # 18475 I take it it IS an international l airport but not v big.....................

Max Tow 24th Feb 2020 12:00

I'm assuming the"on line" clue added in 18476 refers to Line Islands or the international date line....

nvubu 24th Feb 2020 12:56

I think the "I am often accused of being a pedant" is a big clue and leads to Mullinix Field at the other end of the island to Hawkins Field - same location as Max Tow suggested with Bonriki.

listria 24th Feb 2020 13:52

Hmm. Betio (Hawkins)had two intersecting runways but is now covered in houses.
So did Cassidy, and one of the runways is still in use..so my guess is Kiritimati Cassidy

descol 24th Feb 2020 14:26


Originally Posted by listria (Post 10694839)
Hmm. Betio (Hawkins)had two intersecting runways but is now covered in houses.
So did Cassidy, and one of the runways is still in use..so my guess is Kiritimati Cassidy

Listria - I also thought BETIO - but discounted it as I am not aware it was an international airport !

nvubu 24th Feb 2020 17:39

I discounted Lisrtria has it looks like it had three runways.

Mullinix (Bonriki) had two runways and has a few international flights.

Interesting video of Mullinix

mgahan 24th Feb 2020 18:03

BONRIKI
 
Mullinix in the war times but now Bonriki on South Tarawa, Soon to be home to a couple of aircraft built by a company started by an ex Brazilian military ATC. The first aircraft is currently at an airfield very close to another old wartme strip to which 16ALA moved in 1973,

Max has declared OH.

Dook chased around the atoll with Hawkins (now Betio, but no more an airport) and then Bairiki where there has never been a runway - I carefully considered if he'd made a typo but decided not - pity he did not continue 22kn further north in his ramble. . Bonriki Airfield (Mullinix Field, Bonriki Airport)

Tarawa AtollRepublic of Kiribati



Location

Lat 1° 22' 54N Long 173° 8' 49E Bonriki Airfield is located on Bonriki Island at the eastern edge of Tarawa Atoll (Betio) in the Republic of Kiribati (Gilbert Islands). Also known as Mullinnix Field. Today, known as Bonriki International Airport or Bonriki Airport.

Construction

After Betio (Tarawa) was occupied by American forces Tarawa Airfield (Hawkins) repaired and expanded, Americans began construction of Bonriki Airfield with a single runway oriented east to west. A second runway was oriented northeast to southwest. This airfield was longer than Tarawa Airfield (Hawkins) it was better suited for bomber operations.

Wartime History

Bonriki Airfield was used by 7th Air Force B-25 Mitchells and B-24 Liberators before moving to Makin Airfield (Butaritari).

Naming Honors

Bonriki Airfield was renamed "Mullinnix Field" after Rear Admiral Henry M. Mullinnix KIA November 24, 1943 on the escort carrier CVE-56 USS Liscome Bay sunk off (Makin) Butaritari during the US Army invasion taking place at the same time as the Tarawa battle.

Today

Still in use today as Bonriki International Airport or Bonriki Airport. This airport is a port of entry and is classified as a small airport as one of the two international airports in the Republic of Kiribati. The single runway oriented 27/09 measures 6,598' x 135' surfaced with asphalt. Airport codes: ICAO: NGTA / IATA: TRW. There are two terminals, one for passengers and one for cargo. Serviced by Air Kiribati, Air Nauru, Solomon airlines and Fiji Airways.

Stan Gajda reports:
"At Bonriki, many large revetments for B-24's were built. Even to this day there is still a lot of debris of operations there, like bomb transport rings, bomb tail fin cases etc. In the revetments it is easy to find fired .50 and .30 cal mg cases thrown out of planes when they were cleaned during operations."






listria 24th Feb 2020 18:36

Great discussion, cheers! Bonriki was huge during the war...was the second runway on the temaiku fish ponds side?
....shame it's shrunk, would have been useful to accommodate a hanger and parking space for the 2 (plus 2) Embraers

mgahan 24th Feb 2020 19:52

The second runway used to run from near the current tower, across the current apron and on towards the now disused Bonriki wharf past the police station. Its northern extremity is now part of the water lens which will make placing an apron there problematical.

Great video, which I will try to add to a history wall in the new terminal. For those with a desire to look at more wartime pics from Tarawa -the Radio.WW2 photo site has more than a hundred.

Any information on the site of any of the pictures would be appreciated by the folks here. In fact any information on the wartime strips in the Gilberts, line and Phoenix would be appreciated - PM me or email [email protected]. Aslo information on Ops Grapple or subsequent use of Malden runway. would be useful.

MJG

nvubu 24th Feb 2020 22:04

MJG
Here are two images that my sources definitely identify as Mullinix Field

https://mnddag.am.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none

https://chuaga.am.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none

I have a fair few more that are labelled Tarawa, (construction and use), and may well be Mullinix, but can't be 100% sure.

Also have photos of Line & Phoenix islands :ok: PM sent

Asturias56 25th Feb 2020 06:33

Jeez -that was the best challenge in a year I think - whats worse is I've been to Bonriki :*

OH so let's try this one (not in the Pacific)

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....49b22a5332.jpg

nvubu 25th Feb 2020 16:49

Europe ? ..

Jn14:6 25th Feb 2020 17:46

Possibly Stauning?

Asturias56 25th Feb 2020 17:56

Not Europe...


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f7c441853a.jpg

dook 25th Feb 2020 20:04

USA mid-west ?

Asturias56 26th Feb 2020 08:02

USA - correct

Mid-West.... now that is an area even Americans can't agree on - at least on the boundaries.... let's say east of the Rocky Mt front and west of the Appalachians?

This airfield was the second in the area and was itself later closed.... today it looks like this (yellow line from Street view I'm afraid)

PS Note SOCCA pitches -how things have changed in the USA..........


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....10dd1ca041.jpg

sycamore 26th Feb 2020 09:19

OKie or Kansas...?

Asturias56 26th Feb 2020 10:58

no sir, neither of those fair states..... nor are we in the Confederacy...............

dook 26th Feb 2020 12:34

Whitney Memorial Airport, St Cloud., Minnesota.

Asturias56 26th Feb 2020 17:29

Yes - correct - it replaced the earlier airport (which had been renamed as Whitney Field) and operated until the late 60's when it was replaced by the new Regionbal Airport further out of town...... Te Whitney Family (who are big in St Cloud) gave much of the old airport to the
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....947c8378d3.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....da542982b8.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f7bf359dd7.jpg
community as a park.

dook 26th Feb 2020 18:48

Thank you Ast.

Next:

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....b17ecc3dd5.jpg

Asturias56 27th Feb 2020 08:13

Are we in the UK here?

dook 27th Feb 2020 09:29

Not the UK.

Asturias56 27th Feb 2020 14:27

Is this airfield still in operation?

dook 27th Feb 2020 15:06

Yes - in use. Current temperature +8C.

India Four Two 27th Feb 2020 15:29

Single digit runway number? USA?

dook 27th Feb 2020 15:50

We are in Europe and the runway marking is 01.

Asturias56 28th Feb 2020 07:46

Does it still have the same runway lay-out?

dook 28th Feb 2020 08:22

Yes - the same layout.

dook 28th Feb 2020 09:42

Has anyone seen the film "Behind Enemy Lines" ?

This country was heavily involved in that conflict.

Asturias56 28th Feb 2020 11:28

Serbia ??/ - i thought it might be Laktasi in Republia Srpska but it doesn't look right

nvubu 28th Feb 2020 11:34

Vršac Airport

dook 28th Feb 2020 12:52

That's a hit for nvubu with Vrsac'

Your thread - and I expect we'll now get another rare WW2 aerodrome.

nvubu 28th Feb 2020 13:14

Thanks - your last clue was the give away - I was off looking around Poland at the time :)


For the next challenge, I'll start with two hangars, one flattened, one still standing.

https://pl5nxq.am.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none

dook 28th Feb 2020 13:32

Flattened by a bomb ?

nvubu 28th Feb 2020 13:46

Affirmative

(a simple yes has too few letters).

dook 28th Feb 2020 13:52

Yes...…...

nvubu 28th Feb 2020 15:54

Some more wreckage

https://nkjg9q.am.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none

Not too helpful (yet) I guess.

I'll post some more when I get home from work.


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