Well done gentlemen. :ok: The little town of Narrandera.

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/1015/photo068y.jpg

Both gents have requested open house.

Cheers.

I'll throw this one up for the time being.

The first hint is, the sea is significant in terms of the location and the airport.

I have other photos and hints which I'll add if needed.

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/.../Airfield3.jpg

Mmm, given your location are we still in Australia?

Yes we are.

In the Whitsundays vicinity?

There is a hint of sea in the top left hand corner so is the land to the left actually a peninsular?

And if the sea is significant does that mean that as well as there being an obvious airfield, seaplanes operated in the lee of that peninsular?

cuefaye

No, not the Whitsundays


Duckbutt

The sea is the black area (turns a browner colour the more you move to the right). The White is the sand under the sea (and the beach) and the white "tree root" looking area is where a creek comes into the sea - I'll let you guess what the "darker areas" are around the creek is)

You are correct is you assessment that some sea is at the very left of the photo
so yes, it is on a peninsula.

You are correct in your guess of why the sea is significant:ok:

Presumably the darker areas around the creek are swamplands.

I'm struggling a bit here so wild guess - Palm Beach NSW?

Duckbutt

Swamplands, yes and no, probably more like Mangroves.

You are doing well, keep going :ok:


Here are a couple of other clues

1. The airport now only has one runway

2. Here is a photo from 1942 (Date is significant, think Australia
and what happened in 1942).

3. It's not the most obvious answer in relation to No. 2 above.

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/.../Airfield1.jpg

Japanese bombing up in the North, so Darwin area ?

A more modern photo showing the now single runway and
a better idea of the creek system.

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...rfield4jpg.jpg

Merlin

Correct on first part, not on second part - "Remember 3. It's not the most obvious answer in relation to No. 2 above."

So that's either a crash or result of an attack. Given the date of 1942, probably the latter.

Darwin ruled out so how about Broome WA?

Duckbutt

Well done, :D:ok:


To expand on the analysis by Duckbutt, Roebuck bay which is the sea area I was describing was used for Sea Planes, a few destroyed during the bombing raids with some significant parts of the wreckage still visible at low tide. (Not sure if Paspaley Pearls still lands it's Sea Planes at Broome).

Broome also has a large Japanese population because of the Pearl Diving Industry.


Take it away (unless you want to declare OH).

Thanks, try this one:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...r/Puzz79bb.jpg

Canada or Northern Europe / Scandinavia ?

Not any of those, 500N.

Greenland ?

Sorry, no.

Chaiten, Chile ?

Yes, the airport and town of Chaiten in Chile. Both currently abandoned due to landslides and ash caused by a nearby volcano.

Away you go Evansb.

Thank you. Good challenge, I didn't know about the volcano. Here is the next challenge:
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...40/IMG_jpg.jpg

Again, something different - I like it !


Coastal Mediterranean ?

Yes, the Mediterranean.

Sicily, just north of Marsala in the lagoon.

An old Sea plane base.

The two hangars are called "Nervi Hangars".


Open House if correct.

500N:

Going back to Broome for a bit, have you actually ever seen the flying boat wrecks that are in Roebuck Bay? I went to Broome on many occasions in the 60's, several times at very low tides and, despite looking really hard, I never saw any seaplane hulks. I don't doubt they're there, just the ability to ever see them could well be an urban myth.

Mind you, there were still a lot of items of interest on the aerodrome then; bits of Hudsons and a Liberator scattered about, plus many bullet holes in Horrie Miller's hangar.

500N is correct.:ok: It is the former Italian Naval waterdrome at Marsala, Trapani Province, Sicily.

As requested, it is OPEN HOUSE

Dora

It was almost 30 years ago (early 80's) since I went there and I honestly can't remember seeing them. This is partly because I was on an expedition and did heaps of things that normal "tourists" wouldn't have access to.
The early 80's was the start of the big boom up there so Broome started to change from then on and lost it's "out of the way" feeling.

However, in looking up Google, I see these pictures and they don't look that old !
flying boat wreck broome - Google Search


As you say, lots of interesting things to look at. I didn't know bullet holes still existed but I did know that their are plenty of bits and pieces of planes around the area.

Also, don't forget that at Broome you have one of the best sets of Dinosaur prints in the world. Not just from one animal but a few different dinosaurs !

broome dinosaur prints - Google Search


Anyone else got any good stories from up north ?

evansb

Thanks, that was a good challenge - well, for me anyway:O


Got any more ?

500N:

Impressive! Thanks for the link.

I had seen the Do 24 remains on the Eighty Mile Beach opposite Anna Plains though...

Jesus, have you been to Anna Plains ?

One of the few.

The expedition I was on is an annual one to Broome, 80 mile beach and Port Headland to catch the waders before they set off to Siberia and other places.
Spent weeks riding a Tri Wheeler bike up and down 80 mile beach, catching fish, sharks etc etc.

It is a most inhospitable place and no wonder when the japs landed in WWII on a recky they decided the whole area was not good !

On an aeronautical theme, one year at Anna Plains their was a huge bush fire and it was all hands on deck. My father, a few others and the owner pushed the plane or planes they had from the hangar onto the front lawn of the house. At the end, the only things left were the house and the plane.

Anyway, we are digressing !!!

My apologise to everyone for the thread drift.

This won't last long (no doubt about the volcano in this picture, bri ;)):

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...42/WAD1009.jpg

Deleted by OP

Yes, New Plymouth with Mt. Egmont/Taranaki in the background.

JENKINS has control

And the food is quite good too!

I guess the part of the world this aerodrome is located is fairly obvious.

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/...psf51d17c8.jpg

Buru Island, Dutch East Indies.


Open house if correct.


When I first saw the photo, I originally thought it was Guadalcanal
as it is very similar to another photo.

Correct - October 15, 1944.

Open House as declared

Parachute retarded bombs in 1944?

You learn something new every day ! (I did).

Before that even. Here is a link to the photo I thought it was which
is dated 1942 which they say is the first use of para frag bombs.

US 5th Air Force "parafrag" bombs falling onto Japanese airfield70 Years Ago—Sept. 12, 1942: Battle of the Ridge begins: Marines fight off attacks on Guadalcanal. US 5th Air Force light bombers first use parachute fragmentation bombs (“parafrags”)—in Buna, New Guinea.https://blogger.googleusercontent.co...n.********.com

Sarah Sundin's Blog - Today in World War II History - September 12, 2012 03:00