Location
Lat 1° 56' 0" Long 138° 48' 0" Located at Sawar to the west of the Sawar Creek, Sarmi is to the north-west. Americans referred to this airfield as 'Sawar Drome'.

Construction
Single runway built by the Japanese Army Air Force strip, that ran roughly NE to SW, parallel to the coastline.

Wartime History
Bombed from the air, after the US Army landed at Sarmi, the airfield itself became a battlefield, with many wrecked aircraft abandoned near the runway.

American Missions Against Sawar
April 21, 1944 - October 23, 1944

Major Martin M. Friedman, 31st Infantry Division recalls:
"We fought at the Sarmi-Wakde island area, beginning in July 1944. I got the bronze star their, in the area surrounding Sawar Drome was enemy held at the time. I do not remember if it was captured by Allied Forces in the long run. My patrol turned into an ambush. Our outfit protected the outer perimeter of the Drome from the Japanese for a number of weeks."

Today
This airfield is still in use today, known as Sarmi Airport.

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Last Updated
October 1, 2009

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