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Location
Flying boat anchorage in Fairfax Harbor. Flying boats moored off Port
Moresby to the west of the Harbor facilities. Also, flyingboats moored off Napa Napa (Napanapa), directly across the harbor. Also known as 'Fairfax Harbor Flying Boat Base"
Construction
Established by the RAAF Marine Section in 1939.
Wartime Usage
During WWII, this same base was used by the
Allies for flying boats operating out of Port Moresby. The RAAF also moored Catalinas off Napa Napa in February 1942.
Units Using Port Moresby Harbor Flying Boat Base
11 Squadron (PBY)
20 Squadron (PBY)
Other US Navy and Quantas flying boats
Norbert Ruff recalls in Ruff Suff page 74:
"Norb received a call hat a repaired plane was down at Townsville and he had to go down and get it. He took his chute bag and went down to the harbor to catch a Martin Flyingboat."
Post War
The base was taken over by the Department of Civil Aviation and used by Qantas PBY Catalinas and Sandringham flying boats. Known as 'Quantas Flying Boat Base' during this period. Later, when Qantas stopped operating in New Guinea, the base was taken over by Trans Australian Airways that continued to operated PBY Catalinas from the base until January 1966.
Afterwards, the area was acquired by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources until 1967 when the Defense Force constructed a wharf, slipway and facilities at this location for their patrol boat base. During this construction, the wreckage of PBY Catalina A24-5 was demolished.
Today
It is the site of the modern PNGDF
patrol boat base.
PBY Catalina Serial Number A24-5
Sunk April 24, 1942 at its moorings after Japanese bombing raid
References
Thanks to John Douglas for additional information
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Last Updated
October 1, 2009
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