Location
Located on the prewar Palmalmal plantation, near Jacquinot Bay.

Construction
Liberated by Australian Army in November 1944. The airstrip at Jacquinot Bay, New Britain, was constructed by the Australian Army with construction work was done by the Australian Army 2/3 Railway Construction Company and the 17th Field Company RAE. In February 1945, RAAF No. 1 Airfield Construction Squadron, began expansion of the base. The RNZAF arrived in May.  It consisted of two squadrons of Corsairs and one of Ventures. Thanks to John Mairs of 17th Field Company RAE for additional information.

RAAF Units based at Jacquinot Bay
79 Squadron - briefly based before deploying to Borneo June 1945
NEIAF - fighter squadron briefly based until June 1945

RNZAF Units based at Jacquinot Bay
21 Squadron (F4Us) - from Nissan May 18 - July 2, 1945
20 Squadron (F4Us) - from Nissan May 20(29) - August 1945
3 Squadron (Venturas) - from Nissan June 9 - June 28, 1945
19 Squadron (F4Us) - from Los Negros mid July - October 1945
2 Squadron (Venturas) - from NZ end June - September 1945
3 Service Unit - arrived May 19, 1945 by LST
14 Service Unit - arrived late May
30 Service Unit - arrived mid July

Japanese Aircraft Surrender
At the end of the war several Japanese aircraft in surrender markings were flown from Vunakanau Airfield to Jacquinot Bay Airfield on August 18, 1945. The flight included Ki-46 Dinah, A6M5 Zero 4043 and two other Zeros were ferried. Later, on October 14, 1945 two other followed: B5N2 Kate and E13A Jake 2326.

Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah
Flown to surrender August 18, 1945 recovered July 2003, impounded Lae

A6M5 Zero 4043 Tail Number 3-108
Flown to surrender August 18, 1945, 1970s recovered to Australia

A6M Zero 3479
Flown to surrender August 18, 1945

A6M Zero ????
Flown to surrender August 18, 1945, ditched on test flight

Nakajima B5N Kate
Flown to surrender October 14, 1945 recovered July 2003 impound Lae

Today
The airfield is still in use today by regional airlines.

Dennis Peterson visited in 2003 with his father (WWII veteran):
"We flew over the airport at Jacquinot Bay, has a bitumen runway with a modern terminal built for the local MP but now doesn't get much traffic."

Several Japanese wrecks and F4U parts and wings existed at the strip but were removed illegally in July 2003, '75 Squadron' containered them for transport to Lae then onto Australia.  This was halted by the PNG Museum, and container impounded in Lae.  The matter is still in a legal battle as of today.

Contribute Information
Do you have photos or additional information?