WGCDR S J Goble and FLTLT I
McIntyre made the first round-Australia flight in
a Fairey IIID seaplane in 1924. In 1926, GPCAPT
Williams and McIntyre underook a flying tour of
Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands for defence
purposes. This 10,000 mile trip was done in a DeHavilland
DH-50A aircraft fitted with float undercarriage.
(From George Odgers' "Air Force Australia"
- 4th Edition).
McIntyre field was set up at Tocumwal
by the US Air Force in the 1940s as a main air base
in preparation for the expected Japanese invasion
of northern Australia. With the tides of war changing
and the Japanese slowly being stopped, Tocumwal
was abandoned by the USAAF as they headed for Queensland
and the Northern
Territory.
The base was then handed over to
the RAAF. The main user of Tocumwal was No. 7 Operational
Training Unit, who operated B-24 Liberators during
the war. In the 1950s, hundreds of aircraft were
broken up and smelted into aluminum pots, pans and
ingots. Tocumwal was officially closed in the 1960s.
At the moment three of the original
large hangars are still standing, one of which is
currently being used by the Sportavia Soaring Center
as a hangar for gliders. Two of the four runways
have been removed while the remaining two have been
shortened and still in use.
The old taxiways are now roadways
between the airport and a number of farms. Engine
testing cells are now used as hay and machinery
storage sheds. Original concrete fuel tanks are
still being used to store fuel by Mobil while fuel
pumps which look to be in working condition can
still be found in the area.
The old gate and guardhouse to
the base are now used as the gate to the golf club
and I have been told some of the old bunkers are
now actually mounds on the golf course.
The remains of the RAAF's No. 5
Hospital are located about 3 miles from the old
base. An old water tower and remains of one of the
buildings can be found a short distance from one
of the roads, while a memorial is on the roadside,
References
Thanks to Daniel
Leahy for this report and all photographs.
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