Dobodura

Lat 8° 46' 0S Long 148° 22' 0E  Inland village, situated along the Samboga River. This area was developed into a major airfield area by the Allies. More airfields were located at Embi and Borio.

American Army Units at Dobodura
36th Infantry Division - (amphibious and jungle warfare training) April 24 - June 25, 1944.

(Partial List).

  Small single runway to the east of Dobodura
(No. 2)
  Located to the north-east of Horanda 4
  Main airfield in the Dobodura complex
  American built airfield, still in use today
  Located to the south of Borio village
  Located to the north of Borio Airfield

Dobodura Airfield Complex
Built by the US Army, disused since the war

F7A "American Beauty" Serial Number 42-73045
Abandoned at Dobodura

B-24D "Joltin Janie II" Serial Number 42-40233
Force landed August 20, 1943 abandoned

P-40E "Suzy"
Abandoned in the kunai until 1991, when exported.  Whereabouts today unknown

P-40 Kittyhawk
Crash site wreckage near Dobodura

Scrap Collecting

Click For Enlargement
Frank Anderson 1971

This heap of 50 caliber projectiles is about 2 weeks worth of scrap ammo from the Popondetta area, 1970. Collected by locals and sold to Vince Sanders. Vince used to buy live ammo. He would then pack it in drums, transport it to Moresby then export it. Vince was the sixth person to have held the rights to scrap in the area.


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