1943

Naming Also know as Maralinin and sometimes spelled Tsile-Tsile it was actually 5th Air Force General Kenney's wish that the field be renamed, as he thought the name demeaning, and of propaganda value if captured by the Japanese. Construction The field was Hastily constructed by the 871st Airborne Engineering, the 41st Fighter Squadron was based there for a time. All supplies, food, fuel and equipment had to be flown into the base via C-47's from Port Moresby. Wartime photo May 12, 1944.

American Units Based at Tsili Tsili
2nd Air Task Force (formed at Tsili Tsili for Lae ops) August 5, 1943
54th TCW, 65th TCS (C-47s) Moresby Sept 18 -  Oct 31, 1943 to Nadzab
35th FG HQ from Port Moresby August 15, 1943 - ?
35th FG 40th FS from Port Moresby August 14, 1943 - Oct 1943 to Nadzab
35th FG 41st FS from 7-Mile August 14, 1943 - Oct 22, 1943 to Nadzab
49th FG, 8th FS (P-40) from Dobodura August 30 -  Oct 29 1943 to Gusap
433rd TCG (C-47s) ? - June 2, 1944 to Nadzab

Walter Seale 871st Airborne Engineer Battalion adds:
"A lot of cripples landed at Tsilli-Tsilli, and later Gusap. They were either low on fuel or shot-up and couldn't be sure of getting home safely. We also mowed a fake runway nearby to confuse the Japanese to make them think the base was bigger than it actually was."

Japanese Air Raids Against Tsili Tsili
August 15 - September 13, 1943

Today
The airfield has been abandoned since the war. Until the early 1970s there were several wrecks at the strip, four P-39s and a P-40 abandoned there.  Three aircraft were recovered by Monty Armstrong and Charles Darby in 1973 for Yesterday's Air Force.