Pacific Wrecks
Pacific Wrecks    
  Missing In Action (MIA) Prisoners Of War (POW) Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)  
Chronology Locations Aircraft Ships Submit Info How You Can Help Donate
 
    Bulwa Airfield Morobe Province Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Click For Enlargement
Guinea Airways c1934c
Location
Lat 7° 8' 30S Long 146° 37' E  Located near Bulwa, at the junction of the Bulolo River and Watut River. To the southeast of Bulolo and Wau. To the northwest is Sunshine. Also known as Bulowat or Bulwa.

Construction
Built by Bulolo Gold Dredging Limited during during 1932–1933 to support gold mining operations at Placer Dome. Over the next year, two Junkers G 31 trimotors based at Lae Airfield landed at Bulwa Airfield 468 times to transporting pieces of a disassembled gold dredge. The larger parts were unloaded using a crane at the airfield.

In middle 1942 the single runway was 1000 x 100 x 2000 yards surfaced with sod, dry with fair approaches due to nearby hills. The runway could be expanded further. Nearby were thirty houses for employees, Major Edwards, completely equipped hospital, food and water plus a telephone line to Bulolo and Wau.

World War II Pacific Theatre History
During the Pacific War, Bulwa Airfield was an alternative laning for Bulolo Airfield and Wau Airfield in support of the campaign at Wau.

On January 30, 1943 at the height of the Battle of Wau, the Australian Army New Guinea Force headquarters requested that Bulwa Airfield and Bulolo Airfield be readied for emergency use if Wau Airfield was made unservicable or captured by the Japanese. Luckily, this never proved necessary.

Today
Disused since the war.

References
Notes about New Guinea airfields, recorded circa May - July, 1942 by Oliver C. Doan via Jean Doan research Edward Rogers
The Battle For Wau page 182
Gold-Dust and Ashes
Thanks to Richard Leahy and John Douglas for additional information

Contribute Information
Do you have photos or additional information to add?

Last Updated
May 18, 2023

 

Map
Map
Fallingrain

Google Earth
View on Google Earth

  Discussion Forum Daily Updates Reviews Museums Interviews & Oral Histories  
 
Pacific Wrecks Inc. All rights reserved.
Donate Now Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram