World War II Airstrip Livingstone - NT

Information

Livingstone Field, 54.7 Kilometers south of Darwin was built by the 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion, less Company A and HQ Detachment, from 16 March to 13 April 1942. They built 5, 000 ft of runway that was 100 ft wide with 10 to 20 ft shoulders paved with 4 inches of clay bound gravel and a coat of diesel oil. Also built was 2,000 ft of taxiway 30 ft wide with 10 ft shoulders paved with 3 inches of gravel.
Livingstone Airfield was named after Lieutenant Livingstone who was the first pilot killed in action at the airfield on 4 April 1942. The initial tent camp at the airfield was built in the bush next to the runway near a cattle property called Humpty Doo. The pilots of the 9th Squadron of the 49th Fighter Group bought beds with them from their hotel in Darwin.
The runway ran parallel to the main road that ran south from Darwin. An Officer's Mess was built, consisting of a hut with a concrete floor and a tin roof. It was open on all sides for ventilation. It was decked out with a mess table and some benches and easy chairs looted from the Hotel Darwin by "persons unknown".
54 Squadron RAF moved from England to Darwin in 1943 and then to Livingstone airfield in 1944.
50 calibre machine guns of the 102nd Coastal Artillery Battalion (AA Separate), US Army were also based at Livingstone airfield in the Northern Territory. The unit had all arrived at Darwin by 8 April 1942. When they left their positions at Livingstone airfield they were taken over by the 40mm Bofors guns of the Australian 161st Light Anti-aircraft Battery (LAA Bty).
A Detachment of "H" Company, 135th US Medical Regiment provided medical services at Livingstone Airfield.
Text above courtesy Peter Dunn's "Australia @ War" www.ozatwar.com
On 23rd November 1943 Spitfire BS300 Piloted by Flying Officer A.J. Gould ended up on the water pipeline on the opposite side of the Stuart Hwy , the aircraft struck a vehicle killing 2 occupant's during it's slide down the Highway.