The 43rd Service Squadron, previously known as the 43rd Materiel Squadron, or 43rd Air Materiel Squadron (43 AMS) spent time at Amberley, Mt. Louisa near Garbutt airfield in
Townsville,
Adelaide River, and then at Fenton airfield in the Northern Territory.
In January 1942, 1st Lieutenant Burke Von Wald was assigned to the 43rd Material Squadron and travelled to Australia on board the Mariposa, arriving in
Melbourne, Victoria, where he moved to
Bacchus Marsh for a short period of time before catching a train to
Sydney in New South Wales, where the 43rd Materiel Squadron moved to Bankstown airfield.
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Burke then travelled to
Darwin in the Northern Territory by Catalina flying boat and then moved down to
Adelaide River. An APO list shows 43rd Materiel Squadron, 46th AB Gp located at
Adelaide River in June 1942.
The 43rd Air Materiel Squadron was allocated a site across the other side of the
Adelaide River from the township about 2.5 kilometres South from the
Adelaide River Railway Station where the USAAF 8th Fighter Squadron / 49th Fighter Group was based, No buildings were at this site. After they realised this site was unsuitable they relocated on 16 April 1942 to a site on Mt Bundy Station, about 1.7 kilometres north of the airfield. They built specialist workshops, offices, living quarters and messes. They installed their own water reticulation system. Nearby Base Section One at
Adelaide River provided their food, provisions and clothing issues.
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The 43rd Air Material Squadron salvaged the remnants of the 33rd Pursuit's Squadron's aircraft damaged in the 19 February 1942 Japanese air raid. They also recovered Lt Suehr's aircraft from Marrakai. Only four of the wrecks that they worked on were made airworthy again. Their main role was to maintain and repair the P-40E aircraft of the 49th Fighter Group.
Burke Von Wald eventually relocated the 43rd Service Squadron to Fenton airfield in early 1943 after it had been constructed by the Australians. Burke was the Commanding Officer of the first advance party that was responsible for the establishment of Fenton airfield. After the arrival of the CO, Burke became the Adjutant. Burke stayed at Fenton airfield for about 2 years until September 1943, in October 1943 Major he was re-assigned as the Photographic Officer in Headquarters Squadron of the 81st Air Depot Group, in
Brisbane, Queensland.
Thanks to Peter Dunn’s Oz@War website in Brissy for the use of some of his photo’s and text.
Seeing as though
Adelaide River and Mt Bundy has been mentioned in this weeks SHP I have been doing heaps of research during the last 3 weeks, I’d like to share some it with you, This is the 3rd version uploaded to Youtube, wasn’t happy with the first 2.