Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Operational Base Units 

Australia's sheer expanse of sparsely populated landscape posed all sorts of challenges to the movement of aircraft with relatively modest operating range.  Safety was paramount, to provide emergency and designated landing grounds to support the safe transit of aircraft from one side of the country to the other.

A large network of Operational Base Units was established to operate and administer these transit airbases as required, to provide emergency services and in some cases a facility to effect repairs and servicing of aircraft in transit.

Some were co-located with major bases but most were set up to ensure adequate coverage of transit routes between major fixed bases and operational areas.

A list of designations and locations is as follows:

1 Operational Base Unit  - Malacoota VIC 1942-46
11 Operational Base Unit - Moruya NSW 1942-44
12 Operational Base Unit - Coffs Harbour NSW 1942-45
13 Operational Base Unit - Camden NSW 1942-44
14 Operational Base Unit - Lowood / Charleville Qld 1942-46
15 Operational Base Unit - Charleville Qld 1943-44
16 Operational Base Unit - St Georges Basin NSW 1945-46
21 Operational Base Unit - Rockhampton Qld 1942-46
22 Operational Base Unit - Bowen Qld 1942-44
23 Operational Base Unit - Townsville Qld 1942-44
24 Operational Base Unit - Mareeba Qld 1942-45
25 Operational Base Unit - Cairns Qld 1942-46
26 Operational Base Unit - Portland Roads Qld 1942-44
27 Operational Base Unit - Cooktown Qld 1942-46
28 Operational Base Unit - Horn Island Qld 1942-44
29 Operational Base Unit - Augustus Downs Qld 1942-44
30 Operational Base Unit - Cloncurry Qld 1942-45
33 Operational Base Unit - Townsville / Aitkenvale Qld / Higgins Field x1943-46
34 Operational Base Unit - Karumbah Qld 1942- 45
37 Operational Base Unit - Tadji Aitape Papual New Guinea 1944-46
38 Operational Base Unit - Nadzab Lae (PNG) Morotai, Balikpapan (NEI) 1944-45
39 Operational Base Unit - Cairns (Qld) Torokina (Bougainville) 1944-46
40 Operational Base Unit - Milne Bay, Nadzab, Lae (PNG) 1944-46
41 Operational Base Unit - Goodenough Island, Dobodura (PNG) 1943-46
42 Operational Base Unit - Port Moresby Madang (PNG) 1942-46
43 Operational Base Unit - Milne Bay Dobodura (PNG) 1943-46
44 Operational Base Unit - RAAF Garbutt (Townsville Qld), Merauke (PNG) 1943-45
45 Operational Base Unit - Port Moresby PNG 1943-45
46 Operational Base Unit - Milne Bay, Kiriwina, Middleburg Island (PNG) 1943-45
47 Operational Base Unit - Camden (NSW), Lowood (Qld), Milne Bay, Cape Gloucester, Noemfoor 1943-45
48 Operational Base Unit - Camden Townsville Lae Finschafen(PNG) 1943-46
49 Operational Base Unit - Milne Bay, Los Negros, Hollandia (NEI), 1944-46
51 Operational Base Unit - Groote Eylandt 1942-45 (merged with 56OBU)
52 Operational Base Unit - Darwin (NT) 1943-44
53 Operational Base Unit - Batchelor (NT) 1942-46 intermittent closures
54 Operational Base Unit - Hughes Batchelor Coomalie Creek Venn (NT) 1942-43
55 Operational Base Unit - Birdum Gorrie (NT) 1942-46
56 Operational Base Unit - Daly Waters Gove (NT) 1942-46
57 Operational Base Unit - Alice Springs (NT) 1941-46
58 Operational Base Unit - Darwin (NT) Drysdale River, Exmouth (WA) 1943-46
59 Operational Base Unit - Millingimbie (NT) 1943-44
60 Operational Base Unit - Sattler (NT), Morotai (NEI) - 1943-47
61 Operational Base Unit - Ballarat, Townsville, Morotai, Tarakan (NEI) - 1944-45
71 Operational Base Unit - Carnarvon (WA) - 1942-46
72 Operational Base Unit - Albany (WA) 1942-44
73 Operational Base Unit - Corrunna Downs (WA) 1942-46
74 Operational Base Unit - Yanry Station (WA) 1942-44
75 Operational Base Unit - Nookanbah (NT) 1943-45
76 Operational Base Unit - Exmouth (WA) 1943-46
77 Operational Base Unit - Guildford (WA) 1943-46
78 Operational Base Unit - Port Headland (WA) 1944-46
79 Operational Base Unit - Broome (WA) 1944-46
80 Operational Base Unit - Derby, Broome (WA) 1944-46
82 Operational Base Unit - Riversidse Drive, Crawley Bay (WA) 1944-45
83 Operational Base Unit - Batchelor (NT), Jacquinot Bay (New Britain), Morotai, Balikpapan (NEI) 1945
84 Operational Base Unit - Kingaroy (Qld), Lacuna 1945
85 Operational Base Unit - Amberley (Qld), Balikpapan (NEI) 1945
86 Operational Base Unit - Cunderdin (WA) 1945-47
87 Operational Base Unit - Geraldton (WA) 1945-47
88 Operational Base Unit - Bundaberg (Qld) 1945-46
89 Operational Base Unit - Biak, Madang (PNG) 1945-46

References:  Units of the RAAF - A Concise History 1921-1999 Vol 1.

Compiled by Steve Larkins Apr 2021