Torokina Fighter Strip on Bougainville was a hotbed of action for American and New Zealand fliers.
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- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- The airfield is alive with fighters, flown by Americans and New Zealanders. Construction improvements continue with heavy earth-moving equipment as warplanes taxi past. The heavy logistics of bringing the war to the Japanese necessitated rapid construction miracles like this.
Notes filed with this film in the National Archives say it was made at Torokina fighter strip on Bougainville. Torokina was taken by U.S. Marines starting November 1, 1943. Going in with the Marines, several U.S. Navy construction battalions -- the famed Seabees -- went to work grading a runway longer than 5,000 feet, with parking areas intended for fighter aircraft. By December 10, the airfield was serviceable, initially hosting U.S. Marine Corps F4U Corsairs. Still, as late as March 1944, Japanese shelling of Torokina airfield forced pilots to get their aircraft aloft to avoid destruction on the ground.
Judging from this pieced-together B-Roll footage, Torokina was alive with many types of aircraft including Army Air Forces tricycle-gear P-39 Airacobras, Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers, F6F Hellcat fighters, Royal New Zealand Air Force P-40s, and the crank-winged Corsairs. Watch for servicing of a Corsair, including ripping the protective tape off the gun ports in the wing prior to servicing the weapons. Several shots look like staged efforts at depicting a rapid fighter launch, with the pilot jumping aboard.
The P-40s bear the distinctive RNZAF insignia. They would later be replaced by Corsairs.
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Excellent work! you dignify these film clips with good comentary about the subjects and the modern background music.
Thank you very much for watching and commenting. The wartime generation meant a lot to me as a baby boomer, and I want to highlight them with these film finds.
Another EXCELLENT installment. Particularly glad to see the airfield construction and the mechanics who kept 'em flyin'.
Thanks, Barrett. I'll keep digging in the archives for more...
My Dad was based at Torokina , a New Zealander who was an aircraft electrical technician, he told us many stories about those days in particular his 21st birthday night where the whole base got drunk , the next day he recalled worrying about all the hung over pilots that had to fly missions that morning but was so relieved when every bird came home that day 😊
The New Zealanders shared base with the Americans and the Australians had barracks on the opposite side of the air field, everything was different including the food ! Apparently the Aussies did it pretty tough , The New Zealanders were aloud to take 1 Australian to the US base for a meal once a week and my dad made a point of taking a different bloke every week , which is one of the reasons he was a popular young fella and why his 21st was such a big to do! Dad said he’d never seen so much beer in his life ! Apparently everyone on base saved a months worth of rations so as they could give “Smiler” as he was nicknamed ,a night to Remember 😊
So wonderful to see this video and I recon it’s possible I saw my dad in the group of men under the P 40 ?? Thanks for sharing this archive ⚡️🚀❤️
You are very welcome! And thank you very much for telling your Dad's interesting experiences at Torokina airfield. That adds to the story.
My father an RNZAF Officer and Pilot decoded the message on Bougainville to say the war (WWII) was over - and of course, immediately opened the bar!
Thanks for adding a bit of family history. Always good to hear from the families of veterans who were at the locations and actions captured in these films.
Love my Seabees and our military!What a great video gives me so much pride!
Glad you feel that way. Thanks for watching.
Prior to WWII, the U.S. had been building a vast domestic, U.S. and state, highway network that required the use of equipment such as bulldozers, scrapers, and road graders. When WWII came along, the U.S. had the knowledge from years of road construction experience to quickly build airport facilities on the islands of the Pacific necessary to fight the Japanese. The best the Japanese could do was perhaps use a steam roller or steam shovel. Otherwise, their island airports were built by hand with pick and shove in many instances.
My dad told me that my Uncle Ike was the first US pilot to land on Bougainville. It was considered an honor. He was the highest scoring ace in the Pacific at the time. He flew the Corsair F4-U.
Good history in this presentation. Thanks.
You are always welcome! Glad to have you watching.
Bougainville.... That was Greg “Pappy” Boyington's backyard at one time.
He took off from Torokina on his last mission.
Another endless example of combined efforts of GREATEST GENERATION...Seabees; groundcrews; marines sacrificed blood to capture it; Pappy and the BLACK SHEEP 214th flying in ...
My Dad was there, somewhere. At 15 with a giant chip on his shoulder, probably in the brig as he didn't take orders, much. Also didn't tell stories much, so I really don't know....
Is this near where Uncle Ambrose was eaten by Cannibals?
I was wondering if that was the place.
Bosey was out collecting coconuts at the north end of runway 31 when he was eaten.
No, that was New Guinea, far from Bougainville. And contrary to what JB said, his uncle was not in a single-seat recon plane and was not even a pilot. He was a passenger in a Douglas A-20.
Never heard of it.
Yeah. The Marines would land - secure the area - the CB's would come in and in a very short period of time - whether there had been an airfield there before or not - there sure was one then.
Then they'd move on and sometimes abandon all they'd built.
Looks like they got a lot of use out of this one though.
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Never cease to amaze me why they "park" their planes like ducks in a row for the enemy to shoot them
Hilarious!!