MAREEBA AIRFIELD
ALSO KNOWN AS HOEVET AIRFIELD
MAREEBA, QLD
DURING WW2

visits since 23 April 2003

Mareeba was also sometimes referred to as Hoevet Field by the Americans after Major Dean Carol "Pinky" Hoevet who was killed on 16 August 1942.

100 Squadron RAAF moved from Richmond to Mareeba on 22 May 1942 and then to Laverton on 2 July 1942.

On 23 October 1942, twelve B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 19th Bomb Group relocated from Mareeba to Townsville. 

Bruce Graham told me that the 8th Fighter Group left Milne Bay and arrived at Mareeba in February 1943. They then moved to Port Moresby in New Guinea on 16 May 1943. Another unknown source indicated that the 8th Fighter Group were moved back to Townsville for rest and re-equipment.

5 Squadron RAAF relocated from Kingaroy airfield and arrived at Mareeba airfield in June 1943.

 Memorial at Mareeba Airfield

 Memorial at Mareeba Airfield

Part of the Memorial
at Mareeba Airfield

Plaque at Mareeba Airfield

Pictures on a wall inside one of the airfield's buildings

Photograph of a plan of the
airfield on display at the airfield

Mareeba airfield 11 July 1943, showing northern end
of runway and mart of the town of Mareeba (bottom right)

Mareeba airfield 11 July 1943

UNITS BASED AT MAREEBA AIRFIELD DURING WW2

MILITARY AIRCRAFT CRASHES IN MAREEBA AREA DURING WW2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank David Adams for providing the above aerial photographs. David was a 10 year old living not far from the Mareeba strip at that time in 1942. He had some memories of mainly the B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 19th Bomb Group. He saw the explosion of the Fortress that crashed into the low western hill in the very early hours and did see some come back as they were getting out of school with very large holes in them. David has been involved with of four of the old warbirds at Mareeba airfield.

REFERENCE BOOKS

"Beau's, Butchers & Boomerangs, Mareeba - The History of a WWII Airfield 1942-1945"
By Damian Waters

Heaps of WW2 books available at Amazon.com

"Australia @ War"

This page first produced 23 April 2003

This page last updated 17 June 2007