| Place | Oceania: Pacific Islands, Solomon Islands, Bougainville |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | OG2273 |
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Negative |
| Maker |
Harrison, John Thomas |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
NEAR MAWARAKA, BOUGAINVILLE ISLAND, SOLOMON ISLANDS. C. 1945-02. MEMBERS OF THE AIF PUTTING THE ...
Description
NEAR MAWARAKA, BOUGAINVILLE ISLAND, SOLOMON ISLANDS. C. 1945-02. MEMBERS OF THE AIF PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF VERNON FIELD. THIS AIRSTRIP, 900 FEET LONG BY 40 FEET, WAS LAID DOWN IN SEVEN DAYS FOR THE USE OF THE TINY AUSTER AIRCRAFT OF NO. 17 AIR OBSERVATION POST FLIGHT RAAF TO ENSURE EVEN CLOSER CO-OPERATION WITH THE ARTILLERY. THE STRIP IS NAMED AFTER FLIGHT LIEUTENANT R. VERNON OF SYDNEY, NSW, WHO CRASHED NEAR THE SPOT WHILE LEADING IN ROYAL NEW ZEALAND AIR FORCE CORSAIR AIRCRAFT IN A STRIKE AGAINST THE JAPANESE.