Waterford Airstrip

Airfield
South-East

West of Loganlea Road (in the vicinity of Kingston Road), Waterford West 4133

Constructed for the RAAF and used by the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) from mid 1942, Waterford airfield was not utilised to any significant extent. It consisted of one 70 degree, 1.28km long, graded, rolled and grassed airstrip. A camouflaged arch type hideout, suitable for fighters, appears to have been the only structure built.

The east end of the airstrip terminated at the west side of Loganlea road. Its western end, which crossed Kingston Road and caused a deviation which is now Beutel Road, terminated between today’s Beutel street and Alford Street. The formation of the airstrip is no longer visible in aerial photographs.

History

The arrival of US forces in Queensland from late December 1941 led to an increased demand for airfields to accommodate US aircraft. Existing RAAF airfields were used, and new fields were also constructed. Five airfields were established near Kingston south of Brisbane: Loganlea and Waterford, plus the Kingston airstrips A-10, A-11 and A-12.

Waterford airfield consisted of a single natural surface airstrip, angled at 70 degrees (roughly east-northeast), with a length of 4194 feet (1.28km). The location of the airstrip caused a diversion of Kingston Road to the southwest, at the west end of the strip, and this diversion is now Beutel Street.

A 10 July 1942 report claimed that Waterford airfield had been commenced under RAAF supervision, but had been handed over to the Americans along with Archerfield Airfield (1 July 1942). At this time a dispersal scheme was under construction.

By June 1943 the airfield consisted of a single graded, grassed strip which was used by US trainer aircraft, but which could not carry aircraft during the summer rainfall period. A single arch type hideout suitable for fighter aircraft was located south of Kingston road. This hideout was probably built by the contracting firm MR Hornibrook, which was reported in Allied Works Council (AWC) minutes as being directly engaged by the Americans in camouflage work at both the Loganlea and Waterford airstrips.

Some local residents were reputedly fortunate enough to be taken up for flights by the Americans. The area has been developed since the war and no remnant of the airstrip is visible.

Source/comments

Marks, RR. 1994. Queensland Airfields WW2—50 Years On, R and J Marks, Brisbane.

Pullar, M. July 1997. Prefabricated WWII Structures in Queensland. Report for the National Trust of Queensland.

Buchanan, Robyn, c.1999-2000. Logan—rich in history, young in spirit. Logan City Council

National Archives of Australia 764. RAAF Directorate of Works and Buildings - Engineer Intelligence Section - Loganlea, Queensland, 1943.

Dunn, P. Waterford Airfield, Waterford Qld during WW2

Howells, M. “World War II emergency landing fields", unpublished document.

Australian War Memorial Photographic Collection

National Library of Australia RAAF Official Aerials.