Aircraft Hangar

Jerry & the Tile Makers warehouse

Workshop
Townsville

79 Clarke Street, Garbutt 4814

The hangar has a steel frame with sliding doors. It may have been fully imported as a disassembled kit from the United States early in the Pacific War. The design differs greatly from the majority of Garbutt Field’s 'Igloo' style repair hangars with timber frames.

History

This large hangar at Clarke Street Garbutt was removed post 1945 from its original location on the Northern side of Duckworth Street between Bayswater Road and the Cairns - Brisbane rail line. Due to its size, it was used primarily for the repair and servicing of fighter aircraft, such as the US Bell P-39 Aero Cobras parked outside. As Garbutt aerodrome was less than one kilometre away, aircraft landing at the main runway then taxied down Duckworth Street to this repair facility.

The P-39 was found to be best suited as a ground attack aircraft, however two US P-39’s successfully intercepted and damaged the Japanese Kawanishi “Emily” flying boat that attacked Townsville on 29 July 1942.

Source/comments

The North Queensland Line: The Defence of Townsville in 1942". Ray Holyoak unpublished

Honours Thesis, James Cook University, Townsville 1998.