|
Location
9°23'30"S 147°14'20"E Located 12 miles inland from Port Moresby.
Naming
Known as "12 Mile Drome" or "Bomana Drome". Offically named 'Berry Drome' in honor
of P-39D 41-7165 pilot
Major Jack W. Berry on November 10, 1942.
Construction
Completed May 15, 1943, there was little or no room for expansion with out an extensive earth moving project being put into action. The strip had an 8 inch base of crushed rock and pit gravel for a single earth runwaay approximately 4,500' by 150'. It also had 40 dispersal bays, and 4 alert areas that would accomodate 15 fighter aircraft..
Units Based at 12 Mile Drome
RAAF 75 Squadron (P-40) April 25, 1942 - ?
8th FG, 80th FS (P-39) July 20, 1942 - November 8, 1942 Turnbull
Air Raids Against 12 Mile
(Partial List)
May 12, 1942 at 0743 (Raid 46)
Eleven A6M2 Zeros straffed Bomana Drome and M. G. positions in area. No damage No casualties. Intercepted by 13 P-39s. claims of two Zeros down. Investigating possible crashes. One P-39 temporairily unserviceable. Two P39's missing.
0850 Gun on hill behind Bde. H.Q. reports large column Black Smoke 7 to 8 miles on bearing 320 [degrees] and 321 [degrees]
1350 Reported Crash of Aircraft
Paga - Bearing 46 [degrees] - distance 10 miles
Tuaguba - Bearing 44 [degrees] distance 10 miles
1800 1 P39 missing in Raid 46 found at VARI VARI 1 mile inland. Pilot safe. (Reference: New Guinea Force Diary).
May 18, 1942
Sixteen 4th Kokutai G4M1 Betty bombers led by Lt. Commander Hatsuhiko Watanabe took off from Vunakanau Airfield on a bombing mission against 7 Mile Drome. Escorting are A6M2 Zeros of the Tainan Kokutai. Over the target, the bombers are intercepted by P-39 Airacobras of the 8th FG, 35th FS and 36th FS, before the escorting Zeros reach them. They damage eight Betty bombers, one force lands at Lae Airfield on the return flight. One G4M1 Betty explodes and is shot down over Port Moresby. Lost is P-39F 41-7191. Eighteen Genzan Kokutai G4M2 Nell bombers bomb 12-Mile Drome and severely damage it.
Today
The road from Port Moresby runs overtop
the old man runway. The Bomana Police Training
College is located at the site of the former strip, and the Bomana War Cemetery is
at the far end of the strip. Some of the officer's and command
tents for the airfield were located
in the high ground around the former field.
Some
war debris are scattered around the area, including barrels,
metal pieces, etc.
Piper L-4B Grasshopper Serial
Number 43-1137
Crashed near Berry Drome on July 27, 1943
P-39 Airacobra Serial Number ?
Crashed June 25, 1942, pilot rescued
Contribute
Information
Do you have photos or additional information to add?
Last Updated
October 1, 2009
|
