Location
Lat 9° 28' 60S Long 147° 10' 60E  Port Moresby is located on the south coast of New Guinea, capital of present day Papua New Guinea, inside Fairfax Harbor.

Japanese Air Raids Against Port Moresby
February 2, 1942 - April 12, 1943 (plus later night harassment raids). 

Port Moresby City Areas
Nearly the entire city has some connections with World War II

Port Moresby (Town)
This peninsula includes Paga Hill, Ela Beach and the main wharf area. During WWII this was the main town area.  Today, it is also the commercial center known as 'town'.

Base D (Port Moresby)
US Army letter base designation.

Wharf Area
Prior to the war, the wharf area was used by Burns Philips. During the war, it was expanded. Footage of this same wharf area under aerial attack by Japanese bombers was recorded by Damien Parer. US Navy Seabees had a minor role at the wharf when a detachment of 70 men from the 55th Battalion that arrived on June 20, 1943, later augmented by a detachment from Milne Bay.  They built a radio station for the port direction headquarters, 10 quonset huts for living quarters, water supply and storage, generator and transmitter buildings that went into operation July 15, 1943. Later, 8 more quonset huts were built by January 12, 1944. Later in July, 19 more quonset huts were added. CBMUU 546 arrived to relieve the original detachment on April 3, 1944. In October 1944 the base roll-up was begun, and completed by November 1, 1944. It is still in use for container ship and cargo traffic.

Burns Philips Building
This building is located overlooking the wharf area. Built prior to WWII, it survived the war and Japanese aerial bombing untouched.  Today, it remains and is used by small shops. It was located across the street from the Papuan Hotel, which burned down after the war.

Papuan Hotel
This prewar hotel was taken over by American forces and used as a HQ. It survived the war, but burned down in the 1960s.

Troops Club
Located in Port Moresby town, operated by the US Canteen Services. Today is near the present day Crown Plaza Hotel.

Ela Beach Memorial
Memorial was dedicated in 2003.

Paga Hill
Large hill that encompasses half of Port Moresby town.

Paga Hill Gun Battery (Paga Battery)
Australian gun battery at the top of the hill, later anti-aircraft, search lights and radar.

Tuaguba Hill (Touaguba Hill)
Large hill that encompasses the other half of Port Moresby town. Also spelled Touaguba or Tua-guba. Means 'big wind' in Motu language.

3.7" Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery
Australian 3.7" heavy anti-aircraft gun battery

Konedobu
Located to the north of town area.

Fairfax Harbor
Port Moresby's harbor. Was the site of the Flying Boat Base used by Qantas before the war (site of the current PNGDF patrol boat base) and significant today for several wartime ship and aircraft wrecks. Port of call for Allied reinforcements to from Australia and around the world to New Guinea.

Port Moresby Yacht Club
A mast from the MV MacDhui recovered, and erected opposite the club in 1971. Prior to WWII, this location was also just west of the Fying Boat Base. This base was also used during WWII by flying boats.

Koki (2-Mile Hill)
Temporary hospital in mid-late 1943 The island in the background is Manubada.

Burns Peak
Peak located in this area, a road cut was made into this feature to allow for the modern freeway to be built.

B-24J Serial Number 42-100205
Pilot Waurie crashed March 12, 1944

Kaevaga
Area located to the north of Konedobu.

Governor General's Residence (MacArthur's HQ)
This prewar building is the house of the Commonwealth Governor General.  During WWII, it was used by General MacArthur as his
residence in Port Moresby beginning in November 6, 1942, until he relocated his HQ to Hollandia. It was here on November 30th he told Eichelberger: "Bob…I want you to take Buna, or not come back alive."  Today, it is again the Governor General's Residence.

Barune Dump (Barune Tip)
Dump or tip area begun during the American occupation, for the garbage that the Americans in Port Moresby area (over 200,000+ at their height) generated. Today, it is still used as a dump for the town.

116th Station Hospital
US Army hospital, Located near Barune Village. At its height in 1943 was the largest hospital in the southern hemisphere. At its height, it was capable of performing any medical procedure possible in the United States and use for American patients until the 117th Station Hospital was created at Nadzab. The hospital was dismantled at the end of the war. Today, only concrete pads where buildings once stood remain. The hospital's water supply still and are used by locals. Roads, culverts and other engineering architecture also remain.

Gordons
Area of Port Moresby town, south-east of Waigani

PNG National Museum, War Museum
Contains a number of relics, archives and aircraft in storage outside.

Boroko
Area to the east of town, including Murry Barracks, 3-mile, Taurama, 4-mile.

Arcadia
Boroko intersection named 'Arcadia' by an African American GI who worked directing traffic at this location. Since the location did not have a name, the Black GI was asked to give it a name, and dubbed it 'Arcadia'.  It was still known by this name during New Guinea's post war colonial period.

Tarama Barracks
Army Barracks located at the intersection of Taurama and Rigo roads.

Murry Barracks
Located outside Port Moresby. Named in honor of Sir Hubert Murray, Lieutenant Governor of Papua from the turn of the century until his death a few years before the WWII. In the 36th Battalion War Diaries, it mentions they were stationed at Murray Barracks both before and after heading to the Buna-Gona beachhead.

US Military Cemetery
Located near Murray Barracks and the hill where Garden Hill Estate is now located, noted on 1943 maps. These American graves were exhumed after the war.

Waigani
Area to the north-west of Gordons.  Includes the former 5-Mile Wards Drome airfield and the contemporary PNG government.

Port Moresby Golf Club
Golf Course behind the parliament building, built overtop an American dispersal and camp area between Wards (5-Mile) and Jacksons (7-Mile). Several of the greens were made inside wartime revetments.  A larger water hazard on at the edge of the course contains the wreckage of a RAAF P-40 that crashed into it during the war.

Gerehu
Area to the north of the present day University of PNG.

Bitsubishi Hill
A G3M2 Nell crashed into this hill during a bombing raid against Port Moresby. It is located beside the Wiagani Swamp near University of PNG.

Camp Wallaby
Wartime camp area at this location.

Kila Kila
Area to the east of Port Moresby, Horsecamp, 3-Mile Kila Drome.

Kila Drome (3 Mile, Kila Kila)
Prewar Port Moresby airfield, used and expanded during the war. Today abandoned.

Horse Camp
Area near 3-Mile Drome where a US Army cavalry unit was based. Known as "Horse Camp" to this day.

PNG War Contributions Memorial
This memorial is located on the road above town. Four silhouettes depict the roles Papua New Guinea people played during the war: Volunteer Rifles, Carriers, Stretcher Bearers and scouts. Sadly, the memorial has been graffiti, and covered in beetle nut juice as it is near a small market where people congregate.

Bruce Hoy recalls from the 1970:
"A B-24 was at the intersection of the Taurama and Rigo Roads.

B-24 behind the village on the way to Pari Village. When I was last there, it still had wire-wrapped 100-lb bombs lying around.

Bomana War Cemetery
Commonwealth cemetery located near Berry Drome (12 Mile).

B-17E Serial Number 41-2445
Pilot Freeman crashed December 2, 1942

Mount Lawes (Mt. Lawes)
Peak behind Port Moresby

P-40 Kittyhawk Serial Number A29-8
Pilot Jackson shot down April 28, 1942

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Last Updated
October 1, 2009