Pacific Wrecks - Murtha Airfield, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines

Missing In Action (MIA)

Prisoners Of War (POW)

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

Chronology

Murtha Airfield Occidental Mindoro Philippines

36th FS c1945

Location
Murtha Airfield was located north east of Hill Field and west of the Tabangan River on Mindoro Island in Occidental Mindoro in the Philippines. Also known as Murtha Field, Murtha Drome or Murtha Airdrome.

Construction
Built by the U.S. Army with a single runway of 7,000 x 100', surfaced with marston matting (PSP).

American units based at Murtha
8th FG, 36th FS (P-38) 1945

Micah Reysio-Cruz adds:
"In 2001, I went on an expedition with my friend, former 417th BG pilot Frank Upchurch, to find Murtha strip. He is a retired justice from St Augustine,FLA. During WW2, he flew an A-20G. He participated in raids on Cebu, Leyte, and Corregidor and other Japanese bases. All we found was a runway-width section of asphalt. Locals said that rich families wanted their land back after the war and bulldozed the field for sugarcane planting. Judging by the position of the remaining blacktop, the field ran on an East-West orientation. It is several miles inland from the present airport [San Jose] I took a piece of asphalt and mounted it for Frank to take home."

References
Airdromes Guide Southwest Pacific Area - Murtha Drome
Thanks to Tony Feredo for additional information

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Last Updated
April 19, 2025

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