The airfield was constructed by the 43rd Engineer Regiment (US Army) in March 1942 with further improvements undertaken by the 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion between 11 May 1942 and 16 July 1942 and later by the Allied Works Council and No 1 Airfield Construction Unit RAAF. Originally known as Burkholder Field, the runway was 6,000 feet (1,800 m) long and 100 feet (30 m) wide. Renamed MacDonald Airfield in honour of Wing Commander Joshua Roger Gray McDonald of No. 13 Squadron RAAF who was killed at Laha on 10 December 1941. The Royal Australian Air Force occupied the base on 24 November 1942 when No. 54 Operational Base Unit administered the base. The airfield became an Australian Army communication camp and was abandoned in 1945.
There was a series of articles about the RAAF / USAAF airfields along / near the Stuart Highway in the NT in the 2020 and 2021 ADF Serials Telegraph News newsletters. Photos, maps, airfield layouts and histories. ADF Serials Newsletters
He started at Darwin in Part 1 and has been working his way down the Highway. Series started about issue 1 or 2 for 2020. I see there is a new part in the most recent issue posted. Just discovered it so need to find time for a read.
