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Background of R.A.A.F Maryborough
Location
The town of Maryborough lies 13 miles WSW. from
the mouth of the Mary river in Great Sandy Strait
The airfield lies 2 miles N. of the town of Maryborough on the east
side of the main road to Maryborough, and ½ mile form the NW bank of
the Mary River below town reach. The airfield lies 30 feet above
mean sea level, it has 3 bitumen all weather runways, two of 1100 x
50 yds and one of 1765 x 50 yds. The station has two permanent
hangers of 112 feet x 95 feet and a control building on the SW. side
of the landing area.
Beginnings
The airfield at Maryborough was opened with the
formation of RAAF Headquarters RAAF Maryborough on Thursday
September 18th 1941. On the same date the stations training unit,
No. 3 Wireless Air Gunners School (W.A.G.S.) was formed; both the
station and the school were under the command of Wing Commander J.S.
Cardell.
The first intake for 3 W.A.G.S. was on November 16th with the
commencement of Course 19. The school was to complete 30 courses
over the next three years at Maryborough before being closed on
December 6th 1944.
November 11th 1944 saw the arrival of No. 1 Radar School from RAAF
Richmond, this unit was to complete over 100 courses, instructing
RAAF, UASF,, and RAF aircrew and maintenance personnel. ! R.S. was
transferred to RAAF Ballarat in November 1945, the unit having
completed its move by the 24th.
RN Control
Advanced Party of RN personnel arrived at the
station on May 24th 1945. The men and equipment of MONAB VI arrived
in separate groups over the next seven days.
MONAB VI commissioned at RAAF Maryborough, Queensland, as HMS
NABSTOCK on 1st June 1945.
MONAB VI paid off as HMS NABSTOCK at Maryborough November 14th 1945,
the unit transferring its commission to RNAS Schofields. Maryborough
airfield was returned to the control of the RAAF.
Post War
R.A.A.F. Station Maryborough was rundown to closure after the
departure of HMS Nabstock and 1 R.S. in November 1945. The station
was closed and transferred to the control of a Care & Maintenance
Party on January 25th 1946.
Control of the airfield was transferred to the Department of Civil
Aviation with effect from January 31st 1947, and R.A.A.F.
Maryborough was finally disposed of on June 10th 1947.
Commercial operations began soon after the R.A.A.F. had left, the
airport being operated by Maryborough City Council.
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