Breaker, breaker, ten four big buddy we've got ourselves a convoy. First tour this morning was the WWII Convoy Tour. We meet at the information centre, the guide, us, another couple and a man by himself. We all went around in our own cars, following the guide, stopping at the points of interest. The American soldiers arrived in 1942 and commandeered the airport and set up a top secret base. Covering an area of 25 sq km they constructed 101 buildings and stationed up to 3500 USAAF personnel at the base. There were also 160 aircraft camouflaged by the Mulga tree scrub. Australian citizens employed to work on the base had to sign oaths pledging never to reveal it's existence. The base still has the classification of top secret and Charleville cannot obtain any information or photos about it from the Americans. Most of the structures were dismantled soon after the servicemen left in 1942. A hanger remains which is used by the flying doctor. There are some concrete slabs left of a mess hut. A couple of bitumen wholes which were filled with water that the servicemen had to go through weekly to delouse themselves. A concrete bunker still remains which housed the Norden Bomb Sight. This was the first mechanical device for accurate bombing. It was placed in the aircraft for each flight and when the plane returned it was removed and stored back in the concrete bunker which was guarded all the time. The serviceman operating it had to make sure it was destroyed if the plane was hit and going to crash. The other crew on the plane knew nothing about it. This piece of equipment is why the base received the top secret classification and Charleville were eventually able to purchase one to display off ebay!
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