CMPs at Truscott Airbase, AUS

Hanno Spoelstra · #1 05-07-09, 22:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philliphastings

An interesting image. I have seen a number of pictures of the remaining vehicle wrecks at Truscott ('secret airbase') field in North West WA. Many of the CMP cabins have this modification and I have always assumed that they were still in their WW2 configuration. Truscott is an extremely isolated location. The vehicles were brought to the spot by the Army via landing craft I believe.

If anyone has the 'Bush Tucker Man' video series you can see the vehicle park briefly in one episode. There is also a very detailed book now released with the full Story of the Airbase named after Ace pilot 'Bluey' Truscott.

As an a side, a fair bit of scrap was salvaged from Truscott in years gone by and some of it is still piled up rusting away in a yard near Perth, with an assortments of aircraft, gun and vehicle parts, some of which were scratchbuilt in the airfield workshop at Truscott.

Phill,

I remember seeing the Bush Tucker Man episode a decade ago or so. I think I made some screen shots back then. But today I ran across some pictures of the vehicles at Truscott at the Canon Digital Photography Forums:

Look at that "perfect" F15 Cab 11 sheet metal!

Hanno

Keith Webb · #2 05-07-09, 22:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Phill,

I remember seeing the Bush Tucker Man episode a decade ago or so. I think I made some screen shots back then. But today I ran across some pictures of the vehicles at Truscott at the Canon Digital Photography Forums:

Look at that "perfect" F15 Cab 11 sheet metal!

Hanno

F15? Cab 11?

Hanno Spoelstra · #3 05-07-09, 22:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

F15? Cab 11?

Well, Ford anyway . . .

Keith Webb · #4 05-07-09, 23:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Well, Ford anyway . . .

I reckon they'd be F60L cab 12s

Hanno Spoelstra · #5 05-07-09, 23:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

I reckon they'd be F60L cab 12s

But could you please go over there and check?

H.

Hanno Spoelstra · #6 06-07-09, 09:38

For more information about Truscott, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mungalalu_Truscott_Airbase

Truscott Historical gallery: http://www.shorelands.com.au/sa_gallery.html

H.

Tony Smith · #7 06-07-09, 14:37

In Hanno's 2nd pic, does that closest vehicle have the remains of an ARN on the driver's side of the bumper; 33041 or 37041?

Tony Smith · #8 06-07-09, 14:41

In another thread on guessing Google Earth screenshots (which I can't find at the moment!), I posted these pics:

Keith Webb · #9 06-07-09, 20:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

In Hanno's 2nd pic, does that closest vehicle have the remains of an ARN on the driver's side of the bumper; 33041 or 37041?

I had a look at my pics of the AWM 126 series but alas I haven't covered that particular book. I do have some from the 32XXX block but they were all impressed BSA motorcycles.
Either of those numbers would make it a very early cab 12, which would be correct looking at the early type bumper brackets with the towing eyes.
Well spotted Tony! You might not be the real Tony Smith but you're a pretty good imitation for sure!

Lang · #10 07-07-09, 01:48

Santos Mining operate the air strip at Truscott.

They are extremely unwelcoming to visitors and will not give permission to land under normal circumstances. They quote their agreement with the aboriginal owners etc.

They also claim because they "built" the strip they can do what they like. I landed there in a Supercub just before Santos went in about 20 years ago and it was still quite OK apart from numerous small trees and ant hills sticking up through the old bitumen. A day or so with a dozer would have produced an excellent surface paid for by the Australian taxpayer 70 odd years ago.

People do visit the area by 4WD but it is rough and only for the dedicated.

Robert Farmer · #11 07-07-09, 04:48

My brother in law was there recently, he services choppers in those sort of places, and he took some shots for me. I will post tomorrow when I get them on my PC.
Robert.

Philliphastings · #12 07-07-09, 07:06

Hi Robert,

Thanks for the offer of the pics. I'm sure they will be appreciated by all.

I was led to believe that Truscott is also now used/frequented by Coastwatch and combined patrols of Customs/AQIS/WAPol and AFP as a staging base so security has been bumped up and nobody gets in now...

Cheers

Phill

Robert Farmer · #13 07-07-09, 23:48

Some photos I have.

Robert Farmer · #14 07-07-09, 23:50

More photos

Robert Farmer · #15 07-07-09, 23:54

More photos again

Robert Farmer · #16 07-07-09, 23:55

Heres some more

Robert Farmer · #17 07-07-09, 23:57

The last for now

Keith Webb · #18 08-07-09, 00:53

Thanks for sharing those with us Robert.

Absolutely fascinating aren't they.

Looks like there have been scrub fires through most of it.

Philliphastings · #19 09-07-09, 04:58

Thanks for the pics Robert.

What an awesome sight !

Most people are probably thinking 'what a waste' but I rather think along the lines of what a terrific memorial.

Most Military sites in the southern sector of WA have been looted out by scrap dealers twenty or more years ago and you have to dig in the dirt to find their leftovers nuts bolts and oxy cutting slag.

So good to see genuine relics of the war effort still in situ and largely intact. There is no better way to tell the story of the ground crews, maintenance staff and airmen stationed at Truscott during the war...

Cheers

Phill

Mike Kelly · #20 09-07-09, 06:35

Some explaining for our non aussie members,

The base was and is in a remote location on the NW coast, it was completely built from the sea . No roads existed then and now . They shipped in everything by barges . I believe it was a major staging strip for B24 raids into the Dutch East indies . The Libs would fuel up and load bombs and fly on from Truscott .

A air force vet told me a lot of misfits were posted there as punishment and a few of them went troppo ... the remoteness got to them and they took to the hills .

Some very odd things happened up there along that coast. A Jap recce floatplane landed and abducted a priest from a small vessel .. he was sadly decapitated by his captors later on. A DC 3 was shot down by the Broom raiders as they were returning .. the survivors all had a harrowing time on the remote coast .. the remanis of the DC 3 are still there to this day .
Mike

Philliphastings · #21 09-07-09, 06:58

Yes Mike, not forgetting the brown paper package containing a fortune in diamonds sent by the Dutch to avoid it's capture by the Japanese, and which ended up missing from the wreck and scattered through the bush, most never being found to this day.

The mind boggles and I reckon these types of legends help make the wild parts of Australia so fascinating,

Cheers

Phill

cantankrs · #22 09-07-09, 18:02

Roberts pic below includes what I think is a Malcom Moore Grader - I've seen 6 or 7 around the country in varying condition (1 or 2 of them would have been scrapped by now) and we own and use a Fordson petrol/kero model. Curiously just to the north of the coast at Truscott is I think Malcolm Moore Island (blame my memory if I'm wrong). I've always wondered at its name.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lang

People do visit the area by 4WD but it is rough and only for the dedicated.

I seem to recall being told that the first person to find a way in by road was John Belfield when on a 4WD trek to the top end.

I can confirm Lang's comment about 'dedicated'. We visited Kalumburu by road in a 1968 Inter 4WD camper back in '93 and Crikey it's a RUGGED part of the country. The temp was 45C in the water bag and the flies were thicker than hair on a dogs back. And the road hadn't been graded in who knows how long. The saving grace was a one lane strike through the corrugations that a road crew just happened to cut with a grader before we headed south again and it wasn't bad getting back home after that. A couple years later I met a young bloke who did the Gibb River Rd in an LJ Torana (smallish Aust car - early '70's model) shortly after us when the road had been freshly graded! If the road hadn't been graded their car would probably still be there - shaken to bits.

Regards

Alex

Mike Kelly · #23 10-07-09, 08:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by cantankrs

I seem to recall being told that the first person to find a way in by road was John Belfield when on a 4WD trek to the top end.

Yes he was the first to reach the strip by land.. it was a hairy trip for them .. a VMVC member was on the trip..late 70's or early 80's. The area was much more in a untouched state back then... compared to now. The 40mm AA gun pits were still dotted around the perimeter .. When the word got out, I think everyone and their dog went in there . Malcolm Douglas featured it in one of his TV shows . And Ben Cropp was there filming as well , as I spotted on late night TV . The authorities woke up and put their foot down ... understandable as much of it would have been looted by "aircraft collectors" . This has been a on going problem throughout the SW PAcific , with many aircraft being stolen and then, later appearing on the open market for a kings ransom.

Ian Fawbert · #24 07-08-11, 14:48

Hi all,

I thougth i would post this site up in addition to the info on Truscott already here.

http://www.exploroz.com/Forum/Topic/...e_injured.aspx

I had a look on google satellite at present (August 2011), but i cant seem to find where the vehicles are (i thought from Roberts pics they might have stood out abit?!) I can clearly see the taxiways etc off the edge of the runway- thats alot of spaces for planes, especially when you start to include the overgrown ones you can make out.

However, i assume the same road mentioned going to the beach where the barge landing is, is the same one you can follow to the south east and then north east of the runway. Alternatively, there is another road heading off on the north west end of the runway too!

It would be neat to find the location of the vehicles posted by Robert above on google satellite. Anyone have any ideas where they are so Tony can edit his estimated google maps pics!

Cheers
Ian.

Local Chap · #25 07-08-11, 17:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian Fawbert

I had a look on google satellite at present (August 2011), but i cant seem to find where the vehicles are

Cheers
Ian.

The photo has been updated, but you can still see them at:
14deg 05'05.41"S
126deg 25'36.47"E

Two West Australians, John and Carol Beasy, spent some time on the site and mapped out all the remaining relics. The maps were published in their book "Truscott - The Diary of Australia's Secret Wartime Kimberley Airbase 1943-1946

Stuart Kirkham · #26 08-08-11, 12:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

The base was and is in a remote location on the NW coast, it was completely built from the sea . No roads existed then and now . They shipped in everything by barges . I believe it was a major staging strip for B24 raids into the Dutch East indies . The Libs would fuel up and load bombs and fly on from Truscott .

The 'staging' B-24 Liberators originated from the 'secret' inland airstrip of Corunna Downs where the US Army Airforce and RAAF Airforce heavy bombers were based. The bombers would fuel and bomb up at Corunna Downs, fly to Truscott, fuel up again and fly off to Dutch East Indies (Indonesia).

This airfield was located 27 kms south of Marble Bar, Western Australia as it was considered 'out of reach' of Japanese aircraft. The remote distance from the north of Australia meant that the Liberators did not have sufficient fuel to complete their missions without the 'top up' at Truscott.

The airfield still exists today in it's original state apart from the buildings, which were removed after the war.

http://picasaweb.google.com/explorer...at=directlink#

This unused 250lb GP bomb tail fin and transit case was recovered from Corunna Downs a number of years ago. At the time that I visited the airfield, there would have been hundreds of these fins lying around.

bill m · #27 20-08-11, 01:06

A very interesting series of pictures.
Thank you all. WWII Australian sites are a favourite of mine.
In reference to the link Ian Fawbert posted (hello Ian!) there was mention of a book titled "TRUSCOTT SECRET" by John and Carol Beasy. Has any one read this? I would like to try and get a copy.
cheers
Bill.

motto · #28 20-08-11, 10:56

I believe that John Belfield and his crew of five were the first to drive in to Truscot and the trip was timed to coincide with a WA expedition that was organised by John Hardy (dec) of Port Hedland. The Hardy group staged through Kalumbaru and were ferried across to Truscot by boat. This was related to me by Murray Lucas of Perth who passed away some years ago.
Murray and a couple of other members of the group set up camp in the middle of one of the original roads and were drinking perfectly good rain water from abandoned 44 gallon drums that were everywhere. One day they heard the revving of an engine and crashing of saplings being knocked down and Belfields vehicle ( the Mean Green Machine) came down the long disused road, the first vehicle to travel along it for twenty years or more. It pulled up at their camp and John abused them for camping in the middle of the right of way with much laughter all around.
On that occasion a section of the runway was cleared and a light aircraft flown in that took everybody up in turns for a look from the air.
One vehicle that Murray and his mates found somewhere away from the main area that Murray showed me a photo of was the stripped out remains of a Dodge 3/4 ton Command Car that looked very straight. He assured me that only he and the two blokes with him knew about it. Murray was a bit of a leg puller and I will probably never know if he was just winding me up.
David

motto · #29 20-08-11, 11:27

While I think of it, a story related to me by a lifelong friend now deceased that was a flight engineer on B24s with number 24 Squadron. He also flew missions with an American Bombardment Group as part of a mixed crew which I understand was not unusual in those days.
Lindsay was based at Fenton in the Northern Territory and Truscot was used as a staging field or an alternative destination if fuel shortage was an issue. A B24 crashed in the Fenton circuit area returning from a mission up into the DEI with one of the crew being killed. Lindsay assured me that the inside dope was that the fuel situation had been touch and go for the return to Fenton and the aircaft overflew Truscot because the skipper had a date with a nurse back at base. He was adamant that the flight engineer should have stood his ground and insisted on putting down at Truscot. Knowing Lindsay, I believe he would have done so.
Life and death can rest on such slender underpinnings as the personalities involved.
David

Local Chap · #30 22-08-11, 01:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Local Chap

Two West Australians, John and Carol Beasy, spent some time on the site and mapped out all the remaining relics. The maps were published in their book "Truscott - The Diary of Australia's Secret Wartime Kimberley Airbase 1943-1946

Quote:

Originally Posted by bill m

In reference to the link Ian Fawbert posted (hello Ian!) there was mention of a book titled "TRUSCOTT SECRET" by John and Carol Beasy. Has any one read this? I would like to try and get a copy.

Well, yes, I've read it otherwise I wouldn't have known about the maps piblished in it!! In fact, my copy is autographed by the Authors from when they did a talk at our club one night.

Even the publisher says it's out of print, so you might have to resort to finding a 2nd hand copy.