Corunna Downs (WW II)

The closure was a direct result of the end of World War II. Corunna Downs was a purpose-built, secret military installation designed specifically for long-range heavy bomber operations against Japanese forces. With the cessation of hostilities, the base became strategically obsolete. Its extreme remoteness and specialized military infrastructure made it unsuitable for any post-war civilian or commercial aviation, leading to its abandonment.

The site of the former Corunna Downs Airfield is now located on a pastoral lease, the Corunna Downs Station, which operates as a cattle station. The extensive layout of the two main runways, taxiways, and aircraft hardstands remains clearly visible from the air, serving as a stark reminder of its wartime scale. However, the surfaces are heavily weathered, cracked, and overgrown, making them completely unusable for any type of aircraft. The site is recognized as a significant heritage location (Place Number 16962 by the Heritage Council of Western Australia) and is occasionally visited by historians and aviation enthusiasts. There are no remaining buildings or active facilities. The ICAO identifier 'AU-0697' is not an official ICAO code but rather a non-standard placeholder used by some databases to catalogue historical or abandoned airfields in Australia.

Corunna Downs Airfield holds significant historical importance as one of the largest and most crucial Allied forward operating bases in Western Australia during World War II. Constructed in secret in 1943 by the Allied Works Council, its primary purpose was to provide a secure, inland base for heavy bombers, safe from Japanese coastal attacks. The airfield was most famously home to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) 380th Bombardment Group (Heavy), nicknamed the 'Flying Circus', and their Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers. From this hot, dusty, and remote base, the 380th launched long and perilous bombing raids against key Japanese targets in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), including strategic oil refineries in Balikpapan and naval bases in Surabaya. These missions were vital to disrupting the Japanese war effort. After the 380th BG relocated to the Northern Territory in 1944, the base was used by Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) units, including No. 24 Squadron and elements of No. 82 Wing, who also operated B-24 Liberators. The base was a massive complex, featuring two parallel 7,000-foot runways, extensive taxiways, and over 100 aircraft dispersal areas, supporting thousands of personnel in harsh conditions.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Corunna Downs airfield. The infrastructure is in a state of advanced decay and would require a complete and prohibitively expensive reconstruction to meet modern aviation standards. Its remote location, combined with the existence of modern, established airports in the Pilbara region (such as Marble Bar Airport, YMBL, and Port Hedland International Airport, YPPD), makes any potential reopening economically and logistically unfeasible. The site's value is now purely historical.