No. 43 Operational Base Unit RAAF

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Brief History

Previously known as Operational Base Fall River, and then Operational Base Gurney, this unit operted at Milne Bay

The first cnll) on the Umt lll'torv H••mrd "• made at Gurnev Stnp, Milne Bay, On 1 January 19-1'1 -11 Opcrahon.>l B.>w Umt, for the next >C\"en month>, had only l~mporary wmm.mdong nffoccr-. On 7 April 19-13, Flying Officer W I Von l)ou,-..1 took O\l'r as the tcmporarv Commanding Officer (olluw<'<l un 5 Augu.,t 1943 b) Flight Lieutenant A.deB Blockcy whu 'Ub'<'<JUCntly ""umcd pcrman<•nt command on 9 August I 'l-13. On 23 Augu't 194-1, Gumcy Strop "" "'"'-"I for major repairs. and the operationa i ."P<'<"h W<'rl' tr,,.,,r,·rn•d to the 1 urnbull Strip. n,c rcp.1irs to Cumcy were carrot-d nut toy the &>7th Fngoncer (Avoahon) Battalion. United Sta tes Army, ,md complct<•d by the !!69th l'n)\inccr (Avi.otion) Batt.11ion, United St.11c~ Army. On 10 Nm ember 1944, the strip wa< comple ted and opcr.oliona1 On 14 October 194-1, ,, dctadmwnt ur 4'.1 Opcr.otiona l Ua"" Unit took over r<>sponsibilily for contml u( Mnrnnda Strip, Dobodur,l, with Flying OHiccr C llarr" •" comm.mdl•r of thl' dcta<·hmcnt. On 10 and 12 April 1'145, till• Muronda ~lrop w,1s closed for surface repairs and. on 25 Jnnuarv I 'l-Ib, tlw Unot wa' di,bantk-d.