# MacDonald Airfield

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**MacDonald Airfield,** sometimes recorded as McDonald Airfield, was an airfield built alongside the former northern road, west of [Stuart Highway](/source/Stuart_Highway), north of [Pine Creek, Northern Territory](/source/Pine_Creek,_Northern_Territory), [Australia](/source/Australia) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II).[1] It is nearby to the [Pine Creek Airfield](/source/Pine_Creek_Airfield).

## History

The airfield was constructed by the [43rd Engineer Regiment](/source/43rd_Engineer_Regiment) ([US Army](/source/US_Army)) in March 1942 with further improvements undertaken by the [808th Engineer Aviation Battalion](/source/808th_Engineer_Aviation_Battalion) between 11 May 1942 and 16 July 1942 and later by the [Allied Works Council](/source/Allied_Works_Council) and [No 1 Airfield Construction Unit RAAF](/source/No_1_Airfield_Construction_Unit_RAAF).

Originally known as *Burkholder Field*, the runway was 6,000 feet (1,800 m) long and 100 feet (30 m) wide. Renamed MacDonald Airfield in honour of [Wing Commander](/source/Wing_commander) [Joshua Roger Gray McDonald](/source/Joshua_Roger_Gray_McDonald) of [No. 13 Squadron RAAF](/source/No._13_Squadron_RAAF) who was killed at [Laha](/source/Battle_of_Ambon) on 10 December 1941.[2]

The [Royal Australian Air Force](/source/Royal_Australian_Air_Force) occupied the base on 24 November 1942 when [No. 54 Operational Base Unit](/source/No._54_Operational_Base_Unit) administered the base.

The airfield became an [Australian Army](/source/Australian_Army) communication camp and was abandoned in 1945.

## Units based at MacDonald Airfield

- [43rd Engineer Regiment](/source/43rd_Engineer_Regiment) (US Army)
- [808th Engineer Aviation Battalion](/source/808th_Engineer_Aviation_Battalion)
- [No. 1 Airfield Construction Unit RAAF](/source/No._1_Airfield_Construction_Unit_RAAF)
- [No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF](/source/No._18_(Netherlands_East_Indies)_Squadron_RAAF) ([B-25](/source/B-25_Mitchell)) – (18 January 1943 until 7 May 1943)
- [No. 54 Operational Base Unit RAAF](/source/No._54_Operational_Base_Unit_RAAF)

## See also

- [List of airports in the Northern Territory](/source/List_of_airports_in_the_Northern_Territory)

## References

1. ["McDonald Airfield, Northern Territory - also known as Burkholder Field, during WW2"](https://www.ozatwar.com/ozatwar/macdonald.htm). *www.ozatwar.com*. Retrieved 2023-10-26.

1. DACC (2023-06-17). ["The18 Squadron NEI RAAF moves to McDonald Airfield, NT"](https://dutchaustralianculturalcentre.com.au/archive/dutch-australian-history/military-political-history/the18-squadron-nei-raaf-moves-to-mcdonald-airfield-nt/). *Dutch Australia Cultural Centre*. Retrieved 2023-10-26.

- [Pacific War Wrecks Database](http://www.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/australia_pinecreek.html)
- [OzatWarWebsite](http://www.ozatwar.com/ozatwar/macdonald.htm)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [MacDonald Airfield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacDonald_Airfield) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacDonald_Airfield?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.