Aitkenvale Aerodrome was an aerodrome located 10 kilometres (6 mi) southwest of Townsville, Queensland

Townsville, Queensland

Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 near Aitkenvale Weir on the banks of the Ross River. It was also known as Weir and Aitkenvale Weir.

The aerodrome was constructed in 1942, during World War II, for the Royal Australian Air Force

Royal Australian Air Force

The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...

 (RAAF) as part of a group of airfields to be used as aircraft dispersal fields in the event of Imperial Japanese attack on the Townsville area.

Located adjacent to the Weir State School, it became operational on 9 April 1942. Initially consiting of a 4500 feet (1,371.6 m) gravel NE-SW runway, which was later sealed with bitumen.

It was abandoned after the war and has been redeveloped for housing.

Units based at Aitkenvale Aerodrome

• No. 1 Reserve Personnel Pool RAAF
• No. 24 Squadron RAAF
  No. 24 Squadron RAAF
  No. 24 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. The Squadron was formed in 1940 and saw action as a bomber squadron during World War II. Since the end of the war the Squadron has been an RAAF Reserve squadron located near Adelaide, South Australia....
  
  
• No. 84 Squadron RAAF
  No. 84 Squadron RAAF
  No. 84 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron of World War II.-History:No. 84 Squadron was formed at RAAF Base Richmond on 5 February 1943 and was the first RAAF Squadron to be equipped with the Australian-designed Boomerang fighter. In April 1943 No...
  
  

Aircraft Crashes

• November 1943 - P-40N Kittyhawk, Serial No. A29-498 (#42-104720)
• 19 June 1944 - P-40 Kittyhawk, Serial No. A29-704