WWII Batchelor & Gould airbase and Dutch 18SQN B25 Wreckages

ImageDedicated forum to share your own recent photos with the rest of the community.
Please note large files may exist here before you start browsing!

Forum rules
ImageThis is the forum to share your recent aviation photos with the rest of the community, being photos not older than six months at the moment of topic opening. Theme-based topics, not about recent events, should go into the sub-forum.
Although we will not screen beforehand, we reserve the right to delete any images, especially if clearly unsharp or otherwise low in quality. For more information on how to upload you images, check this post.
In topic titles, please use airfield names in stead of just codes, and be clear about what kind of photos your viewers can expect (e.g. CIV/MIL, location etc.).

Finally, bring any photo criticism understandable and to the point, not cynical or offensive! Simultaneously, do not feel offended by criticism per se, but simply explain your motives, taste et cetera, or ignore if you wish so.
Post Reply
User avatar
jeff_LTT
Scramble Junior
Scramble Junior
Posts: 157
Joined: 29 Apr 2008, 20:17

WWII Batchelor & Gould airbase and Dutch 18SQN B25 Wreckages

Post by jeff_LTT »

For me (as a B25 maintainer) this was an highlight on my 8000km roadtrip through Aussie! Seeing the airfield where the Dutch B25's were stationed during WWII gave me some real goosebumps! And i was very lucky to have some contacts who made it possible for me to see 2 Dutch B25 wreckages, the N5-133 and N5-139! They are aircraft who have really seen war! And you can clearly see that on the photos! Luckily all the guys involved with the accidents have survived! The Dutch B25's were stationed at Batchelor airport together with some Australian ones and also on Gould airport there were aircraft stationed to fight against the Japanese, The camp was right in between both airstrips which are only 2km's apart from eachother.

Batchelor airstrip:

Image

Image

Image

Gould Airstrip:

Image

Image

Aircraft parking area:

Image

Image

Taxi track:

Image

N5-139:

Image

N5-133:

Image

Image
Chinook 4 life 8)
Top
User avatar
mart
Scramble Addict
Scramble Addict
Posts: 1445
Joined: 30 Jul 2005, 08:29
Location: Best

Re: WWII Batchelor & Gould airbase and Dutch 18SQN B25 Wreck

Post by mart »

Unexpected but cool post!
Top
airman
Scramble Rookie
Scramble Rookie
Posts: 98
Joined: 21 Sep 2009, 13:49
Type of spotter: Mill
Subscriber Scramble: airman

Re: WWII Batchelor & Gould airbase and Dutch 18SQN B25 Wreck

Post by airman »

Old Relics !!!!!!
Top
Sunbeam
Scramble Newbie
Scramble Newbie
Posts: 33
Joined: 30 Aug 2008, 18:37

Re: WWII Batchelor & Gould airbase and Dutch 18SQN B25 Wreck

Post by Sunbeam »

Nice to see these historic airstrips. Nothing remains of buildings/hangars?
Top
User avatar
mirage 69
Scramble Addict
Scramble Addict
Posts: 1581
Joined: 09 Sep 2002, 22:10
Type of spotter: F3
Subscriber Scramble: mirage 69
Location: Enschede

Re: WWII Batchelor & Gould airbase and Dutch 18SQN B25 Wreck

Post by mirage 69 »

Wow..thats very special!
Nice report,
Top
User avatar
Stephan Lodewijks
Scramble Master
Scramble Master
Posts: 5044
Joined: 13 Jun 2005, 12:54
Type of spotter: I shall say this only once: (ex-)MILITARY!!!! :-)
Subscriber Scramble: Stephan Lodewijks
Location: Eindhoven

Re: WWII Batchelor & Gould airbase and Dutch 18SQN B25 Wreck

Post by Stephan Lodewijks »

I've got goose bumps after only seeing these photos.....not to mention what it can do to someone visiting the place!! All those taxitracks, dispersals and runways....wow. And two Dutch B-25 wrecks to top it all!! Great report! :shock: 8)

Stephan
Top
User avatar
Wijgert IJlst
Scramble Addict
Scramble Addict
Posts: 2180
Joined: 06 Sep 2002, 08:57
Type of spotter: F2
Subscriber Scramble: Wijgert IJlst

Re: WWII Batchelor & Gould airbase and Dutch 18SQN B25 Wreck

Post by Wijgert IJlst »

Great historic stuff you post here, quite interesting...
Could be nice if the new NMM (Nationaal Militair Museum) would salvage one of these Mitchell wrecks for display within the musuem.
Kind Regards / Groeten,

Wijgert IJlst
Top
User avatar
jeff_LTT
Scramble Junior
Scramble Junior
Posts: 157
Joined: 29 Apr 2008, 20:17

Re: WWII Batchelor & Gould airbase and Dutch 18SQN B25 Wreck

Post by jeff_LTT »

Stephan Lodewijks wrote:I've got goose bumps after only seeing these photos.....not to mention what it can do to someone visiting the place!! All those taxitracks, dispersals and runways....wow. And two Dutch B-25 wrecks to top it all!! Great report! :shock: 8)

Stephan
It gave me goose bumps as well when i walked around there, you can strongly feel the history! It is like being in that era of time! I also got more than 3kg of runway from Batchelor and Gould :D
Chinook 4 life 8)
Top
User avatar
jeff_LTT
Scramble Junior
Scramble Junior
Posts: 157
Joined: 29 Apr 2008, 20:17

Re: WWII Batchelor & Gould airbase and Dutch 18SQN B25 Wreck

Post by jeff_LTT »

Wijgert IJlst wrote:Great historic stuff you post here, quite interesting...
Could be nice if the new NMM (Nationaal Militair Museum) would salvage one of these Mitchell wrecks for display within the musuem.

It certainly is a very nice idea, they want to restore the N5-133 and make a display in their museum, but that will probably take some years because they have only a hand ful of volunteers...
They only have a half B25 for Display in Australia, they are working on that as well..
And as far is i know about the NMM they wanted to hang their B25 on the ceiling of the new hangar, if you do that you will never be able to make the machine flyable again, it is a shame because she is in great condition, you only need someone with some money :wink:
Chinook 4 life 8)
Top
Coert Munk
Posts: 2
Joined: 27 Dec 2006, 21:13
Subscriber Scramble: Coert Munk

Re: WWII Batchelor & Gould airbase and Dutch 18SQN B25 Wreck

Post by Coert Munk »

Sunbeam wrote:Nice to see these historic airstrips. Nothing remains of buildings/hangars?
Hangars? Buildings?
It was Down Under man! crews in tents, maintenance in open air, etc. See the history books. Hangars were in places as Canberra, Brisbane, etc
Top
User avatar
jeff_LTT
Scramble Junior
Scramble Junior
Posts: 157
Joined: 29 Apr 2008, 20:17

Re: WWII Batchelor & Gould airbase and Dutch 18SQN B25 Wreck

Post by jeff_LTT »

Coert Munk wrote:
Sunbeam wrote:Nice to see these historic airstrips. Nothing remains of buildings/hangars?
Hangars? Buildings?
It was Down Under man! crews in tents, maintenance in open air, etc. See the history books. Hangars were in places as Canberra, Brisbane, etc
That is True Coert, i have been in between Batchelor and Gould airstrip where the Dutch/Australian compound was, there was nothing, only some corroded oil drums, iron gulfplates, and a sharp 7,62mm bullet. I have seen more airstrips like Hughes, Gorrie, MC Donald, Strauss, Hughes, Livingstone where i found nothing, only at Daly Waters i found a hangar and a C47 wreckage (see other post)
Batchelor stil is an active airstrip with a couple of 1 engined prop aircraft and a parachute school and some modern day hangars.
Chinook 4 life 8)
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Aviation Photo Forum”