Airfields and Stations in New Zealand Used By the RNZAF, Part 7

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Whangarei

Nearest town, Whangarei

A civil airfield opened 7th November 1934.

Located on Pohe Island, used by Kingsford Smith and Southern Cross
in 1928.

Located on boggy reclaimed land the airfield was never of high quality.

Listed as an emergency airfield, it may have been used by No 1 GR Squadron
or No 7 GR Squadron at Waipapakauri

A New site was opened at Onerai in 1939.

No known units permanently stationed there

Onerahi
35^46’ 06” S x 174^21’54”E

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Nearest town Whangarei

7.5 km South East of Whangarei, in the Suburb of Onerahi.

This airfield was built on the foreshore and served as a training base.

Initially, with three runways, this was reduced to two runways shortly
after the war.

Pilots practised bombing raids on nearby Matakohe Island and Rat Island.

Units known to have been Stationed there

No 20 [Army Co-Operation] Squadron
was formed at Onerahi in Aug 1942 with Hawker Hind bi-planes that came
from No 6 AC Squadron, Milson Airfield, Palmerston North.

Some of the old barracks are still there, having been converted into
residential properties.

Commanding Officer:

F/L ‘Lou’ Gates RAF

W/C J G Fraser RAF [CO No 20 Army Co-op Squadron]

with thanks to son-of-satire for the banner