Truscott Airbase

Truscott Airbase was constructed in 1944 on the Anjo Peninsula between Vansittart Bay and Napier Broome Bay as a Front Line defence and attack base. At the peak of operations, up to 1,500 Australian military personnel were stationed at Truscott Airbase. After the war, a civilian contractor was awarded salvage rights to the remaining military items, construction equipment and building materials left in the area. However, being in such a remote location, a number of less useful or less valuable items were left abandoned and have been undisturbed for the last 60 years or more at the airstrip and at West Bay.

September 1982 - Our first visit to Anjo Peninsula and Truscott Airbase was in 1982. From the anchorage in West Bay, we spent two days dodging the local crocodile (left) and rummaging amongst the relics around the barge landing. On the third day we undertook the 20km return walk from West Bay to the Truscott airstrip.

After finding the remains of a light tower and a plane near the airstrip (right), and rummaging around whatever we could see along the roadside, we returned (very weary) to West Bay for a well earned rest on Spindrift III.

September 2002 - Our next visit to West Bay was in September 2002, almost 20 years to the day after our first visit in 1982. We anchored Second Innings in West Bay, and re-photographed some of the same abandoned vehicles and equipment that we had seen in 1982. The following photos graphically illustrate the deterioration of the relics over these years.

Grader '82 & '02 Roller '82 & '02 Truck '82 & '02

Blitz '82 & '02 Two trucks '82 & '02

Easter 2003 - We flew into Truscott airstrip on the first leg of a return flight from Darwin to Broome for the Easter long weekend in 2003. During a conducted tour of Truscott Airbase by Russell Connolly, the airstrip duty manager, we visited and photographed more relics (below) hidden in the bush between West Bay and the airstrip. Thank you Russell.