Horn Island Airport

Horn Island Airport
Horn Island Airport
	IATA: HID; ICAO: YHID;
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Torres Shire Council
Location	Horn Island, Queensland
Hub for	Torres Strait Air
Elevation AMSL	43 ft / 13 m
Coordinates	10°35′08″S 142°17′34″E / 10.58556°S 142.29278°E
Maps
	YHID YHID YHID
Runways
	Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart

Horn Island Airport (IATA: HID, ICAO: YHID) is a minor international airport on Horn Island in the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. Domestic fixed wing charter flights and scheduled flights are carried out by SkyTrans, Hinterland Aviation, Cape Air Transport, Horizon Airways, and Torres Strait Air. The only International services are carried out by Torres Strait Air, with charter flights to Papua New Guinea.

World War II

The Civil Constructional Corps and the Department of Main Roads began construction of an advanced operational airbase on the island during World War II, commencing in 1940. RAAF Base Horn Island was completed in 1941 and was used as a staging base for Allied aircraft moving between Australia and New Guinea.^[2] The airfield consisted of two intersecting runways, with revetments for aircraft parking.

Japanese bombing raids against Horn Island Aerodrome

After Darwin, Horn Island was the second-most bombed area of Australia by the Japanese in World War II.^[3]

14 March 1942
18 March 1942
30 April 1942
11 May 1942
6 July 1942
30 July 1942
1 August 1942
17 June 1943

Units based at Horn Island Aerodrome

7th Fighter Squadron of 49th Fighter Group, March 1942 – 18 April 1942 (Curtiss P-40s)
No. 6 Squadron RAAF
No. 7 Squadron RAAF
No. 24 Squadron RAAF
No. 32 Squadron RAAF
No. 75 Squadron RAAF
No. 84 Squadron RAAF
No. 28 Operational Base Unit RAAF

Memorial

The Horn Island Veterans Memorial in front of the airport commemorates the American and Australian servicemen who fought and died in the defence of Horn Island and the Torres Strait during World War II. It was designed by Vanessa Seekee OAM and Gordon Cameron OAM from local materials.^[4]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
QantasLink	Cairns
Skytrans Airlines	Badu Island, Bamaga, Boigu Island, Cairns, Coconut Island, Darnley Island, Mabuiag Island, Moa Island, Murray Island, Saibai Island, Warraber Island, Yam Island, Yorke Island
Torres Strait Air^[5]	Charter: Badu Island,^{[citation needed]} Boigu Island,^{[citation needed]} Coconut Island,^{[citation needed]} Darnley Island,^{[citation needed]} Daru,^{[citation needed]} Mabuiag Island,^{[citation needed]} Moa Island,^{[citation needed]} Murray Island,^{[citation needed]} Port Moresby,^{[citation needed]} Saibai Island,^{[citation needed]} Warraber Island,^{[citation needed]} Yam Island,^{[citation needed]} Yorke Island^{[citation needed]}

Aircraft crashes

Aero Commander, 500-S, VH-UJP
A number of B-17 Flying Fortresses crash landed during World War II:
- B-17E Serial Number 41-2636 – crashed during night take off 13 July 1942
- B-17E Serial Number 41-2655 – crashed during night take off 13 July 1942
- B-17E "G.I. Issue" Serial Number 41-2421 – crash-landed on 16 July 1942
- B-17E "Tojo's Nightmare" Serial Number 41-2497 – crashed attempting landing 24 March 1944
A survey aircraft operated by Adastra Airways Lockheed Hudson VH-AGO crashed on approach after an engine failure on Monday 24 June 1957. 6 fatalities including one child.

References

^ YHID – Horn Island (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 28 November 2024, Aeronautical Chart Archived 10 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
^ "RAAF Base Horn Island". RAAF Museum.
^ Nick Place, "Our secret war", Royal Auto, November 2015, p. 18
^ "Horn Island Veterans Memorial". Monument Australia. Archived from the original on 9 November 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
^ "Torres Strait Air - Where We Fly..." Retrieved 3 January 2025.

External links

Wartime Magazine article
Pacific War Wrecks database
Aviation Safety Investigation Report VH-UJP
"Japanese Bombing Raid on Horn Island 14 March 1942". Australian @ War. Archived from the original on 9 November 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.

[AIP-1] YHID – Horn Island (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 28 November 2024, Aeronautical Chart Archived 10 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine

[2] "RAAF Base Horn Island". RAAF Museum.

[3] Nick Place, "Our secret war", Royal Auto, November 2015, p. 18

[4] "Horn Island Veterans Memorial". Monument Australia. Archived from the original on 9 November 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.

[5] "Torres Strait Air - Where We Fly..." Retrieved 3 January 2025.

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