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 / -10.58556; 142.29278
Maps
YHID Show map of Queensland YHID Show map of Australia YHID Show map of Southeast Asia
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 08/26 1,389 4,557 Asphalt 14/32 1,235 4,052 Asphalt
Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart[1]

Horn Island Airport (IATA: HID, ICAO: YHID) is an international airport on Horn Island in the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia.

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

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.