Hughes Field (32 Mile) at
Noonamah, in the Northern Territory was located 32 mile south of
Darwin.
Hughes Field was built by the 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion who had arrived at
Melbourne aboard the U.S.S Coolidge on 2 February 1942, the first U.S. Army Engineering Unit to arrive in Australia. The 808th initially camped at
Camp Darley in
Melbourne.
Hughes Field was built by the 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion less Company A and HQ detachment between 10 March 1942 to 13 April 1942.
They built 5,000ft of runway that was 100 ft wide with a 25 ft right shoulder and a 50 ft left shoulder paved with 8 inches of clay bound gravel with a coat of Diesel Oil. Also built was 6,000 ft of taxiway 40 ft wide with 10 ft shoulders paved with three inches of gravel and 24 dispersals with out revetments.
Hughes Field may have been named after Lt. Charles Hughes of 33rd Pursuit Squadron USAAF who was killed during the first Japanese air raid on
Darwin on 19 February 1942.