[3] and established an airfield for use by small planes until the outbreak of the Pacific War when it became overgrown with dense kunai grass.

Between April 1943 and July 1943, the Allied Geographical Section of South West Pacific Area (command) conducted reconnaissance after the Japanese invasion.

The Terrain Handbook states at page 18: Nazdab is located twenty-seven miles NW of Lae by road 900 yds by an indefinite width.

[3] After Lae was liberated, the United States Army built Nadzab airport and developed it into a massive airbase complex.

In 1962, the main strip at Nadzab was resealed by the Australian Commonwealth Department of Works and lengthened to make it suitable for Mirage fighters, even though they never materialised.

However, it was always maintained by the Australian Department of Civil Aviation as an alternative to Lae in poor weather conditions.

Specialised airport lighting was installed by DCA engineers Byron Sullivan and Frank Martinelli.