Ubon POW airfield and Loeng Nok Tha airfield

[Michael Hare]

Over the years of living in Ubon, I have been asked by various people about an airfield built by the British during the war. I thought they were talking about the Vietnam-USA war and the airfield 4 kms south of Loeng Nok Tha on the way to Mukdahan Road (212).

 

But apparently the airfield people were asking about is the POW built-airfield in WW2.

 

1 Loeng Nok Tha airfield. The main purpose of this airfield apparently was to prepare for a land invasion of Laos up to the 17^th parallel. The construction was done in the 1960s and involved British army engineers with help from Australian and New Zealand soldiers. The Prime Minister of NZ at the time, Keith Holyoake, flew in to visit in 1964. After the airfield was completed, a road from Loeng Nok Tha to Nong Phok was also built.

 

https://op-crown.webs.com/thestoryofcrown.htm

 

The airfield is still in use, as I drove on to it last year to have a look. Only 200 metres off the main road. I think it is run by the Thai Air-force. There were several young cadets there and one small Cessna parked on the runway. 

 

This is the location of the Loeng Nok Tha airfield.

 

https://www.google.co.th/maps/@16.1548669,104.5869778,2306m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

 

An Australian who worked on the airfield in 1966 has written a comprehensive Masters thesis on its history. Well worth reading.

 

https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/data/UQ_412783/S40773207_mphil_correctedthesis.pdf?Expires=1602746794&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJKNBJ4MJBJNC6NLQ&Signature=WjjZjfZT-U~Ca1uRvlw~5xWRxgx9fHvGxv1O~E7-QNpnDXm3E3xZ~LQrkW~NqRqLOkumtIRIAxjOv~IlAUtNbA8ITzNf57WxWfqDWwdDG6Ex4GdBL6~Xv5vA633XKhCd6H4bq2EpUvMJ6RVep4AI~QfB712JGqBN9bnZoAPKtZyWaSpUfDzPRRi~UMChRllUYUlFWcP~0Hw6LbdHB8hI4qGvPwNEoCDw0JihcMpLRZZpdJC7D33BlT~SDALdYSZ9I0or4kJyMWhJVHAsPLoPwM0V7mqe9BL-M7Eqwa84WozqCGPz2naoHK5pABvfSQZVGiZEpiaF5oaVIQgTDEMehg__

 

2 Ubon POW airfield. This airfield was built by POWs in 1944-45 on the same road 212, but only 9 kms north of Ubon, behind or near the large Honda car dealership. I cannot find it on Google earth, but maybe some readers of this forum know more about its exact location. Perhaps it is further up the road.

https://fepowhistory.com/ubon-airfield/

[ubonjoe]

16 minutes ago, Michael Hare said:

2 Ubon POW airfield. This airfield was built by POWs in 1944-45 on the same road 212, but only 9 kms north of Ubon, behind or near the large Honda car dealership. I cannot find it on Google earth, but maybe some readers of this forum know more about its exact location. Perhaps it is further up the road.

https://fepowhistory.com/ubon-airfield/

It is here on Google maps. https://goo.gl/maps/Vz8tKB1edE6Tzmei9

 

 

[Michael Hare]

20 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It is here on Google maps. https://goo.gl/maps/Vz8tKB1edE6Tzmei9

 

 

Thank you Ubon Joe. On the left hand side of route 212. I will drive over and have a look in the next few days and take a photo.

[Michael Hare]

I drove up at midday to have a look at the airstrip. Only 10 minutes away. Best road to take to get there, is to turn left off 212 down past the new private cancer hospital. Go right to the end of the concrete road and drive on to a dirt road. The airstrip is on your left, behind some trees. Continue around on the dirt road and about halfway along, one can turn left on to the concrete airstrip. Very desolate. The land outside the perimeter must be government land. Not used for anything. Along one side is a concrete wall completely overgrown with vegetation

 

[BTempleman]

Ray with all has written a fantastic book about this WW2 airfield and the POW's that built it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0897B3Z46/ref=dbs_a_w_dp_b0897b3z46

[American Legion Post TH01]

Ray Withnall was a guest at one our meetings here in Ubon and gave a presentation about his research and history of the airfield.

He has put a lot of time and effort in researching all POW camps and their history here during WW2.

 

Edited October 17, 2020 by American Legion Post TH01

[Michael Hare]

15 hours ago, BTempleman said:

Ray with all has written a fantastic book about this WW2 airfield and the POW's that built it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0897B3Z46/ref=dbs_a_w_dp_b0897b3z46

Thank you Bruce. I will go and order a copy.

[Michael Hare]

1 hour ago, American Legion Post TH01 said:

Ray Withnall was a guest at one our meetings here in Ubon and gave a presentation about his research and history of the airfield.

He has put a lot of time and effort in researching all POW camps and their history here during WW2.

 

Thank you American Legion. What I find interesting is that in the 26 years I have lived in Ubon, no one has ever mentioned this air-strip. And it is nearly in the city. (Thought not when it was first built). Not surprising though, because some history is forgotten by the locals here. Yesterday, I showed the photos I had just taken to my young staff. Took a lot of explaining, especially when they didn't no anything about WW2!

 

My late wife, Nitayaporn Nasaree, didn't even mention this air-strip. She worked on the Ubon Airbase for nearly three years from 1971 to early 1974. First as a personnel clerk for the American Base exchange, PACEX and then as a personnel assistant. In her last year there, she was a secretary for Wagner High school, Adult Education Division at the Ubon RTAF Base.  She said it was the happiest time in her life.

[American Legion Post TH01]

Serval of our members were stationed here at the Air Base.

There is Facebook group called Ubon Vets. Some them have researched the history of the base.

[Patriot]

"Ubon: The Last Camp before Freedom" Ray Withall.

There are copies available at the Seven Seas restaurant in Warin - very interesting read.

[Michael Hare]

1 hour ago, Patriot said:

"Ubon: The Last Camp before Freedom" Ray Withall.

There are copies available at the Seven Seas restaurant in Warin - very interesting read.

Thank you Patriot. I will drive out and buy a couple of copies. An American friend said that his Thai wife's older sister was about two years old when the Japanese were in Ubon. The Regional HQ was here. The Japanese commander-in-chief was missing his young daughter back in Japan very much and so arrangements were made for the two year Thai girl to come and play at the HQ a few days a week. This arrangement went on for about a year. 

 

Another friend said that his Thai wife in Phana remembers the Japanese soldiers marching through her village on the way to surrender.

 

In addition to the looking after the Japanese soldiers, the allied forces also had to make arrangements to repatriate the comfort women!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Patriot]

On 10/17/2020 at 2:05 PM, Patriot said:

"Ubon: The Last Camp before Freedom" Ray Withall.

There are copies available at the Seven Seas restaurant in Warin - very interesting read.

Beg pardon; Withnall!!

[BlueScouse]

I am stuck in Liverpool and have ordered this book from Amazon.

The author has a website and blog at

https://ubonprisonersofwar.wordpress.com/