page_title: Malahang
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Malahang / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo of the area around the old Malahang airstrip facing South East. The rebuilt Japanese runway was located to the left side of the photo where the Malahang Industrial estate is located
context_page_description: Malahang is a suburb of Lae, Morobe Province in Papua New Guinea.
context_section_description: In the late 1800s the German New Guinea Company arrived on Neu Guinea (German New Guinea), to select land for plantation development on the north-east coast of New Guinea and establish trading posts.
  The Lutheran Malahang Mission Station was established around the same time as the various coconut plantations located opposite the Malahang Industrial Area.
  On 8 March 1942 the Imperial Japanese landed  at Malahang Beach as part of the Invasion of Lae-Salamaua during World War II. Malahang airfield was upgraded by the Japanese so the runway was 800 feet (240 m) long by 50 feet (15 m) wide and used as satellite of Lae Airport.
  On 8 January 1943, the cargo ship Myoko Maru was damaged by an aerial attack by United States Army Air Forces aircraft during the Battle of Wau, and was subsequently beached and abandoned at Malahang Beach.
  The area was liberated by the Australian 9th Division on 14 September 1943. The airfield was subsequently abandoned.
  In September 1943, the 2nd Australian Corps Signals (AIF)relieved Signals 1 Australian Corps. In Australians At War, Signalman John Tesoriero writes;
  "In September 1943, the unit moved to Lae, boarding their ships at Buna. While we collapsed absolutely exhausted onto the pebbles, a line of vehicles arrived out of the darkness. They were field ambulances carrying wounded men from the 9th Division assault on Lae just a matter of days ago. They were loaded onto one of the LSTs. We slept where we fell. Not even the light shower which fell onto our faces before dawn made any difference. We were a little north of the Lae township, at Malahang Beach. Just inland, overlooking the beach, we made out a big hill blasted by aerial bombing, which they said was honeycombed with caves containing Japanese supplies, big guns pointed out to sea, and a number of enemy troops. The effective bombing had sealed up many enemy in its shattered mess."
  During WW2, No. 41 Wing RAAF relocated the 332 radar station from Port Moresby to Lae and to the airfield. Sgt. Bill Humphries who provided the following account of the installation;
  "We arrived at Lae two days after it was taken and found the place devastated and the stench nauseating. Open tunnels in the scarp were a mute reminder of where many Japanese chose to be entombed rather than surrender. The Americans moved in, sealed off the tunnels and generally cleared up the area. Australians were setting up a cemetery and we were able to service their technical equipment when required.  The station was erected on top of the scarp, all gear being manhandled up".
  "After six weeks operation a decision was made to move the station to the vicinity of the unused airstrip at Malahang where lack of local knowledge led to a disaster. The camp and radar were set up on a grassy plain which belied the fact that during the wet season it became a racing waterway. When the wet season arrived the camp was washed out".
  In 1992 the Veterans' Review Board (Australia) heard evidence where the applicant stated;
  "I recall that on one occasion I had to visit Lae, on the north coast of New Guinea. Lae had just been recaptured from the Japanese. I had gone there to pay personnel. I recall that the odour of death was everywhere. The destruction was also horrific. I can still smell that odour to this day".
caption: Area around the old Malahang airstrip facing South East.  The rebuilt Japanese runway was located to the left side of the photo where the Malahang Industrial estate is located
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