Bhubaneswar: The Amarda Road airstrip, an airbase of Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II, at Rasgovindpur in Mayurbhanj district remains in a state of neglect which, many say, could be converted into a museum.
Built in late 1940s with an investment of Rs 3 crore, the airstrip spreads over an area of about 600 acres. Its runway was considered the longest one in Asia. The airstrip had more than 3.5-km long runway and extends up to 60 km including runway, taxiway and aprons.
The Amarda Road airstrip bears the testimony of WW II and was acting as a major base for the Nationalist Armies of China fighting against the Japanese. Aircraft of the United States Army Air Force and (USAAF) and the RAF would take off from here to China via Chabua, Vijaynagar, Arunachal Pradesh and East Tibet.
Although no slums have come up near the airstrip area, it has been used by the locals for grazing their cattle and drying clothes.
Prominent historian Anil Dhir said, “Many are still unaware of the presence of the airstrip and its significance during the WW II. The Amarda Road airstrip was considered one of major operational bases and a training centre for ‘independent bombing mission’. It was also reckoned as a ‘Forward Airfield’. The field could be converted into a museum with a little transformation and renovation of crumbling structures. Lack of initiatives by the government has left the wartime airstrip in a neglected state.”
The military record from1943 to 1945 has been missing which could have thrown light on the history of the airstrip and its role in WW II. Though the base was built seven decades ago, the 11,000-feet concrete runway is still intact. The office buildings, mechanic shed, hangar and barracks which are in decrepit condition can be resurrected to facilitate a museum project, added Dhir.
According to historical records, the airfield was used by three squadrons of RAF. The ‘Air Fighting Training Unit’ was also formed in 1943 here in the base which carried out various combat training drills. However, 14 military personnel were killed in July 26 1945 when two aircraft flying in low altitude collided with each other during an exercise.
Dhir has requested the Orissa and the West Bengal governments to provide necessary facilities to convert the airstrip into a memorial museum dedicated to the warriors of WW II.
Aditya Pattanaik, director of Aditya Eye Hospital, Mayurbhanj, has proposed to set up a museum at Gandhi Gurukul by acquiring war-antiques from British and USA governments.
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