Malahang, Papua New Guinea

Malahang is a suburb of Lae, Morobe Province in Papua New Guinea.

History

A mission station, copra & coconut plantations and an airfield were set up by European settlers in the early 1900s in the area.

The Imperial Japanese landed on 8 March 1942 at Malahang Beach as part of the occupation of Lae 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.

During a resupply mission during the Battle of Wau, the cargo ship Myoko Maru was damaged by an aerial attack by United States Army Air Force aircraft and was subsequently beached and abandoned at Malahang Beach on 8 January 1943.

The area was liberated by the Australian 9th Division on 14 September 1943. The airfield was subsequently abandoned.

After the war a hospital was set up, known as the Malahang Native Hospital. An industrial area is currently being constructed in the area.

References

• The Markham Valley and the Huon Peninsula
• Pacific War Wrecks