The airfield was a
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
station and home to
No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School (No. 2 BAGS) during
World War II. No. 2 BAGS provided bombing and gunnery training for pilots, air observers and air gunners.
No. 2 Operational Training Unit was formed at Port Pirie on 6 April 1942, and operated initially with
Wirraways and
Fairey Battles at the aerodrome until it moved to
Mildura,
Victoria in May 1942. No. 2 BAGS was renamed
No. 3 Air Observers School in December 1943. After World War II, the station housed
No. 5 Central Recovery Depot where aircraft and parts were stored until disposal. The station closed in early 1947, with the aerodrome reverting to civilian use thereafter. A
Bellman hangar is still standing at the airport and is in good condition, it remains in use by light aircraft based at the airport. ==See also==