International Airport Douala

During the Second World War, the airfield at Douala in Cameroon—today’s Douala International Airport—was already an important colonial facility. When French Cameroon rallied to General de Gaulle in August 1940, Douala became one of the first strongholds of Free France. De Gaulle himself landed there in October of that year, arriving by British warship to establish his authority in Equatorial Africa.

From then on, the port and its adjoining airstrip served as a vital Allied base. Aircraft arriving from the Americas via West Africa often staged through Douala before continuing eastward across the continent toward the Middle East. The airfield supported ferry flights, supply missions, and the movement of Free French and British personnel, linking the Atlantic convoys with inland routes. Its strategic position on the Gulf of Guinea made it a hub for both military operations and political coordination, and by the end of the war it had grown into a key logistical center.

The airfield was used during World War II by secret agents operating in West Africa, including for Operation Postmaster.

After 1945, the wartime airstrip was expanded and formalized into the international airport that remains Cameroon’s busiest today.

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Source

• Text: TracesofWar
• Photos: serieminou