Murtala Muhammed International Airport

During World War II, the airfield at Ikeja near Lagos, Nigeria, was built by the British as a strategic military base for Allied operations in West Africa. It served as a vital transit and refueling point for aircraft moving between the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East, supporting RAF ferry routes and anti-submarine patrols. Though initially basic, the airfield was expanded to accommodate larger aircraft and became a key logistical hub. After the war, it transitioned to civilian use and eventually became Lagos International Airport, later renamed Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

The airfield played a role during Operation Postmaster, when SOE agents were flown in or out. In 1941 two SOE agents were flown to Freetown, Sierra Leone, to meet up with the Maid Honor Force.

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Source

• Text: TracesofWar
• Photos: Wikimedia Commons
• LETT, B.G., Ian Fleming and SOE's Operation POSTMASTER, Pen & Sword Military, 2012.