Tucked away in a hangar in the old Werribee airfield is the only B-24 Liberator remaining from World War II in the southern hemisphere.
The B-24 Liberator Memorial Australia, which undertook the preservation, ongoing restoration and exhibition of the four-engine heavy bomber used by the Allies against the Axis, was established in 1988.
Recently, the organisation awarded John Hamilton life membership for 25 years of service and Nathan Shea its annual Ken Bullen Award for his dedication to the project.
They are probably the best suited to explain this particular model’s history.
“It was found in the bush in Moe and totally stripped of all its skin and the fuel barrage was cleaned and prepared and then all put together,” Mr Hamilton said.
“Wings were found in New Guinea on a crashed aircraft there.
“I began my association with this when I saw the wing on channel two news arriving from New Guinea– I never knew they had these, so I went down to the Avalon Airshow and became a member.”
As expected, Diggers, American and other Allied combat veterans have visited the behemoth – but people with very different relationships with the aircraft model have also shown curiosity.
“We took all the turrets down to Avalon Airshow and there was a gentleman having a look at all the turrets,” Mr Hamilton said.
“I said, were you a gunner in there and he goes no, no, no, Luftwaffe.”
Mr Hamilton explained how enemies tried to take the beast down.
“They used to come down the nose because that is the closest you can get.
“You are coming at the thing at 500 miles an hour– he is doing 200 and you’re doing 300 – so you get roughly five seconds to fire.
“You at least had some chance in this thing because you have a decent sort of armour on it– the British bombers, they sent those poor buggers out with a couple of 30-calibre machine guns on board.”
The B24 Liberator Memorial is open 9.30am-3.30pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
Entrance is free, but donations are encouraged.
