December, 2014

Committee 2015

Executive -

Pres: Lyn Gorman

Vice Pres: Ken Abbott

Secretary: Judith Gilbert

Treasurer: Kim Murray

Committee of Management -

Nat Eichler, Jim Johnson, John Keevins, Tony Maher, Dan O’Connell, Joe Sammartino

National Trust: Cyril Curtain

2014 AGM

Thanks to all those who appointed a proxy. We easily made the quorum with that help.

The two motions put to the meeting were accepted. The paperwork went to the Dept. of Justice for ratification. Both changes have been accepted so our name now is B-24 Liberator Memorial Australia Inc.

Thanks to the members who served on the 2014 Committee who, for various reasons have stepped down:

Doug Lindsay, John Temby, Ken Hindle, Tony Muller, Ron Taaffe

At the AGM Helen Lowry was elected Treasurer. Due to health problems she is unable to take on that position. She will however, continue working on the process of museum accreditation. Our thanks to Helen for her ongoing work.

At the Committee Meeting 6th December Kim Murray was appointed ex-officio to the Executive. She has accepted the post of Acting Treasurer. Kim lives locally and is a qualified book-keeper. We thank her for stepping into the vacancy.

Land Grant

For those who don’t know, on 21st October the State Government granted the B-24 Liberator group ownership of the land around the hangar. The land can only be used as a museum/workshop; its present usage. However nothing can be done until Heritage decides on how we can proceed. At the moment Heritage have a 60 day extension on the time set for them to make a decision. They are now considering the possibility of moving H1 closer to H2.

Thank you to: Melbourne Water, Places Victoria, Treasury and the previous State Government for their generous support of the Liberator group during the past few years. It has been a hard slog but this result is worth it.

Liberator Update

John Morrissey has been appointed B-24 Co-ordinator now that Ron Taaffe has left. John is working hard getting himself familiarised with the requirements of his new job.  

Work on the plane has slowed as we’re getting ready for the break. A small group of men have been making wiring looms some of which are now in the aircraft.  

Ron, before his departure completed the fibreglass side panels for the turret. He managed to get the form out of the mould with a minimum of bad words and a supply of water.

Oxford Update

The work is really moving on. A purpose built carrier now holds the wing spar for easy access when working.

As you can see from the photo the Oxford is gradually taking up more room. We NEED the new hangar.

Airfield Incidents

Dave Miller, while researching A72-176, has found some interesting information about things that happened at Werribee Field during WW2.  

Forced Landing of a Boomerang at Werribee on 25th June 1942. 

The first Boomerang produced, A46-1, was handed over to the RAAF at Laverton for trials. Ken Frewin was the pilot for all but 6 of the 42 test flights between late May & 11th July 1942. The first flight was on 29th May only 159 days after the project for the development of the Boomerang was approved.  

The 32nd test flight on 25th June was rather eventful. The normal DH Australian built Hamilton Standard 11 ft propeller had been replaced by a Commonwealth Aircraft Corp. developed wooden one which was 6 inches larger in diameter.  

A full power climb in high blower mode was made from 8,000 to 20,000 feet. At about 20,000 ft at full throttle of 2700 rpm the trailing edge of one propeller blade broke off causing massive vibration in the aircraft. Frewin was unable to feather the airscrew as the booster unit was not fitted. The vibration was at its minimum at 1200rpm.  

Ken made a forced landing at Werribee Field. The following damage had been caused by the severe vibration:  

•  Radio went dead  
•  Piton head broke off immediately  
•  Tailplane spar broke completely at outer attachment to the centre casing, starboard side  
•  The tailplane remained attached to the aircraft by the elevator torque tube & fillets  
•  Engine mount fractured in 3 places; port upper member near the ring: starboard lower member near the ring: engine mount ring  
•  Some instruments went unserviceable  
•  Cracked wheel fairing  
•  Cracked carburettor air intake duct fairing  
•  Photographic panel broke loose  
•  Other propeller blade cracked along glued joints

 A46-1, the only Boomerang at that stage, had only clocked up 12 hours flying time in the first 3 weeks of its life prior to this incident. It was repaired & back in the air 12 days later.  

Museum Accreditation  

We have received the work book & the sub-committee is working through it. We already have quite a bit of the documentation required so, at the moment the sub-committee is assembling it all & filling in the gaps.  

National Trust  

In 2015 National Trust is organising its annual Heritage Trail around Victoria. The theme will be "Conflict and Compassion".  

The B-24 group plan to take part in this project focusing on the compassion aspect of the theme. 

A little known aspect of the work done by Liberators is the involvement in repatriating POWs back from Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia. We are preparing a display which will highlight this significant chapter in the Liberator story.  

2 members, Nat Eichler & Ed Crabtree took part in these flights & are prepared to share their experiences with visitors. A WW2 nurse who served on a hospital ship based at Morotai is also taking part. We have several pilot logbooks where these flights are recorded.  

We ask for any help you can give us in the way of photos, log books, personal recollections, etc. 

We are anxious to make this a truly memorable experience for visitors.  

The event will be at the hangar on 16th May 2015. I’ll give you more details closer the date.  

If you can assist us, please contact the Secretary.

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2015 Bookings  

Already we have a few bookings.  

Geelong Steam & Traction Show, Geelong Show Ground 10th, 11th January  

Scoresby Steamfest, 1200 Ferntree Gully Rd, Scoresby on 7th, 8th, 9th March  

Avalon Airshow 27th, 28th Feb & 1st March at Avalon Airfield. 2015 we won’t be putting up our own display; we will be part of a display put on by the Wartime Living History Group. We will however have the hangar open from Tuesday 24th Feb. to Sunday 1st March. I’ll post times on our webpage & FaceBook page.  

In May we’ are going to the Gisborne Tractor Pull & Steam Rally.  

Sayers Rd  

As we have been saying for ages…..we need to get out of the Sayers Rd storage facility. Well, it’s happening. We have set a deadline for the end of February 2015. Ken Abbott, along with a team of determined members, is organising this. A semitrailer has been lined up & the team will load everything we can use on that & bring it to the hangar. Already we have managed to sell some of the excess stuff & hope to sell more. Whatever is left will go for scrap. Life will be a lot less stressful when this all happens.  

Work for the Dole  

We have been approached by local employment agencies looking for placements for people involved in this Federal Government Scheme. 

This was fully discussed at the last Committee Meeting. It was decided that, at this time, we will not take part. Jim Johnson, a new Committee member has experience in this field & offered to co-ordinate but it was felt that we are not set up to train a number of young people. Our aim is the restoration of the Liberator & that is where we want to concentrate our efforts.  

John Mollison

John is a well know aviation artist in USA. He contacted us to ask if we wanted him to paint a portrait of our plane. Of course we agreed, and, after numerous emails, photos, questions, answers; this is the result.

Cement Blocks

Along with the land around the hangar we have gained a number of large cement blocks used as counter weights for cranes. We have to get rid of them as they are in the place where we intend to build the Memorial Wall.  

They have lost the connection points for lifting harnesses so need to be moved by a large fork lift.  

If anyone has need of these blocks they are free to a good home….you just have to move them to your transport.  

Xmas Funnies  

Where there’s a will I want to be in it!  

If I agreed with you we’d both be wrong.  

We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.  

They begin the evening news with "Good Evening" then proceed to tell you why it isn’t.  

A clear conscience is the sign of a poor memory.