October, 2013 News

A Permanent Home

Not a great deal to report. Andrew Elsbury has been lobbying members of Parliament on our behalf. The Melbourne Water representative has also been talking to people.

This resulted in request from State Government for a report to be prepared on the possibility of the Crown taking control of the land around Hangar 2.

3 officials visited the hangar to gather information prior to writing this report. They were impressed by the project & the work force & spent some time inspecting & asking questions. We look forward to a positive report from them.

Wyndham Business Awards

On Friday, the 6th September, the Fund’s President & Secretary attended the Awards Presentation Event. It was an enjoyable evening made better when the B-24 Liberator Fund was announced as the winner of the 2013 Wyndham Tourism Business Award.

Committee 2014 Nominations

**Denotes sitting member

Committee of Management

Ron Taaffe**

Reading back over last year’s statement I realise just how much has been achieved by your Committee in ensuring that our project will continue & have a permanent home. I am proud to have been part of those committees. I continue to work on the rear turret & now have the acrylic dome & side windows formed & am in the process of fitting them in place. After receiving a grant I am also working on "story boards" to help tell our story & reduce the time taken by volunteers from their work to guide visitors around. The more visitors can guide themselves around the more progress we can make on the project.

With the sad passing of Ron Platt I have taken on his duties as Project Co-ordinator: a big learning curve to fill such big shoes but made easier by the help of all in the hangar with their co-operation. Thanks to Roger & David for their advice & help with forward planning.

I would like to continue working with our Committee & ask for your vote to make this happen.

Dan O’Connell**

I am in my eighth year at the restoration & continue to ensure that hangar space is made available so all volunteers have room to work & develop their areas of interest. My appointment as Deputy Hangar Manager means I have a greater understanding of the needs of the workers. I have served on sub committees planning events to give a broader understanding of the restoration to the community.

I wish to serve for a further term as I feel the Fund has need of experienced, dedicated workers particularly at this time in our development.

Tony Muller**

I am seeking re-election to the B-24 Liberator Committee of Management for 2014 as I still wish to carry out the duties for which I was selected during 2013. My role a as guest speaker is now proving very fruitful & spreading the word to a wider public. This year I have represented the restoration at the Wyndham City Council sponsored training programme on courses that directly relate to our operation & have established a healthy rapport through that with their training personnel. I would also like to continue on as the Fund’s representative with the Werribee Tourism Association which, through its relationship with the Wyndham Council keeps us in the minds of both councillors & their tourism officers.

The Council have now formed a partnership with the Werribee Zoo & will have a tourist bureau located in their new reception hall. If elected I will ensure that we are well represented in their displays (over 1,000,000 visitors a year). I will continue to assist at the various displays & functions that we attend away from the hangar where the project is brought to wider public attention.

My selection a team leader for the engine restoration group has, along with the team’s volunteers, seen this section become sought after for displays & engine runs & has become a vital ancillary for generating additional income. I believe I still have much to offer & respectfully ask for your vote to allow me to continue with the B-24 Liberator Restoration Committee.

Ken Abbott

I started work at the Liberator Restoration 12 years ago. At that time I was active in restoration work & also served on the Committee. The need for work intervened so my time at the restoration became limited. Over the past 10 years I have worked at Qantas, at first as a mature age apprentice, now as an engineer on Boeing 737s.

Now I am able to spend more time at the Fund & am involved with the re-organisation of the hangar. I also work with parts identification & segregation. I wish to serve once again on Committee as I bring a younger person’s perspective to the problems faced by the group. I feel I have much to offer.

Nat Eichler **

From 1995 to 2013 I served as Vice president then stepped down to take a place on the Committee of Management. For 12 years I was purchasing officer & hangar manager & continue to assist in these areas. I served on Liberators & wish to see the project through to completion. I particularly would like to serve another term on Committee so as to be part of the decision making process about our future home.

Tony Maher **

I have worked on the restoration for 10 years & am a sitting Committee member. I am presently the Hangar Manager, a role I enjoy as it gives me more experience of the project. I continue to be involved in many other aspects of the restoration including setting up & manning public displays & assisting with fund raising. I also continue to be involved with the project’s youth group.

I wish to continue with the work in this challenging time.

Ken Hindle **

I began work on the restoration in 1997. My background in aviation means I have much to offer the project. I have been appointed joint restoration co-ordinator, a role I have filled for several years. My major interest now is in organising the work on the Oxford as I have completed the work I had to do on the Liberator.

I am a sitting Committee member & I consider it a privilege to be part of this dedicated group. I hope to be re-elected so as to be a part of the important work still to be done.

Executive

Doug Lindsay ** - President

I joined this restoration project about 20 years ago & worked on the B-24 nose to tail. Many parts were unavailable so I helped in the manufacture of parts such as tail fins, rudders, wing leading edges, the front interior & exterior of the fuselage, etc. I am currently working on the radome to house the radar equipment.

My managerial experience included being the Principal of 3 state technical schools, a returning officer responsible for conducting State & Council elections over 20 years & I served 1 term as Mayor of Williamstown. I am standing for a third term as your President.

John Temby** - Vice President

I was a former B-24 pilot. In my civilian life I was a civil engineer.

I started work on our aircraft in 1993 & in 1997 was elected Vice president. When Eric Clark died in 1998 I assumed the Chair. At the 2011 AGM I stood down from that position to make room for a younger person but have stayed on as Vice President so that my experience will be available to the Fund.

I am very familiar with the work on the aircraft & with the machinations surrounding our attempts to obtain certainty of a long term future.

Judith Gilbert ** - Secretary

I have served as Secretary to the Fund since elected to that position in 2005. Prior to that I worked in the hangar shop for 3 years. I am responsible for the production of the newsletter every 2 months & also oversee the shop management. I serve on 2 sub-committees: one is seeking to finalise arrangements for the Fund to stay at its present location; the second is reviewing our constitution in light of the new Association Reform Act 2012.

In light of the work I have done in these areas , as well as the work of Secretary, I ask to be re-elected to the role for a further term so as to see these vital tasks through to completion.

Lyn Gorman - Treasurer

I spent most of my career in Universities in Australia & the UK & retired from the position of Deputy Vice Chancellor & Vice President (Admin), Charles Stuart University. That role had included working with educational institutions in China, Hong Kong, Cambodia & Malaysia as well as CSU’s Canadian campus in Burlington, Ontario. My research interests included media history; the media & the military; & Australia’s media & the Cold War.

I have a personal interest in the B-24 Fund because my father was a Liberator pilot. (Details of his service are recorded in the Hazel de Berg tapes at the National Library of Australia in the transcript for Thomas Max Chaffey.) By 1944 he was flying Liberators from Darwin with an all Australian crew with 528 Squadron, 380th Bomb Group, 5th US Army Air Corps involved in combat missions mainly over the Dutch East Indies. He joined RAAF 24 Squadron after leaving the American group & in 1945 was based at Moratai. After the war he assisted in the transport of former POWs back to Australia. He was discharged with the rank of Flt Lt in April 1946.

Following my retirement I was delighted to discover the restoration project within driving distance of my new home. Relevant to the role of Treasurer, I have a Grad. Cert. In Public Sector Management & as a University manager I had considerable experience of budget management at School, Faculty & University levels.

N.B. There will be no election this year. The number of nominations does not exceed the number of vacancies.

Calender of Events

~ Lake Goldsmith Steam Rally: Sat, 2nd & Sun. 3rd November

~ Bayonet Model Exhibition & Competition in the hangar Saturday 9th November

~ AGM Saturday 16th November: in the hangar at 11 am followed by refreshments.

~ Hangar break-up 19th December 2013

~ Return to work Tuesday 7th January 2014

(Please check dates: some were incorrect last newsletter)

Liberator Update

The oxygen system is almost fully reinstated. While we wanted to use as much of the original piping as possible, corrosion has invaded the pipes & fittings. These have had to be replaced. The system will never be fully charged with oxygen but will contain a small positive pressure.

Production of the electrical looms has been planned & an excellent set of drawings produced to work out cable lengths, etc. These looms will involve a lot of work & expense so a planning meeting will be held to decide which systems will need to be connected.

The acrylic domes have been formed up around purpose built moulds & are in the process of being fitted to both the front & rear turrets. These still require cutting, joining & final polishing so expect to see them being worked on for some time yet.

AGM

At the 2013 AGM 2 motions will be presented for discussion & endorsement by the membership. One of these will be the new Constitution. This will be presented at the meeting. If you wish to have a copy sent to you earlier so that you can evaluate it please contact the Secretary:

Copy of the Constitution will be sent by email unless hard copy is specifically requested.

Hangar Visit

A large group of students from The Nanyung School of Engineering, Singapore, recently visited the hangar. They were given an extensive tour & enjoyed the experience. The mid-upper turret was fired up so they could see a part of the Liberator working.

They presented the hangar with a laser pointer as a thank you gift.