Australia – Reevers to acquire 2nd B-25 Mitchell bomber

Ron, Yes I was directly involved with it from its inception in Randal McFarlane’s kitchen in Maroubra through the search for an airframe, raising funds, the final rebuild and fit-out process in Stockton, California and then the ferry flight across the Pacific. I was also involved in its maintenance and operation for that wonderful five year period before that AWM employee caused the problem to bloom and eventually have it sold overseas when a higher bid had been placed by a local consortium. That really made us all angry. Saw it later in Chino when we were there collecting spares for the Temora Sabre. Brought it all back and just made me mad again. It was not the AWM that was the problem it was that one employee.

I’m with you there Mustang51
Some guys went to a lot of trouble and expense to make it airworthy and then they flew it across the Pacific. Then someone decided it would be a good idea to stick it on a boat and send it back. If, as I suspect, you were one of those involved in bringing the aeroplane to Australia, you have my sympathies.

Every time I read about the AWM B.25 it gives me a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. That aircraft could have remained in Australia if not for the actions of certain employees of the AWM. Hopefully the new Reevers machine will eventually fill that gap but it stall galls me and many others

http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-25/N5-139.html

Does anyone know where this one is now, says salvaged which makes sense given I have the data plate for it, is this the one in storage at Darwin?

Recovered by the army in 1972. Only the cockpit-section and smaller parts are thought to survive (they are in the Darwin museum store, together with the nose section, fuselage centre section and wing centre section of N5-133 and various other bits collected to one day make another static B-25 a possibility). The remainder of N5-139 is thought to have been broken up post-recovery.

Try here..
http://www.warbirdz.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2583

http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-25/N5-139.html

Does anyone know where this one is now, says salvaged which makes sense given I have the data plate for it, is this the one in storage at Darwin?

G’day

As it has been pointed out, this D is not a complete aircraft, certainly nothing like the J we have. The Dutch operated J’s here as well and we will be presenting this B-25J as a representation of a NEIAF B-25 named “Pulk”.
The intention with the D ‘project’ is to secure it and place it into storage. We have many spares for the J already and more are being offered on a regular basis. I guess this D could be used for some of the remaining Dutch B-25’s but given it has its own
history it would be a shame to lose it. Interestingly, this particular B-25 was destined for the NEIAF but was taken on by the USAAF instead. It almost survived the war but a bad landing rendered her uneconomical to repair so she was stripped and left in situ.
It was then recovered in the early eighties and secured by a collector who has been following Reevers progress. As such it has been offered to Reevers on a ‘subject’ to basis, so we simply need to wait and hope the administrative cogs turn in our favour.

Peter Smythe
per
Reevers.

The Netherlands have a restored B-25D on display… But more is always good 😉

There is certainly room for some more!!

Even beter, bring the remains to the Netherlands..
Thanks for the links!!

The Netherlands have a restored B-25D on display… But more is always good 😉

Even beter, bring the remains to the Netherlands..
Thanks for the links!!

I wasn’t aware of dutch c/d’s in Australia.. thought that all KNIL ordered C/D model were diverted to the RAF after the surrender of the Dutch East Indies..
Learned something new today!!

Here are some links on them

http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-25/N5-133.html

http://www.warbirdz.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2583&page=2

It would be great to see these remains consolidated into a single static display of an NEIAF B25C somewhere in Australia to tell their role in the defence of Australia and war in the Pacific.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

I wasn’t aware of dutch c/d’s in Australia.. thought that all KNIL ordered C/D model were diverted to the RAF after the surrender of the Dutch East Indies..
Learned something new today!!

And probably those are not C/D variants but J’s…

No, the recovered Dutch remains in Australia that I am aware of are C/D’s, but it seems Reevers is not acquiring his from oversea’s as spares for his J project in any case.

The opportunity this imported C/D project offers is to consolidate it with the Dutch remains and create a viable static.

With the loss of the AWM B25J many years ago, the Darwin USAAC B25D is the only current example of the type preserved in Australia, the B-25 played an important role in the South Pacific and the efforts by Reevers to bring more examples to Australia should be applauded.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

Why importing such a thing where there are many sections of (ex-Dutch) Mitchells kicking around Australia.
Cees

And probably those are not C/D variants but J’s…

Sandbar B-25?

I would say most of the Dutch examples are either recovered and stored by accredited museums (Darwin springs to mind with their two partial ex Dutch B-25s in storage), or are in a complex legal situation (the Kimberleys B-25 on aboriginal land that was subject to an attempted recovery two decades ago e.g.). But I’d love to be wrong!

Why importing such a thing where there are many sections of (ex-Dutch) Mitchells kicking around Australia.
Cees

Any guess to the ID? Still sounds like it’s missing a great deal. I’d guess some J components would fit.
I’d think someone might have a good guess considering the relatively few C/Ds put there (compared to J’s).