Last week as part of their visit to the Australian capital I accompanied sixty one fourteen year old students to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. The AWM has two distinct personalities – one is the memorial itself, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Roll of Honour. The other can best be compared to London’s Imperial War Museum, and is a collection of artefacts covering the history of Australia’s involvement in conflict.
Our students were superb and most complained that our brief visit was not long enough! They had a presentation on the war in Vietnam, and about half of my small group had close relatives who had fought or been involved there. Three of them, together with one of my staff colleagues also had relatives named on the Roll of Honour.
I didn’t have time to cover the whole of the museum and predictably spent most of my time in the Air Power in the Pacific Gallery, and the ANZAC Hall, which contains the remainder of the aircraft collection. The aircraft have all been carefully restored to period correct markings, and in some cases retain original wartime paint.
The Air Power in the Pacific gallery is guarded by Mosquito PR 41 A52-319. This gives a hint of the difficulties for photographers, with blackness beyond anything found at Hendon, and exhibits squeezed in some tight spaces. Tripods are forbidden so mine had to remain in my bag while I balanced my camera on information panels.
The Wirraway was the first indigenous aircraft design (more a redesign) and this example achieved fame in shooting down a “Zero” during the defence of Rabaul, New Guinea.
The “Zero” on display is very poorly lit, but historically significant having been flown by Japanese ace Saburo Sakai in Rabaul.
Kittyhawk A29-133.
P51-D A68-648.
Representing a type flown in the Korean War in Sea Fury VX730, which flew twenty one missions from HMAS Sydney.
By: Red Hunter - 12th April 2010 at 11:30
What a marvellous and inspiring museum. I have never seen it nor am I likely to, so your pictures are a wonderful way to get a sense of the experience. Thank you for sharing them.
By: Frazer Nash - 12th April 2010 at 11:19
More importantly than anything: the 14yo students complained their visit wasn’t long enough.
Too good Growler, well done mate!
By: JägerMarty - 12th April 2010 at 10:47
The AWM is great, the Mitchel Annex where a lot is stored is also worth a visit, they’re open a cpl times a week at certain times and by set tour only usually
By: Blue_2 - 12th April 2010 at 09:10
Growler- wonderful shots, thankyou for sharing. Shame about the lighting difficulties but think you did a cracking job. Did you get my email by the way?
By: Batman - 12th April 2010 at 08:55
With ANZAC day approaching the poppies on the walls are particularly dense
Growler, glad you didn’t try to show 460 SQN – over 1,000 names on those panels.
By: Batman - 12th April 2010 at 08:51
Excellent pics Growler – I had forgotten there were so many aircraft on display – and more out in storage at Mitchell at the AWM Annex.
You said: The other can best be compared to London’s Imperial War Museum, and is a collection of …
I think the displays at AWM are a lot better than IWM, plus the AWM also has that “memorial” aspect of a very special place.
A great aircraft collection – any visitors to Oz should visit here, and the RAAF Museum at Point Cook and the flying collection at Temora.
I have said before that I had thought 40 years ago the RAFM Hendon was the best national air force collection until I visited the USAFM at Wright-Patt. While not on these scales, the RAAFM is improving all the time. Well done Dave Gardner.
By: Growler - 12th April 2010 at 06:53
bms44 – it’s one of those places that you visit and just have to share. With ANZAC day approaching the poppies on the walls are particularly dense:
Most of our students added to them, as well. It was especially moving that students and staff found relatives on the walls, including one grandparent who went down with all those aboard the Sydney. My colleague’s father’s uncle was Robert Walter Knox of 451 squadron, as shown below. If anyone on the forum has more details of the crash in which he was involved, she would be very grateful to know. Apparently the crash was due to a technical problem and the cause of death on the official records is recorded as “accidental”
By: bms44 - 12th April 2010 at 06:35
The Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
What an excellent and comprehensive series of photos Growler : the memorial wall with the poppies is particularly moving as you slowly scroll down and the area of almost-solid coverage is revealed. Thank you for the sensitive and thought-provoking submissions.
By: Growler - 12th April 2010 at 06:22
flyernzl – just read your post, I appear to have answered your question! They seem to be constantly upgrading the place, I guess to meet 21st Century demands. Here in WA the phrase “world class” seems to be massively overused, but the AWM is most definitely world class.
The final set of shots are the WW2 aircraft. The most iconic is undoubtedly Lancaster G for George, which I remember as a kid to have been the subject of the Airfix model! It flew 90 missions for 460 squadron, was gifted to the AWM in 1944 and flew a Victory Loan tour of the country. Some restoration work was undertaken a few years ago.
The Bf-109G6 is unique amongst survivors in that it still carries its wartime day fighter scheme, complete with repairs, including a replacement wing.
The museum’s Spitfire II P7973 is also still in its original wartime paint, that of the Central Gunnery School, 1944. Previously it flew with 452 Squadron, RAAF.
ME-262 A2 w/n 500200 has been sanded to reveal its successive layers of paint, including its original factory finish and the Air Ministry scheme applied after the war. The aircraft, together with an Me-163 are hidden away in a very dark corner and are extremely difficult to see, let alone photograph.
By: Growler - 12th April 2010 at 05:40
AWM, Canberra.
Iroquois A2-1019, damaged in Vietnam is posed as a gunship, and is accompanied by a sound and light display detailing the radio transcripts of a “dust off” casualty evacuation which results in the loss of an Iroquois.
The largest gallery is the ANZAC Hall which contains most of the aircraft. The rarest are the five Great War aircraft, which are accompanied by Peter Jackson’s incredible sound and light show – the most moving piece of war theatre I have seen.
The Beautiful Albatros D.Va is one of only two survivors and has recently been restored using fabric printed on the same presses a the original.
The Pfaltz D.XII is the only one of its kind in existence and was gifted to Australia as part of the Armistice terms of 1918.
Originally A2-4 the SE5a has been restored to the markings of Australian ace Captain (Capt) H G Forrest DFC of No 2 Sqn, AFC, who shot down 3 German aircraft in two separate engagements.
Avro 504K A3-4.
Airco DH9a G-EAQM.
By: flyernzl - 12th April 2010 at 05:33
Nice coverage.
It looks to have been rebuilt since I was there. Are the WW1 items still on display?
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April 12, 2010 at 5:09 am