Warbird Recovery – Mystery Photographs

Recently at Warbirds Online we were reviewing a collection of photographs compiled by the late Malcom Long, a renowned Warbird collector, restorer and identity.

A series of these photos centered on the work of RAAF crash recovery crews. The teams of staff worked under the most primitive and arduous of conditions retrieving many aircraft from the most far flung areas in Australia and overseas.

Amongst the photographs is a series of 3 images depicting the recovery or movement of what appears to be a Consolidated B24 Liberator or a Catalina wing main spar section through the Australian bush.  Another photograph depicts what appears as the movement of the component across the Hawksbury River near Sydney?

There are two possible reasons the assembly is being moved. It was either from an aircraft being dismantled following a crash landing for repair or spares recovery, or it is a new section being ferried to be used in the repair of a damaged aircraft.

The size of the component is very large and the RAAF have obviously gone to a lot of trouble to move it a long distance. What type of aircraft is it?

Apart from being an interesting set of photographs they highlight a facet of RAAF WWII history not often publicized – the work of the ground engineering staff who kept the RAAF flying.

Warbirds Online would appreciate assistance with further information about these photographs – when it happened, what they depict (including and aircraft identity) and a location.

© John Parker 2014