P51D Mustang Ex RAAF A68-674

For several decades Warbirds Online has witnessed many displays by a beautiful P51D Mustang ‘Dove of Peace’ in New Zealand, Ex RAAF A68-674, a P-51D-20-NT Manufacture number 111-36299 USAAC serial No 44-13016. This aircraft is a genuine RAAF aircraft and has recently been sold to avid P40 Warbird restorer and enthusiast Doug Hamilton of Wangaratta Vic. The aircraft has had a very long, diverse, and interesting history as a Warbird after having had a relatively short and uneventful career in the RAAF.

P51D Mustang Ex RAAF A68-674

Over the past two decades the Mustang has resided in New Zealand as an active warbird “masquerading” as “413016/LH-X Dove of Peace” an USAAC P51 D as flown by WWII US fighter ace Col Glen Duncan. The aircraft is now to be flown back to Australia and will reside with Doug Hamilton at his Warbird restoration company at Wangaratta. Interestingly the mustang had been stored for some time after delivery to Benalla a distance of just 40 Kilometres away so in a sense the aircraft is coming home again.

Image by Jetphotos © Andrew Lesty

Once the mighty Mustang is back on Australian shores, it will be the sole flying Ex RAAF P51 flying in Australia.  All the other flying Mustangs in RAAF Colours in Australia being Australian CAC Built Mustangs (A North American P51 45-11526 VH-FST “The Flying Undertaker” flies in Queensland in USAAC colours). The Australian War Memorial has a static, very original North American P51D Mustang Ex RAAF A68-648 a P-51D-20-NT serial No 111-36389 USAAC tail No 44-13106.

P51D Mustang at Wanaka NZ

It will be fantastic to see another Mustang flying in Australia and all credit to Doug Hamilton for importing this example back to Australia.

History of Mustang Ex RAAF A68-674

This aircraft was manufactured in the USA and shipped to Australia, being P-51D 44-13016. It was delivered and brought on charge by the RAAF as A68-674 on 4.7.45 and saw very little use before it was struck off charge on 22.12.48, having spent much of its time in storage with many other Mustangs at Benalla VIC. In 1949, the Mustang was dismantled, and its wings sent to RAAF Stores Dept at Dubbo NSW for onwards delivery to by Aeronautical Research Laboratories, Melbourne for structural testing work.

Again in 1949, the remaining fuselage was purchased by Victor Coish, of Benalla Victoria along with the fuselage of A68-679 and stored on his farm at Benalla. In 1966, Pearce Dunn/ Warbirds Aviation Museum of Mildura purchased both fuselages with A68-679 eventually going to the USA and A68-674 being acquired by a syndicate of Australians Vincent Thomas, Geoff Milne & Alan Lane, in 1982 and stored at Albury NSW from 1982 until 1984, with the Australian registration of VH-CVA reserved for it.

In 1984 A68-674 was shipped to Shafter California and in December 1987 the Mustang was acquired by Steve Wilmans of King City Aviation, King City CA.  She was then finally restored to fly using an acquired set of wings and registered on the USA civil register as N9200N. A68-674 flew again in 1992 in a false RAAF scheme and remained with Steve Wilmans until 1996 when it passed to Calvin Burgess of Spirit Wing Aviation, Guthrie Oklahoma USA re registered as N5551D.

In 2004 the Mustang was sold to Robert Broek, Wanaka New Zealand, where it has remained for the past two decades as a major part of the New Zealand Warbird fleet often participating in the Warbirds Over Wanaka air show and other prominent events.

Warbirds Online wishes Doug Hamilton many happy years of flying in this beautiful Mustang.

© John Parker 2022