B24 Liberator Restoration Project

Australia is fortunate enough to have preserved an important piece of World War II history inside a hangar located at the Werribee Satellite Aerodrome in Victoria.

The aerodrome was established by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as a training airfield and a satellite to the nearby Point Cook and Laverton airfields.

Inside the hangar is one of the world’s eighteen remaining B-24 Liberator heavy bomber aircraft. This one in particular, A72-176, is the last remaining B-24 aircraft that served in the RAAF during the war.

The B-24 Liberator was used by many Allied air forces during World War II as it was considered to have a more advanced design for its time. It had greater speed, greater range and a heavier bomb load than its principal counterpart, the Boeing B-17 Flying fortress bomber. It was a breakthrough in aircraft technology making the B-24 the most produced military aircraft of World War II.

During this presentation Tony Muller will discuss the B-24 Restoration Group’s activities and their dedication to lovingly restore a piece of engineering and World War 2 heritage.

Tony will tell us all about the work of the B24 Liberator Restoration Committee. This is the only B-24 remaining in the Southern Hemisphere and one of only 8 still existent in the world. The work began in the mid 90’s and is still ongoing.

Tony spent 50 years in the motor and allied trades, including 3 years as service manager at Swing Bridge Motors, and over 18 years as service manager at Jaguar Landrover Australia. In that role Tony was the dealer liaison man between the Jaguar factory and local distributors, responsible for customs clearance, managing 3 repair workshops, program training for both company and dealer staff and managing 53 employees. He oversaw the release of Press and VIP vehicles and represented the company at National Manufacturers Service Manager forums.  

In 1999, whilst visiting a car show, he saw the B24 restoration work underway and realised he wanted to be involved. Over the years he has restored tail fins, gun turrets, engines, and handles many other tasks. He serves on the committee and organises displays and shows.

Amongst his many activities he also serves as a Committee member at Werribee Men’s Probus Club.