‘G for George’ moving to new Bomber Command gallery
The Australian War Memorial has released a new image and further details of the new Bomber Command gallery at the Memorial.
The centrepiece of the gallery is “G for George”, the Lancaster bomber that completed 89 missions with No 460 Squadron RAAF over Germany and occupied Europe between 1942 and 1944. Part of the Australian War Memorial collection since the end of the Second World War, “George” was put in storage in 2021 during construction of the new Anzac Hall.
‘George is one of the Australian War Memorial’s most popular collection objects,’ said Australian War Memorial Acting Director, Anne Bennie. ‘We thank the people of Australia for their patience as the development project builds a new home for our Australians in Bomber Command gallery.’
Around “George” will be displayed hundreds of objects, artworks and images that reflect the personal experiences of hundreds of individual Australian servicemen and servicewomen. Many of the objects will be displayed for the first time, and among them are collection items that have only recently been donated to the Memorial.
‘Bomber Command was one of the most dangerous theatres of operations for Australians in the Second World War,’ said Senior Historian Lachlan Grant. ‘Over 4,100 Australians were killed serving in Bomber Command.
‘Reflecting such a high casualty rate, the exhibition features stories of loss, and the impacts on families at home, as well as stories documenting the experiences of the wounded and those captured as prisoners of war.’
“George” is currently in storage and preparations for its return to the display will begin when the new Anzac Hall is completed in late 2025.
‘The development project will increase our gallery space by 83 per cent,’ said Anne Bennie. ‘This has given us the opportunity to explore more deeply not only the history of Bomber Command, but also modern conflicts such as Afghanistan and Iraq.’