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World War II British heavy bomber “G for George” has arrived at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra to become the centrepiece of an enhanced permanent exhibition of Australians in Bomber Command.
The Avro Lancaster B1 aircraft was flown by the Royal Australian Air Force No. 460 Squadron and completed more than 90 operational missions over Germany and occupied Europe.
The aircraft was originally built in 1942 and was later retired from active service in 1944. Before the current move, it had been housed at the Treloar Technology Centre in the ACT.
“One of the most iconic aircraft in Australian military history returned home. The fuselage of Avro Lancaster bomber ‘G for George’, a centrepiece of the Memorial’s collection, was warmly greeted by a crowd of onlookers as it arrived back at the memorial,” according to a statement from the Australian War Memorial.
“George made the journey from the Treloar Technology Centre in Mitchell, where it has been housed since 2021.
“Before being moved into the new Anzac Hall, George took a commemorative lap down Anzac Parade, a powerful sight for all in attendance.
“George will return to public display in 2026 as the centrepiece of the new Australians in Bomber Command gallery in Anzac Hall.”
Earlier this year, an F/A-18A Classic Hornet fighter jet travelled across the country via truck to be installed in a new Middle East section of the Australian War Memorial.
The aircraft joined a damaged Australian Army Bushmaster protected mobility vehicle (previously gifted to Ukraine) and a C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft in Anzac Hall as part of a $500 million redevelopment for the national museum. The development is expected to be opened to the public next year.
