In the background

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

There were a number of complete/near complete Japanese aircraft in Australia after WW2, but most were simply scrapped after several years of neglect. In hindsight, a real shame, but at the time, they were just 'junk'....The Lancaster, G for George, was similarly treated after WW2, so it's almost good luck that it was moved to the AWM in the 1950s, and didn't suffer the same fate.

As you say Mike, it's lucky we have G for George today - arguably the centrepiece of the entire AWM collection.

We often shake our heads in amazement at the way these priceless historical relics were treated back then, but as you say they were simply junk at the time. It takes a lot of foresight to recognize future historical value in any object - we only have to think of the old cars we've taken to the tip when we were young, or even the cheap tin toys we played with as children - many of which are highly collectible today.

A further factor I believe, in relation to war relics, was the general desire of that generation to put these memories behind them and get on with their lives - find jobs, build homes, start families, pursue careers, etc. The absolute last thing on anyone's mind would be to preserve the reminders of friends lost, and of their own personal ordeal in war. In particular, the Japanese aircraft would appear to them as vile objects, best destroyed rather than preserved. It would take a brave man to propose restoration of a Jap aircraft in the immediate post-war years. Even 30 years later, most of that generation refused to even own a Japanese car!

Perhaps it was fitting that the Hickory wound up in a primary school playground - Australian men and women who endured the war could rightly take some satisfaction at the sight of their joyful young children frolicking on the wrecked Japanese surrender plane. Rather symbolic when you think about it...