V2ROCKET.COM V-2 in Storage at RAAF Museum, Point Cook, Australia

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A-4/V-2 in Storage at RAAF Museum, Point Cook, Australia
(Photos by Mike Cecil)

   This V-2 arrived in Australia in 1947 and was the first of two to be sent there. It was mounted on a Vidalwagen when it arrived as ship deck cargo from the UK. It was sent to the Royal Australian Army Engineers at Monegeetta to the north of Melbourne for a technical evaluation of the trailer. After the evaluation, the rocket and Vidalwagen were employed on a War Bond Savings rally and it went on display in a number of towns between Melbourne and Sydney. The V2 War Bond Savings Rally detachment was commanded by Lieutenant Pilbeam.

   It was then used as a gate guard at Holsworthy Army base a little to the south-west of Sydney. It is not known whether the rocket was gutted prior to or post being taken over by the Army. The fate of the the rocket's motor, fuel tanks and guidance system are unknown, although given that its Vidalwagen ended up as scrap on a local rubbish dump it is possible that they ended up there as well.

   Over many years the shell of the rocket slowly deteriorated, despite several coats of paint in a spurious early camouflage scheme, to the point where it was badly rusted and was becoming an eyesore and possibly unsafe.

   Instead of destroying the shell, it was transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force, who initially stored it at the former No.2 Stores Depot at Dubbo, in central western New South Wales. When No.2 Stores Depot closed down, it was sent to the RAAF Museum at Point Cook, to the south-west of Melbourne, where it was stored in one of the hangars and treated it against further corrosion. It was eventually disassembled to make space in the hangar.

   The shell now resides out in the open in the yard of the Australian War Memorial's Treloar Centre in the north Canberra suburb of Mitchell. It has been mostly reassembled, mounted on racks and been internally braced. It is on public display several times a year when the Treloar Centre is open to the public. It is understood that a decision was made to not restore the shell due to competing monetary pressures for other much needed conservatory and restoration work on other large items in the store. Nevertheless, the shell will be used for study and reference when the very good V2 and Meillerwagen example stored inside the Treloar Centre is due for further conservation and repair.

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