AWM opens its storage facility

Antipodean Andy · Aug 17, 2008

WW1 camouflage tree debarked - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The Australian War Memorial (AWM) in Canberra displays millions of treasures. But there are thousands more that remain in storage.

Many of those historical objects will be on show tomorrow when the AWM's storage facility and workshop is open up to the public.

The Treloar Technology Centre's open day, Big Things in Store, is a rare opportunity for people to see planes, trucks, tanks and guns that have been tucked away for safe keeping or restoration.

Head of military heraldry and technology Mike Cecil says visitors will be able to see a rare World War I German camouflage tree.

The metal observation tower is the only one of its kind left in the world and has not been on display since the 1950s.

The tree was used by the Germans in Oosttaverne Wood near Messines in Belgium in 1917.

Mr Cecil says the tower is made up of three main pieces and it is rare to see it dismantled.

"This was designed so that the front half, the outer camouflage part, was made in two halves. They could be prepared and then clipped together around the central armoured core," he said.

"As far as the enemy are concerned, whoever that may be, all they see before they go to sleep one night ... is a certain number of trees visible on the horizon.

"The next morning they wake up there's the same number of trees. Because what's happened is, overnight the troops have removed one of those trees very carefully and replaced it with this steel tree so that it looks exactly like what was there the previous day.

"Therefore they can then crawl up inside that and observe, almost uninterrupted, on the other side of the line, the other trench line.

"When you're observing, you're not observing with the naked eye through the slit, you're actually sitting a couple of feet lower down inside the tree and you're using a periscope. So if there is the unfortunate incident of shrapnel or bullets coming in through the observation slit for any reason, then your eyes are protected."

The tree will be part of the AWM's upcoming exhibition Over the Front which opens on November 28, but it will be displayed as one piece.

Limited space

Mr Cecil says even regular visitors to the memorial will see something new among the stored technology items.

"The entire collection is always available for exhibition but our exhibition space in our main building is of course limited and the things we take from our storage area are tailored towards particular exhibitions," he said.

"So a number of things have come out of Anzac Hall and they've been on exhibition for a few years and they've come back into the storage area.

"We're always constantly upgrading and changing exhibitions to refresh the main galleries."

Mr Cecil says each exhibition requires years of planning.

"We're always looking at the next exhibition to come along," he said.

"Exhibition's have to be planned a number of years in advance of their installation. It's a very big job to remove, particularly large technology objects, from an exhibition hall and bring them out here and also to prepare the things to go in their place.

"So we're looking at 10 and 15 years ahead in terms of our exhibition program to make sure we've got the objects ready to go into the exhibition at the right time."

Rare treasures

Mr Cecil says there are a number of items in storage that are not schedule for exhibition.

Saturday is one of the only chances for people to see the memorial's C-47 Dakota aircraft, Hudson twin-engine bomber, WW2 DAP Beaufort bomber and various WW1 trucks.

Mr Cecil says one of the unique objects is a V2 rocket which is one of only a handful remaining in the world.

"It's a particularly striking exhibit," he said.

"It's on its Meillerwagen. The Meillerwagen is the erector wagon.

"When you go to fire a V2 you need to erect it into the vertical plane on its launching pad and to do that you use a particular trailer called a Meillerwagen.

"There are only three Meillerwagens left in the world. One in the UK, one in the USA and the one here in Australia."

The Teloar Technology Centre will be open to the public between 12:00pm and 4:00pm (AEST) tomorrow.
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John · Aug 17, 2008

It is good that the AWM is opening their storeroom for people who wish to see what they have there.
What I wish they would do is to make all WW1 records as digital release so as anyone can check for their relations. They still have 1000's of Gallipoli records not yet made digital.

Kyt · Aug 18, 2008

What is it with you Aussies and your opening up of files and stuff? Why can't you keep it all secret and under lock and key like us Brits?

.....hang on, maybe you guys have the better deal :frusty:

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