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Catalina War Memorial Rathmines

The Bowling Club's Club Catalina

Catalina War Memorial Rathmines

Once an air base in World War Two, little remains of RAAF Rathmines apart from some re-purposed buildings and a war memorial dedicated to the crews of Catalina flying boats based here. The beaching ramp where the Catalinas were brought ashore is now a boat launching ramp. Behind the memorial, the bowling club was once the officers’ mess.

History

Formed in 1939, the RAAF Station at Rathmines became one of the major flying boat bases for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II, and housed Nos 9, 11, 20, 40,41, 43 and 107 Squadrons at various stages during the war. Used as a training base after World War 2 it was closed and then sold in the early 1960s.

The Memorial

The area where the memorial stands was the site of the Commanding Officer`s residence and control tower. Built in 1972 and dedicated to all RAAF personnel who served on flying boats at Rathmines a Catalina propeller sits on top of the memorial. Walls on both sides commemorate those who died or served for their country and had passed through the base at Rathmines. Reading the names, we saw how young some of them were.

Club Catalina

Now a bowling club, Club Catalina was once the officer’s mess for the RAAF base. Unfortunately closed during our visit, the club contains a memorial wall commemorating and honouring RAAF personnel who operated and trained at the base during its service years.

What Did We Think?

Very easy to find with plenty of parking, we loved the history of the area as well as the views over the lake.

ANZAC Parade Memorials Canberra

Boer War Memorial ANZAC Parade Canberra

ANZAC Parade Memorials Canberra

Leading up to the Australian War Memorial, ANZAC Parade in Canberra contains memorials honouring those who served in Australia’s armed services. The best way to see all of the monuments is to walk the length of the Parade. We parked in the Constitution Avenue car park, so that we could walk up one side and back the other.

Taking time to see each memorial and taking photos, the walk took around 30 minutes each side. We broke the walk in two, visiting the War Memorial in between. At this point we also had morning tea at Poppy’s Café.

New Zealand Memorial

The New Zealand Memorial reflect the unique friendship between New Zealand and Australian people. The two kete or basket handles express the shared effort needed to achieve common goals in both peace and war. They also acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of the servicemen and women of both countries who fought shoulder to shoulder on foreign soil.

Boer War Memorial

This is a remarkably realistic and life-like memorial of four horse-mounted troopers. Dedicated to Australia’s first war fought as a nation, which saw over 16,000 men serve during the Second Boer War from 1889 to 1903. Although made of bronze, the colouring used highlights the colours of the horses and uniforms. This was our favourite memorial because of the life like sculptures.

Desert Mounted Corps Memorial

The first memorial to be constructed on ANZAC Parade, The Desert Mounted Corps Memorial commemorates all the Australian Mounted Divisions. These include the Australian Flying Corps and every other Australian and New Zealand unit and formation that served in Egypt, Palestine and Syria from 1916 to 1918.

It depicts a mounted Australian Light Horseman defending a New Zealander who stands beside his wounded horse.

The original Memorial was in Port Said, Egypt. However, Egyptian nationalists destroyed it during the 1956 Suez crisis. Created by Melbourne sculptor, Ray Ewers OAM it is a recreation of the original which was by C. Webb Gilbert.

Australia Vietnam Forces National Memorial

Dedicated to all those who served in Vietnam, this memorial features three large stelae with engraving representing the war. The central engraving is of a helicopter transporting troops while another consists of words from soldiers describing the war.

Australian National Korean War Memorial

The Australian National Korean War Memorial commemorates the Australian’s would served and those who died during the Korean War. The stainless steel poles represent those who were killed, while the three figures represent the soldiers, sailors and airmen who served. There are several boulders placed at the memorial, which were sourced from Korean battlefields.

Hanging above the memorial, a stone halo contains the names of all the service personnel who died during the war.

Australian Army Memorial Canberra

This memorial recognises all conflicts involving Australian soldiers since the Second Boer War.

Australian Hellenic War Memorial

Commemorating the lives lost during the defence of Greece and Crete during World War Two, this memorial looks like a Greek amphitheatre. The Doric column symbolises the rise of civilisation, while the rusted beams illustrate the destruction of war.

Kemal Ataturk Memorial

This memorial is named after Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938) who, as a Lieutenant Colonel, commanded the Ottoman 19th Infantry Division when it resisted the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) at Arı Burnu on the Gallipoli peninsula in 1915 during World War I. He went on to be the founder of the Republic of Turkey and its first president, and received the honorific Atatürk (“Father of the Turks”) by the Turkish parliament.

It is the only memorial on ANZAC Parade dedicated to an enemy commander.

An inscription on the memorial, attributed to Atatürk, pays tribute to his former foes and reflects his understanding of the cost of war:

“Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives… you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours… You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.”

The quote honours all former enemy soldiers who have died in Turkey.

Royal Australian Navy Memorial

The Royal Australian Navy Memorial honours those who have as well as those who still serve in the Australian Navy. The figures show sailors performing different duties and the geometric shapes represent different parts of a ship.

The flowing water adds to the whole navy theme, because different areas have different sounds. The front areas hisses, like the water at the bow of a ship, while the rear part throbs like a propeller.

Australian Service Nurses National Memorial

Commemorating all service nurses who died and those who suffered through war, the Australian Service Nurses National Memorial is a flowing blue cast glass sculpture. Covered in etched writing from diaries – in the original handwriting and photos, it illustrates the life and danger wartime nurses endured.

Several of the panels remain blank, symbolizing the inconclusive nature of this type of memorial.

Royal Australian Air Force Memorial

This memorial honours the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the Royal Australian Air Force and the Australian Flying Corps. Representing a wing the memorial is symbolic of flight, but we found this too abstract. This was one of the harder to understand sculptures, without researching its meaning.

Rats of Tobruk Memorial

Commemorating the Siege of Tobruk during the North African campaign of the Second World War Two, the memorial honours the 14,000 Australian and 8,000 Allied troops who defended the town for 241 days. Named the rats as a derogatory term by German propaganda, the defenders took on the name as a badge of honour. They successfully held of 37,000 German and Italian troops until relieved by the advancing Allied 8th Army.

The original memorial located in the Tobruk War Cemetery was destroyed. However, the inscription stone was retrieved and is now incorporated into this memorial. The twisting bronze sculpture represents the eternal flame.

Australian Peacekeeping Memorial

Since 1947 more than 80,000 military, police and civilian peacekeepers have served in 62 peacekeeping missions. This memorial commemorates their service.

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Wings Over Illawarra 2021 Air Show

Paul Bennett in his Wolf Pitts

Wings Over Illawarra 2021

Delayed since 2020 due to Covid, Wings Over Illawarra was able to get into the air on the weekend of 27/28 November 2021. Held at Shellharbour Airport, south of Wollongong, the air show was well organised, with plenty of parking and helpful volunteers.

We stayed at a nearby hotel the previous night, because the show was a four-hour drive from home. Our previous visit here in 2018 convinced us that Gold Tickets would be a good idea and we were not disappointed. Not only did they give us great seats and excellent onsite parking, but we got early access to the site. This let us wander around the static displays before the crowds arrived, allowing us to take photos without too many people around.

Weather

Unfortunately, the weather on the day was overcast with showers, but the organizers did a great job getting as many flights happening as possible. Some of the warbirds did not fly, as the risk was too great, but we were able to see them close up because they were parked in front of the Gold Ticket area.

Static Displays

After getting a coffee, we went for a walk through the aircraft on static display. The RAAF had a Lockheed Hercules C-130J on display, which we were able to walk through. The air force also had an F/A-18 Hornet, but it was on the flight line ready for a display.

The Royal Australian Navy and Army contributed helicopters, with the Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk demonstrating its flying abilities later in the day.

HARS (previously Historic Aircraft Restoration Society) is based at the airport and had their collection on display. They have an excellent collection, with the MiG-21 being a new addition since our last visit.

Lockheed C-130J Hercules Wings Over Illawarra 2021
Lockheed C-130J Hercules
Eurocopter MRH-90 Taipan Wings Over Illawarra Air Show 2021
Eurocopter MRH-90 Taipan

War Birds

The highlight of many air shows are the war birds giving flying demonstrations. The Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk, Lockheed Neptune and CAC Wirraway put on a great display Despite the weather. Unfortunately, the Avenger, Corsair and P-51 didn’t fly on the day, but were still displayed for people to see.

Flying Displays

Apart from the war birds, flying displays were put on by the RAAF with their F/A-18, the Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk and the Sky Aces aerobatic team. These were great to see and our seats in the grandstand gave us an excellent view.

Vehicle Displays

On the far side of the airfield was a small static display of vintage vehicles and current Australian Army vehicles. This was a fun and interesting area to walk around, as it offered something different to see.

What Did We Think of Wings Over Illawarra 2021?

We had a great day here watching the flying and walking around the displays, despite the gloomy weather. The following day had much improved weather, so the full flying agenda took place. Displays by HARS and access to their museum was a great part to the show.