Anne Allibone (nee Walder) WAAF with 460 Squadron

ANNE ALLIBONE (NEE WALDER)

Subject:    "G" for George
Date:              21 May 1998
From:            Tom Allibone <TotallyVintage@bigpond.com>

Dear Peter,

My mother served with 460 Squadron as a WAAF see below.

I should have added that my name is Tom Allibone, of Vintage Aircraft Services, PO Box 140, Ormeau, QLD 4208. Tel: 07 5546 7610.

"G" for George
For most of World War Two, my mother, Anne Allibone (maiden name Walder) served with the Womens Auxiliary Air Force or the WAAF’s as it was of course known, at numerous RAF stations around England. She was assigned to the MT (motor transport) section and towards the end of the war and whilst stationed with RAAF 460 Sqn. operating Lancasters out of RAF Binbrook, she recalls a visit to the squadron by the Australian Prime Minister, John Curtin, who had come to see ‘G’ for George, the by now famous Lancaster which had survived an enormous number of sorties over enemy Germany.

On this occasion, my mother or ‘Blue’, as was her appointed nickname by the Aussie crews, was assigned to drive the RAAF Officer selected to accompany the PM for a personal tour around the aircraft. On the short journey out to dispersal, the Officer, clearly rather nervous about his public relations assignment, confided in my mother saying:-

"...do you know, Blue, I haven’t a clue what to tell him about ‘George’, I know so little about it!",

to which my mother suggested that it might be a good idea to parry any of the PM’s questions about the aircraft by saying that it is equipped with highly secret gadgets that cannot be discussed nor revealed to anyone, not even the Prime Minister of Australia.

Some time later, my mother collected the somewhat relieved looking Officer who, upon getting into the Staff car said:-

"...well Blue, there sits the most secretive aeroplane in the Air Force!..."

Both enjoyed a good laugh on their way back to the Officers Mess!

Tom Allibone

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