DURING World War II (about 1943 or 1945) my dad, Jim Hall, from Kerang, was driving the family in his T-Model Ford on the Murray Valley Highway in the Patho region (near Cohuna).
He was travelling back to Kerang after a visit to grandma’s hotel in Barooga.
Near Patho, we were halted by police as a PBY Catalina had crash-landed on the highway. It was an “ant” (which means it had wheels fitted).
As it was not possible to pass the plane, they had to cut a farm fence and directed us around through the paddock.
That evening I went around to Lamaro’s Cafe to see my friend Dick Lamaro and “lo and behold” the Catalina was in the yard of the then plaster sheet factory, next to Franzini’s Garage. The wing had been removed and the fuselage had been towed to Kerang to be moved onto Lake Boga.
We were keen to have an inspection, but the home guard were stationed outside the gates in Fitzroy Street.
In those days, the lane behind the bank and other businesses in Victoria Street was still largely intact, so we climbed over the fence over into the plaster sheet factory and had a quiet look at the plane – unknown to dad’s army.
Keith James Hall
Kerang
