‘When the Yanks were here’: NQ Military Muster a humble success for first-time organisers

Attendance numbers at Townsville’s first-ever military muster have surprised organisers, with a stream of curious visitors turning up in Woodstock. See the picture gallery.

Former RAAF pilot Pete Marris in a Yak-52 warbird, previously used by Russians to train their military pilots. Pete works full-time for Lifeflight as a rescue helicopter pilot in Bundaberg.

Attendance numbers at Townsville’s first-ever military muster have surprised organisers, with a stream of curious enthusiasts coming out of the woodwork in Woodstock.

Townsville man George Sellen attended the Donnington Airpark event with his 1945 Dodge weapons carrier - the exact same age as its owner.

“I was born in 1945 in Railway Estate,” Mr Sellen said.

“As a kid every second sentence started with ‘when the Yanks were here’ and I remember that. Once there were 40,000 people in Townsville and 100,000 Yanks. The world was on rations but the Yanks had everything, they had Coca Cola, they had Jeeps. I’ve always remembered that.”

Mr Sellen said he purchased his Dodge in Charters Towers.

Townsville man George Sellen with his 1945 Dodge weapons carrier.

“I knew of it, I’d seen it sold around,” he said.

“All I know about its history is it was made in January 1945, and it was transferred to the Norwegian Armed Forces and it was rebuilt in the 50s in Australia.”

The rebuild would’ve been needed before armies “just trashed” their vehicles, Mr Sellen said.

“What I love most about owning this vehicle is I get to do things like this and talk to people.”

Military and Historic Vehicle Club president Col Feather attended alongside a number of club members and their old cars - mainly Jeeps.

“We take our cars to whatever displays we can come to, and on Anzac Day we transport the veterans who can’t march anymore,” Mr Feather said of the club’s activities.

“We also get a fair bit of requests to attend funerals with the cars.”

The group all drove their antique military vehicles out to Woodstock - all except one owner who brought two so needed to trailer them.

‘When the Yanks were here’: NQ Military Muster a humble success

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David McLean drove down from Cairns to attend with his 1942 GPW Jeep.

“This vehicle is over 80 years old and there isn’t a computer in it,” Mr McLean said.

“Parts for these cars are available practically overnight, and they are very popular with collectors because they can fit in any garage. And you can get them for under $30,000.”

When asked what they loved most about owning old wartime Jeeps, both men said it was the social interactions.

“I love talking to kids and educating people,” Mr McLean said.

Also at the event was motorcycle builder Lucky Keizer from Mackay, who brought up his handmade Merlin.

Made from an old Rolls Royce engine out of a Mosquito WWII aircraft, Mr Keizer said he’d always had a dream as a kid to own the largest V-twin in the world - and in the ‘80s he achieved it with the Merlin.

Lucky Keizer with his handcrafted Merlin motorcycle.

“It’s about 42 years old now. It used to be very popular overseas; I’ve been invited to America twice and Germany once, but I like small events like this one,” Mr Keizer said.

“I raced it in America and won everything, but they disqualified me. I know it is the biggest V-twin in the world, and there will never be another like it.”

Mr Keizer said there was a ‘bus load’ of people who doubted the motorcycle would ever run.

“When I first built it, it took about 1000 hours of work. To make the crankshaft was 300 hours,” he said.

“Now I just tinker with it, here and there.”

Attendance numbers at the free event were better than expected for organiser Christian Smith, who said Donnington Airpark will continue to build their community calendar off the back of the success.

Originally published as ‘When the Yanks were here’: NQ Military Muster a humble success for first-time organisers