This Lockheed Ventura (serial number unknown) was the centrepiece of a float in a parade to welcome home service nurses after the war. The parade was held in Melbourne on 29 November 1945 as reported in The Herald of that date. The float was curiously described as "a RAAF hospital transport train" but subsequently it was referred to as a "plane".

The Herald, Melbourne 13 January 1947

Which Ventura was the Ambulance?

If the aeroplane came from Werribee as the above article suggests, we need to look for any Ventura disposals at Werribee. (See disposition table below). There were only two, A59-3 and A59-61, both of which finished up at No 1 Central Recovery Depot which was based at Werribee. A59-3 was an RB-34 which was received at Werribee on 20FEB45. The Ventura Ambulance appears to be a PV-1 so probably A69-61 is a more likely candidate. The timeline for A59-61 is:

This implies that A59-61 was intact and probably airworthy as late as July 1945 and for service with the Transport & Ferry Squadron it was probably stripped of camouflage. Having been approved for conversion to components in September 1945, there would have been ample time for 1AD to repurpose it as a float for the Nurses' parade in November. With no other use in sight, one could imagine that the OC RAAF Laverton would want it off his base and indeed A59-61 was issued to 1CRD at Werribee less than a month after the parade. Large quantities of aircraft and other military equipment were sold from Werribee postwar by the Commonwealth Disposals Commission. Many sales were advertised in the Melbourne newspapers but no specific mention of the Ventura has emerged. Probably by this time the aircraft was regarded as scrap and there were indeed many advertisements for the sale of scrap metal from Werribee. As per the newspaper cutting above, we know that the Ventura Ambulance was transported from Werribee to Point Lonsdale on 13 January 1947.

Given the proximity of Werribee and Laverton, there is cause to examine the Venturas that ended their careers at 1 Aircraft Depot Laverton. As per the table below there were six of them.

It would appear therefore that none of these aircraft could have served as a parade float in November 1945.

The fact that a seemingly airworthy aeroplane could be used for such a purpose serves to demonstrate how expendable these aeroplanes were at the end of the war. On 24 October 1946 it was announced that the RAAF was releasing to the Commonwealth Disposals Commission, 53 Venturas as well as 320 Kittyhawks, 250 Wirraways, 104 Liberators, 34 Mitchells and 12 Mariners.

Probably we will never know for certain the identity of the Ventura Ambulance but the weight of evidence suggests that it was probably A59-61.

The aircraft was photographed at Point Lonsdale in 1956 but what happened to it after that is unknown. Presumably it was later scrapped.