Exhibition by the Vršič Association “The Silver Bird from under Jalovec” Opened at the Park of Military History

On Wednesday, 21 May, the Park of Military History hosted the opening of a guest exhibition by the Vršič Association entitled The Silver Bird from under Jalovec – the B-24G Liberator Aircraft 42-78259 and Its Crew. The guest exhibition serves as a complement to the museum’s permanent exhibition To Hell and Back, which explores the crashes of American aircraft over the territory of present-day Slovenia during the Second World War.

At the heart of the exhibition lies the story of the American B-24 Liberator bomber, which took off on 22 November 1944 from Pantanella Airfield in southern Italy as part of the 780th Bombardment Squadron. Due to adverse weather conditions, the squadron was redirected towards Salzburg. While flying over the Julian Alps, the aircraft was hit and subsequently crashed between Mount Jalovec and the Kot Saddle.

The exhibition was curated by Dr Uroš Košir and Aleš Bedič from the Vršič Association for the Research and Study of Military and Technical Heritage. It is the result of their many years of dedicated research. The Park of Military History has been cooperating with both authors for several years; in 2021, Mr Bedič also contributed to the enhancement of the permanent exhibition To Hell and Back.

The opening ceremony featured addresses by the Director of the Park of Military History, Mag. Janko Boštjančič, the exhibition’s author, Dr Uroš Košir, and the Mayor of the Municipality of Kranjska Gora, Mrs Henrika Zupan, who officially inaugurated the exhibition. The event was accompanied by a short musical performance by Silvo Čelhar.

The event was attended by several distinguished guests, including the United States Defence Attaché to Slovenia, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Mayeda, the Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Pivka, Mrs Majda Godina, and the Director of the Pivka Tourism Institute, Mrs Jana Gržinič.

The exhibition, accompanied by a display case, enhances the existing museum content, which addresses the stories of more than 260 aircraft that crashed over present-day Slovenia during the Second World War – among them 142 American planes. Through such exhibitions, the Park of Military History continues its efforts to research and preserve military heritage.

Sincere thanks are extended to the Vršič Association and to both authors of the exhibition.