A behemoth from Oak Harbor’s recent history inched through the city’s dark streets just after midnight Saturday.

The PBY Memorial Foundation moved the PBY Catalina, a giant World War II-era seaplane, from the Navy Seaplane Base to a new location across from the PBY-Naval Air Museum on Pioneer Way.

Hopefully, the impressive aircraft will lure plenty of people to the museum, where they can learn about the roles the aircraft,  Seaplane Base and personnel stationed at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station served during WWII.

It’s a fascinating history of danger, bravery, hard work and, in some cases, the ultimate sacrifice.

Squadrons of PBY Catalinas flew from the Seaplane Base, starting in December 1942 when Lt. J.A. Morrison brought in the first PBY. These squadrons flew to Alaska locations such as Dutch Harbor, Cold Bay, Umnak, Nazan Bay, Adak, Amchitka, Shemya and Attu, according to historical background from the Whidbey Patrol Squadron Memorial.

Imagine what it must have been like when the big flying boats took off and landed at the base 70 years ago.

NAS Whidbey’s base guide describes the PBYs taking off “with a churning of water and a roar of engines for their practice runs in Saratoga Passage, then returned, skimming the hill above the hangar and settling into the bay to repeat the maneuver.”

This particular aircraft was named Gerral’s Girl, which was shortened to GiGi, in honor of former base Commanding Officer Gerral David, who helped to bring it here.

Volunteers’ research later revealed that the aircraft’s original nickname during the war was Radar Rachel and had an image of a young woman painted on its nose.

The museum covers a lot of ground beyond the PBYs and includes exhibits on all the other aircraft that once flew on Whidbey Island.

The best part of the PBY museum is that the history it contains is alive. You can meet volunteers who were stationed here decades ago and have first-hand knowledge of the aircraft and people of the past.

The stories they have to tell are the stories of Oak Harbor.

The PBY Memorial Foundation moved the PBY Catalina, a giant World War II-era seaplane, from the Navy Seaplane Base to a new location across from the PBY-Naval Air Museum on Pioneer Way.

Hopefully, the impressive aircraft will lure plenty of people to the museum, where they can learn about the roles the aircraft,  Seaplane Base and personnel stationed at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station served during WWII.

It’s a fascinating history of danger, bravery, hard work and, in some cases, the ultimate sacrifice.

Squadrons of PBY Catalinas flew from the Seaplane Base, starting in December 1942 when Lt. J.A. Morrison brought in the first PBY. These squadrons flew to Alaska locations such as Dutch Harbor, Cold Bay, Umnak, Nazan Bay, Adak, Amchitka, Shemya and Attu, according to historical background from the Whidbey Patrol Squadron Memorial.

Imagine what it must have been like when the big flying boats took off and landed at the base 70 years ago.

NAS Whidbey’s base guide describes the PBYs taking off “with a churning of water and a roar of engines for their practice runs in Saratoga Passage, then returned, skimming the hill above the hangar and settling into the bay to repeat the maneuver.”

This particular aircraft was named Gerral’s Girl, which was shortened to GiGi, in honor of former base Commanding Officer Gerral David, who helped to bring it here.

Volunteers’ research later revealed that the aircraft’s original nickname during the war was Radar Rachel and had an image of a young woman painted on its nose.

The museum covers a lot of ground beyond the PBYs and includes exhibits on all the other aircraft that once flew on Whidbey Island.

The best part of the PBY museum is that the history it contains is alive. You can meet volunteers who were stationed here decades ago and have first-hand knowledge of the aircraft and people of the past.

The stories they have to tell are the stories of Oak Harbor.