The B-24 Liberator The B-24 Liberator was a long-range heavy bomber that saw service in every theater of World War II. The Liberator was more widely used, had longer range, and carried a larger bomb load than the more well known B-17. In six years, more B-24 bombers were built than any other American combat aircraft in history. In addition, the B-24 offered more cockpit room than the B-17. The unusual through-the-panel control yoke imposed limits on instrument placement. This B-24D, nicknamed Strawberry Bitch, was flown on fifty-nine combat missions from Libya and Tunisia in 1943 to 1944 with the 512th Bombardment Squadron. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manufacturer: Consolidated Type: Bomber (Heavy) Number Built: 18,482 First Flight: 24 December 1939 (XB-24) In Service: 1941 – 1968 (USAAF service ended in 1945, although a limited number of aircraft saw service with the Indian Air Force until 1968.) Notable: On 1 August 1943, 177 crews participated in the mass low-level raid on the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania; four airmen were later awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions during the raid. Photographer/Location: John Rossino/National Museum of the US Air Force The artwork below features the famous Ploesti raid.
If I have your cockpit photo right, that's the USAFM and Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby in the background? One of my fave aircraft and Kyt is quite knowledgable about her use in SEAC so surprised we haven't done this earlier. Good post. B24 Liberator Australia - Home - Australia's restoration project YouTube - B-24 bombers fly to Burma to attack railroad bridges RAF Liberator Squadrons - awesome, awesome website. I see in the bibliography they've dodgied up the Tom Scotland pic to have him holding a Lib photo when the original pic on the back of the book has him with a Halifax pic! LOL. seac Indian Air Force - Liberators [Gp Capt Kapil Bhargava] - India's reclaimed Libs B-24 — The Liberator Survivors - survivors, although Diamond Lil has now been converted to configuration of B-24A and carries the name "Ol 927". Also doesn't list the complete hulk still in situ in the Aleutians.
The U.S. Navy version, note the different tail section. PB4Y Privateer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Very cool a/c, DL, and not publicised enough despite being in the thick of it in the latter stages so bloody good thinking with the post. There's one being restored to fly in the US and I think they have or are being retired as fire bombers. Hang on, I'll just got find the one under resto... Couple of pics here ( A Warbirds Resource Group Site :: View topic - PB4Y-2 to Fly ). Museum website is out of date but have included their blurb below as well. Lone Star Flight Museum,Galveston,Texas,warbirds,military planes PB4Y-2 PRIVATEER, #59819, N3739G, Hangar 1 at the LSFM [GLS]: Installation rings for the top turrets have been completed and the attach points are well underway. Royce McKinney is leading the charge in this area and the interior sheet metal work, and in the antenna blister manufacture/installation which explains all those funny grease pencil marks all over the –4Y. Great strides in the aft galley area, crew stations and aircraft flooring have been made. Engine nacelles and fairings are looking much better thanks to the –4Y gang. Les Wynn, our resident electrical guru, got all the big-iron drivers together and finalized the flight deck layout so he has his hands full now. This restoration is a joint maintenance shop/volunteer project but the vast majority of work has come from the Privateer volunteer gang Couldn't resist these pics of tankers: Goleta Air and Space Museum: P4Y-2 Privateer Tankers After all that, almost needs a thread of its own!
Thanks for the kind words By the way I didn't have to dodgy up the photo, it's how Tom sent it to me, he sent me a signed copy of his book with a special message inside for the work on the site The site is still going, I'm actually in the process of moving it to a CMS based system so that I can update it and others can collaborate Old site - RAF Liberator Squadrons new site - RAF Liberator Squadrons Eventually both url's will get you there.
G'day RAFLibs and welcome aboard. Haven't visited your site for a while so will have to see what you've been up to but thank you for taking the time to put it together. That's how Tom sent you the pic?! LOL, classic. I met him early last year when he was up in Perth visiting family and he certainly had quite a mischievous glint to his eyes. What got you into RAF Libs? Am off to visit the site so will probably answer that for myself.
G'day Andy, you can call me Gary or Gaz Grandfather was FE on 178 and 355 Squadrons, usual thing wanted to know more, couldn't find it so thought bollox I'll do it myself That was 9 years ago and I've still not found any new information on his service. I've been so busy with other people's research not had time to do my own, but it's just how I like it. You can find another Tom Scotland short story on my site, he's not published this one as far as I know. A Summer Evening in Italy
Feel free to post about your Grandfather here, Gaz, you never know what we might turn up. I've had some "dealings" with 178 Sqn as I interviewed a Perth veteran in 07 and early last year before moving to Melbourne. He initially flew Hurris in Army Co-op and then volunteered to fly Wellingtons and, later Libs, IIRC. He was based at Foggia for a while hence me looking into 178. There's a thread on here somewhere that discusses us trying to put it all together. Unfortunately, an ex-wife burnt his log book. His flat was full of 205 Group memorabilia etc. http://ww2chat.com/forums/war-air/251-interesting-airman-anyone-have-any-reference.html Have you seen my ramblings about Liberators of the Eastern Front in the SEAC Libs thread?
Regarding the war time service of the Liberator, one must consider the fact that it was the British who first flew the aircraft operationally, namely No.120 Squadron RAF Coastal Command, the Squadron was reformed 2 June 1941 at RAF Nutts Corner, Northern Ireland. The first B-24s to arrive at Nutts Corner were the LB.30B's AM913, AM914 and AM922 on 8 June 1941 , these aircraft were unmodified (unarmed) and were to be used for crew training, the aircraft was so new training had to be done on the job. The Squadron officially began operations on 20 September 1941 when F/L. S J. Harrison and crew in Liberator I AM924 D/120 flew an anti-submarine patrol accompanied by the Commanding Officer, Wg. Cdr. McBratney. Later in the same day. F/L. Bulloch and crew flew a similar sortie in Liberator I AM928 A/120. The first B-24 Liberator to land in the UK was AM259 an LB.30A, this aircraft was the first four engine land plane to make a transatlantic crossing, landing at Squires Gate on 14 March 1941. The photo is of AM259 taken on her arrival At Squires Gate. Regards Peter.
Don't think I have that image, yet...... Thanks for the info, my site is probably only about 1/10 of the data I have waiting to be added. Take for instance I have a wartime book about coastal command that gives a truck load of data and it's past it's copyright period. I'm trying to grow this new site in to more of a community than it ever has been, I have to because I won't have time to moderate it and add content so I'll need all the help I can get from the community, which is where the collaboration benefits of a CMS come in to play
I should of known, a Peter that knows so much about Coastal Command. It is a small world indeed The new site only went up last month and you were one of the first, hope the stories stay long enough to read now I stumbled accross this place while playing with Google analytics, found out I had been falsely accused of fudging up a photo of Tom Scotland and had to respond Slowly getting it all together, next step is to make contact with all the old researchers and helpers from old Need to drive traffic to the forums as well.
So long as it's nice things like, trying to conquer the world, suppressing the free will of the masses etc
Yeah, hence the title of the site. The site is a lifetime project mate, it's been going 9 years (ok so it didn't get updated for a couple of years while I moved to the other side of the planet) and I'm hoping it's something I can hand on to nipper when he gets old enough to appreciate it. It's always been my goal to incorporate all of the Commonwealth stuff but lack of knowledge, time, contacts etc has left it somewhat devoid of content in that regard. Do you know anyone who would like to take on this repsonsibility and be "in charge" of building up the antipodean side of things?
