Consolidated Liberator B-24 / F-7

(DND Photos via James Craik) (Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page)
Consolidated Liberator G.R. Mk. VIII, RCAF (Serial No. 11130) ex-USAAF Consolidated (Vultee) B-24L Liberator USAAF (44-50154)
ex-RAF (Serial No. 5009), ex-Indian Air Force (Serial No. HE773).
Currently preserved in the Canada Aviation and Space Museum Ottawa Ontario.

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber flown by the RCAF during the Second Word War. It was designed with a shoulder-mounted, high aspect ratio Davis wing which gave the Liberator a high cruise speed, long range and the ability to carry a heavy bomb load. Early RAF Liberators were the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean as a matter of routine. In comparison with its contemporaries the B-24 was relatively difficult to fly and had poor low speed performance; it also had a lower ceiling compared with the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Of the roughly 18,500 B-24s built in the USA during the war, 148 were flown by the RCAF on long range anti-submarine patrols, with the B-24 serving an instrumental role in closing the Mid-Atlantic gap in the Battle of the Atlantic. The RCAF also flew a few B-24s post war as transports.

Roughly half of all (RAF) Liberator crews in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theatre were Canadian by the end of the war. John Muir of Vancouver flew the longest mission of the war: 24hrs, 10mins from Ceylon to Burma and back. (Kyle Hood) Harold Skaarup web page

Liberator bomber

Wikipedia Liberator bomber

Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Liberator FL959

Liberator FL959 (Flying Officer G.H. Wharram) took off from Gibraltar at 1030 hours on 2nd September 1943, to carry out anti-submarine sweep in the Bay of Biscay. At 1615 hours, whilst in position 44.00 N, 11.00 W, Liberator was attacked by four Ju.88s. After combat, Liberator was forced to ditch. The captain (Flying Officer Wharram) was killed in action. Sergeant Maloney was killed in the ditching process. "The remaining members of the crew (Flight Sergeant Foss, Flying Officer Collins, Sergeant Bareham, Flying Officer Miller, Sergeant Dilks, Flying Officer Wilcox and Flying Officer Johnston) were in a dinghy for some days. "Flying Officer Miller and Flying Officer [sic] Wilcox died on 7th September and 8th September 1943, respectively, and were both buried at sea, "The remaining members of the crew were rescued at 0945 hours on 9th September 1943 by HMS Wildgoose, but Pilot Officer Collins and Sergeant Bareham died on board ship. "The following personnel survived the ordeal and are now in hospital: Flight Sergeant R.J. Ross [sic] Sergeant M.W. Dilks Flying Officer Johnstone RAF Commands, The Biscay saga