The two photographs are of B-24 Liberator LB.30A. Serial AM259. This was the first four engine land plane to cross the Atlantic, arriving at Squires Gate on 14 March 1941. As such, AM259 was also the very first B-24 Liberator to arrive in the UK, taking the route St.Hubert - Gander - Squires Gate. The crew consisted of four, the pilots being Wg Cdr Waghorn and Flt Lt Summers, the Radio Officer was D. Raine and the Flight Engineer Sgt Slater RAF. AM259 became G-AGCD on the British civil register and was handed over to BOAC for operations on the Return Ferry Service. AM259 was struck off charge in November 1945.
Was this aircraft headed for Coastal Command?....It has been stripped of it's weapons from what I can see, and Liberators were much valued for Coastal work...may be interesting to trace this particular aircraft and find out what happened to it....
The crossing the Atlantic reference makes me think of a Liberator conversion Alanbrooke mentions often in his diaries ferrying him & Churchill around. Looking on the internerd suggests it would be a c-87 transport variant? Anyone ever seen any pictures of the interior of Churchill's, or know any more about that particular plane (or planes)? Cheers, Adam.
Golly Adam, have you got a library of source material by your computer?...your answers really are spot on....never heard of a c-87 'transport' variant....very obscure reference......many thanks....
I was able to crawl about in a C-87 about 25 years ago. Actually, she was a B-24 that was redesignated a C-87 after an accident damaged it beyond use as a bomber. It was owned by the Confederate Air Force, the Diamond Lil. They've since converted her back to a bomber-appearing aircraft by restoring the the greenhouse (not a glasshouse, mind you, whew) to the nose, etc. I have booklet from then that shows her with a closed in nose.
Was this aircraft headed for Coastal Command?....It has been stripped of it's weapons from what I can see, and Liberators were much valued for Coastal work...may be interesting to trace this particular aircraft and find out what happened to it.... The first Liberators to go to Coastal Command (No.120 Squadron) were the model LB.30B (B-24A) serialised AM910 - AM929. Some went to the squadron unarmed for crew training, others. AM910 - AM916 - AM917 - AM919 - AM921 - AM923 - AM924 - AM925 - AM926 -AM928 - AM929 were converted to Coastal configuration, ASV with a four forward firing 20mm cannon pack. None of the early deliveries of Liberators were delivered armed, they were converted for use with Coastal Command at Scottish Aviation,Prestwick. The B-24 in Jeffs post above should have been delivered to 120 Squadron as AM927, but as he says, she suffered an accident before she could be delivered. AM259 was never armed, she remained on the Return Ferry Service, making flights to the Middle East and Russia. The B-24 used by Churchill was MkII AL504 (Commando)
