128030 Accession Number: 128030

Description

A B-24L Liberator bomber, serial A72-84 and coded 'GR-D' of 24 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) banking over the jungle. The black forward facing chevron on the tail indicates it was serving with 24 Squadron RAAF at the time of the photograph being taken.

This aircraft was originally given the construction number of 44-41456 in the United States and once safely delivered to the RAAF it initially served with 7 Operational Training Unit (7OTU) at Tocumwal, NSW.

Given the nose art of 'COCK O'THE NORTH' which featured a rooster riding a bomb, a close-up image of this aircraft nose art can be found on the Northern Territory Library and Archives collection as PH1024/0003.

This Liberator went onto serve on dozens of successful missions in several operational RAAF B-24 Squadrons including Nos 24, 23 and 21 Squadron of the 82 Wing RAAF operating in the North West Area (NWA) during 1945 until the end of the war in early September 1945. During that period, it operated against Imperial Japanese ground forces occupying the Dutch East Indies (modern day Indonesia) and Borneo.

A72-84 survived the war and was scrapped in Australia. Parts of this aircraft including the wing and tailplane were salvaged post-war and are fitted to the sole surviving RAAF B-24 Liberator (A72-176) which being restored at Werribee, Victoria.

Details

Conflicts

• Second World War, 1939-1945

Units

• No. 24 Squadron

Tags

• Consolidated B24 Liberator