RAF links to IAF Liberator serial Numbers

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

Seeking tie-ups with RAF Liberator's to their IAF serial numbers.

Any details ?

Are they connected in the AB book "The Liberators in RAF & Commonwealth Service ?

Thanks
Alex

[Dakota]

G'day Alex

Have you been to either of these sites yet?

Cheers...Chris

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Aircraft/Liberator.html

http://www.rquirk.com/fail/article/Failsurv.htm

Cheers...Chris

[Alex Smart]

Hello Chris,

Yes, thank you for the links anyway.

They do not list directly with US-RAF IAF serial. Only a few are delt with that give the three .

So far I have managed to get 16 linked out of a possible 41+.

Air Britain Serial books are not very helpful either.
Joe Baugher's USAAF Serials is a help but not all aircraft are given with links to the IAF.

This is what I have so far-
EW116 - 42-99787 - HE841
EW621 - 44-39248 - HE843
EW634 - 44-39261 - HE712
KL473 - 44-49052 - HE833
KL629 - 44-49800 - HE834
KN820 - 44-50154 - HE773 "M"
KN751 - 44-50206 - HE807 "K"
KH304 - 44-44175 - HE877 "A" ( some sources give serial as KH305).
KH310 - 44-44181 - HE923
KH342 - 44-44213 - HE924 "L"
KH391 - 44-44262 - HE848
KH392 - 44-44263 - HE846 "T"
KH401 - 44-44272 - HE771 "P"
KH409 - 44-44280 - HE845
KH191 - 44-44052 - T-18
????? - 44-10526 - HE839

The T-18 is for a training aircraft, interestinly a Spitfire of the National Cadet Corps Jaipur was T-17 (RAF/RIAF/IAF serial's ?)

Any additional info on the Liberators and the Spitfire noted would be welcome.
Alex

[Jagan]

Both T-18 and a T-20 (Spit MV293) were auctioned off from the Bangalore based Air Force Technical College. All the aircraft that AFTC held in initial years held "T" numbers. There is evidence that Liberator T-18 was once airworthy and was flown into the AFTC for permanent grounding as an instructional airframe. ( a photo (of a photo) of it in college appears here http://www.warbirds.in/Jalahalli/AFTC_Lib.jpg)

Recently a Vampire airframe painted for years as T-27 was re-discovered as VV211 , one of the only three F.3s that served in Indian service.

[Matt Poole]

Hi, folks,

The following incomplete cross-referencing is found in James D. Oughton's book, "The Liberator in Royal Air Force and Commonwealth Service". Most IAF airframes (39 listed in the book) could not be linked to RAF serials. On some, fuselage letter codes are given - additions to what Alex has. HE807 has no letter code, while one of Alex's sources has "K". HE846, per Oughton, was "T", then "D".

You will note that Oughton's HE841 info conflicts with what you have for its RAF/US serials, Alex.

Oughton also has a US serial of 44-10526 for HE839, but not an RAF serial. Per Baugher and elsewhere on the web this serial goes with a US 8th Air Force B-24J of the 707th BS, 446th BG, though Baugher notes the discrepancy with other sources linking this serial to the RAF and IAF.

I have given the current location for the airframes, with updated names of museums in some cases.

Cheers,

Matt

HE710
HE711
HE712 Z EW634 44-39261
HE771 P KH401 44-44272 Fantasy of Flight, USA
HE772
HE773 M KN820 44-50154 Canada Aviation Museum, CAN
HE787
HE788
HE789
HE803
HE804
HE806 Q
HE807 KN751 44-50206 RAF Museum, Hendon, UK
HE829
HE830
HE831
HE832
HE833 KL473 44-49052
HE834 L KL629 44-49800
HE835
HE839 B 44-10526 [This serial wrong? Other sources say this was “Goin My Way?”, a US 8th Air Force B-24J of the 707th Bomb Sqn, 446th Bomb Gp.]
HE840
HE841 H EW121 42-99792
HE842
HE843 EW621 44-39248
HE845 KH409 44-44280
HE846 T then D KH392 44-44263
HE847
HE848 D KH391 44-44262
HE853
HE877 A KH304 44-44175 Pima Air & Space Museum, USA
HE881
HE886
HE923 KH310 44-44181
HE924 L KH342 44-44213 Indian Air Force Museum, INDIA
HE925
HE926
HE927
T-18 KH191 44-44052 Collings Foundation, USA