Recent content by robstitt

Found a partial answer in a Ferry Command report of October 1942, courtesy of Darrell Hillier: The civilian RAF Ferry Command crew of 41-23882 was ferrying on behalf of US Air Transport Command, confirming the aircraft was destined for a USAAF unit. The report also references RAFFC crews on...

Hi Mike: Thanks - will look out for that book. Robert

Thanks, Geoffrey. I've not found any confirmation that this aircraft was destined for the RAF - no mention or listing in any of the usual Lend-Lease serial books - so am leaning towards the note on the IARC 'was ready for RAF' referring to the aircraft being ready for handing over to RAF Ferry...

Many thanks for yours, Geoffrey. I've no doubt the aircraft was destined for the USAAF. There was no Air Ministry serial assigned to 41-23882 as was always the case with B-24s allocated to Britain (with the exception of the emergency supply of a dozen B-24D/Liberator IIIs that became LV336-346...

Hi Geoffrey: Re the RCAF B-17s (Post #13) , I don't believe they were regarded as Fortress IIs and IIAs which I think only applied to aircraft delivered to the UK and modified for ASW operations at RAF Burtonwood following initial modifications at the Cheyenne Modification Center. I think the...

Liberator B-24D 41-23882 crashed shortly after take-off from Trinidad on October 14, 1942 while being ferried by an all-civilian RAF Ferry Command crew. It was en route to Belem, Brazil and onwards along the southern transatlantic ferry route. Looking for details regarding its intended...

42-31031/SR388 was the last B-17F built. Photo location is very likely No. 51 Maintenance Unit (MU) at Lichfield where the majority of withdrawn RAF Fortresses were stored and eventually scrapped. I have several similar photos taken at Lichfield with the same background.

You're welcome. You can reach me at robstittATbrookhouseDOTbcDOTca and I'll forward what I have.

I've written something up on this that I can send you as it applied to the B-17 Fortress aircraft in RAF Coastal Command service. By way of a summary in answer to your question, here's the last three paragraphs: According to Armament Vol I Bombs And Bombing Equipment, the LLBS Mark III became a...

Thanks, Geoffrey. I suspect the two serial tie-ups in the Air-Britain book The British Air Commission and Lend-Lease were transposed.

Many thanks for the quick reply. I see that the content from the RAF Commands database quotes the USAAC serial as 41-11590. Will post again once I've sorted that out. Update: Three reputable source books, two giving the USAAC serial as 41-11590 (Oughton and Butler) and one as 41-11599...

Looking for a copy of the IARC for Liberator 41-11599. Trying to confirm when it arrived at Dorval on delivery to Britain as FK222 in the spring of 1942. Thanks!

Two delivered to Britain: FR408, ex 42-68937, delivered Speke to RAE Farnborough on May 17, 1944. Crashed there July 31 when gear failed to lower after 5:15 flyng hours. Replaced by FZ440, ex 42-69423, delivered Renfrew to Farnboriugh on September 20, 1944. Used for laminar flow wing trials...

Glad to see my Coastal Command Fortress book is proving to be a useful reference. Replying to Snautzer01's photo post of FK185, it is equally possible that the white paint is wearing away to reveal Deep Sky. Research for my 2nd edition confirmed that an unknown number of initial deliveries of...

Ian: Have information on the delivery of the 20 B-17Cs to the UK. Please feel free to contact me at robstittATbrookhouseDOTbcDOTca Best book on ATFERO/RAF Ferry Command is Ocean Bridge by Carl A. Christie. Robert