Liberators in England in World War II

Peter Bodle started out in life as an engineer, became a designer, and then an inventor by inventing the Passive Floor Path Marking System for passenger carrying aircraft. The company he started then, is now the world's leader in this technology. Its success has allowed Peter the time to pursue his writing interests and thus far he has published over twenty-five titles, mainly biographies and aviation history. He was a light aircraft pilot for almost 25 years and is married with four children and a growing number of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

The Consolidated B24 Liberator was built in greater numbers than any other American aircraft in history, and in more versions than any other aircraft up to that time. It served on every front in World War II, and with now fewer than 15 Allied nations. It had an unusual layout - dictated by the slender Davis wing placed above its tall bomb bays. This wing was very efficient in cruising flight, which combined with the aircraft's great fuel capacity to give the B-24 longer effective range than any land plane of its day. The B-24D was the first version produced in great numbers. It had turbocharged engines, increased fuel capacity and improved armament, as well as many detail changes. A total of 2,738 served with US Bomb Groups in Europe and the Pacific. The B-24D enabled RAF Coastal Command and US forces to close the 'mid-Atlantic gap' - in which U-boats had been able to operate with devastating effect beyond range of previous Allied antisubmarine aircraft. A total of 18,188 Liberators and Liberator variants were built between June of 1941 and the closing down of the last assembly line on May 31, 1945.