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Aviation History
1945
1945 - 0804.PDF
FLIGHT Pv AUSTRALIAN LIBEI&M A New South Wales Flying School Where Aircrew^^Tke a Two Ground Staff <4T Tocumwal, in Southern N.S.W., Australian Liberator /-% crews are being trained for operational duty over the •^ •*" Pacific. Many of the men from this unit are already in action against the Japs. No air tyros, the R.A.A.F. flyers at Tocumwal have previously been on operations in other types of aircraft, and are doing a two months' con- version course on Liberators. At the end of this course aircrews go to Nadzab (New Guinea) for four weeks' accli- matisation. After that they are ready to join unit squad- rons. This R.A.A.F. Liberator Unit was formed in February, 1944. The first Lib. arrived from U.S.A. in the following month, and the first course began in April. - Many pupils and most of the instructors are decorated air- men. Some have two or three awards. The Unit is proud of the fact that in its nine months' existence not one flying accident has occurred. Liberator O.T.U. is commanded by Grp. Capt. A. A. Barlow, formerly commander of a New Guinea Hudson Squadron, and the CO. at Tocumwal is Grp. Capt. R. S. Brown. These pictures were recently taken at Tocumwal (Left) One hundred thousaniAustralian pounds worth 0 Liberator being manoeuvre*into position by a tracto fitted with a special tow-barObserve the flat oval engim nacelles and cowlings whiclcame into use on thi Liberator III. The Goodriclpulsating de-icer strip can als< be seen on the leading edge (Above) An Australian "Waaf"engaged in a little useful window cleaning on the Emerson nose-turret of a B-24J. A pair of 0.51°- machine guns make any frontal ^attack a risky manoeuvre for Jap * fighters. (Left) One of the Tocumwal O.T.U. 's50 Liberators tucks up its legs as the zo-ton bomber becomes fully airborne.It carries an 8,ooo'lb. bomb load-
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