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Old 06-01-2009, 11:16 AM
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Well, it appears to be a plane from RAF Squadron 178. I can't find any specific historical significance of this plane, but Mike is probably spot on with the supply drop idea based on this quote (reference) "WARSAW Bombing and mining operations continued into the summer and by the end of July 178 was equipped solely with Liberator B VIs. In August as the Soviet Army approached Warsaw the underground Polish Home Army under General Bor-Komarowski rose against their Nazi oppressors. However the Soviet advance paused and therefore the only practical help available to the Poles were air supply drops by allied squadrons from Italy.
Initially the Special Duties units, No 148 Squadron and No 1586 (Polish) SD Flight began operations to Warsaw, but heavy losses soon required that they be reinforced. Thus on 13 August, 178 and 31 Squadron SAAF were tasked with dropping supplies to the beleaguered Home Army in Warsaw which involved a round trip of 1800 miles, most of it over heavily defended enemy territory."
There is some question of the accuracy of this plane completing these missions, as the same page says that the unit was equipped with only Liberator IV's by that point and plane BZ890 is definitely a type III (63931 to RAF as Liberator III BZ890. SOC Nov 30, 1943).
The only other information I can gather is that the plane was based out of base 'Terria' in Libya (reference) based on the time given where the unit used type III Liberators falling completely into the window of the unit being stationed there.
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Last edited by dansls1; 06-01-2009 at 11:19 AM.
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