Indian Air Force Consolidated B-24 Liberator

When India gained independence in 1947, 42 Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers were resurrected by HAL and served with No.5, No.6 and No.16 Squadrons until their retirement in 1968.

Following the Second World War, the RAF had been forced to dispose of a number of Consolidated B-24 Liberators in India which it had received from the United States under the terms of the Lend-Lease agreement. These Liberators were sent to Kanpur, where they were damaged by RAF personnel in a variety of ways, rendering them unusable. However, the RIAF, which had for years relied on salvage and repair operations to keep its equipment-starved squadrons operating, was able to repair the Liberators. Some 42 Liberators were made air-worthy using spare parts cannibalized from other Liberators. The IAF became the last air force in the world to fly the Liberator. The Royal Air Museum asked for and received a B-24 Liberator aircraft for display at its museum, which was flown in 1974 from India to the United Kingdom. It is still on display.