Today I was lucky enough to get a personal tour of Australia's only surviving B-24 Liberator long range heavy bomber. Most aviation enthusiasts are aware of the role of the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator in USAAF service during WW2. Many however may not be aware that the RAAF also flew 7 squadrons of the B-24 Liberator in long range strikes against Japanese military targets in South East Asia. RAAF B-24s flew north, from bases in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and later on in the war from bases at Morotai and the Philippines, on missions to strike high value and static targets. These targets included airbases, bridges, military installations and also anti-ship strikes conducted at low level. Carrying a large bombload and protected by a set of defensive crewed gun positions, the RAAF B-24s routinely flew into Japanese controlled airspace and as a result were subjected to strong attacks during these missions and suffered some losses. Selected RAAF crews also performed special operations missions. During WW2, the RAAF operated a mixed fleet of 287 B-24D/J/L and M models, of which 33 were lost in action with, sadly, more than 200 aircrew lost.