Consolidated C-109 Tankers

[Ianshaw]

Hi There,

I hope some one can help me in a search for info and pictures on Consolidated C-109 Tankers. The scenario is my Dad who was on an RAF Crash n Smash recovery team at the end of the war flew in a C-109 from RAF/USAAF Watton in Feb 1945 on a C-109 Tanker that apparrently stank of 100 octane petrol fumes!

He tells me it was painted black all over with US markings, no DDay Stripes. Can anyone help with any pictures of C-109's as my Dad has decided he would like one for Christmas. I plan to use the Minicraft 1/144 scale B-24J as the base kit and blank off all the turrets.

Time is of the essence as I have to have it finished for Christmas, I trawled the interweb and only come up with 2 pics of C-109's used in China to transport fuel.

Hoping someone can help.

Cheers

Ian Shaw

[ptcruiser]

Hi Ian
The C-109 ref on Wikipedia refers only to operations in the far east. The ones you describe could be ones that were operated by the special forces.
Checkout harringtonmuseum.org.uk/CarpetbaggerMuseumHomePage.htm
as the 801/492 did conduct fuel runs to the Ardennes area during the period you mention. They had additional drop tanks added to the bomb bays and also utilsed the wing tanks for the ferry job. In their usual configeration, they may have appeared like C-109's but were in fact stripped out B24's (various marks) used for low level night time OSS operations across Europe.

One featue your father may recall was the ball turrent was removed and the resulting 'Joe Hole' was where the agents parachuted to the reception committees below. This may have been boarded over for the fuel flights.
Rich

*EDIT* Hi Ian, just read through the web page myself in more depth and whils the squadron did run the fuel runs, the P51 tanks were in the main body whilst the bomb bay contained 2x400gal tanks, but they also ran those missions in Sept '44, so it probably wasn't their machines. To quote "When the operation was ended on September 30th, 822,791 gallons of 80 octane gasoline had been flown out to three separate airfields in France and Belgium."

Rich

[The Librarian]

Hey Ian

I know that Wolfpak decals 72-002 had a B-24D "Carpetbagger". Not sure if its still available though.

All the best
Max