Shady Lady (aircraft)

Shady Lady was a Consolidated B-24 Liberator aircraft that in August 1943 flew one of World War II's longest bombing missions, from Darwin in Australia to the oil refineries at Balikpapan in the East Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo, Indonesia.

[1] Shortly before running out of fuel on the return flight from the target, Shady Lady was crash-landed on a remote salt pan in northern Western Australia after flying for 16 hours and 35 minutes.

Shady Lady was part of the 380th Bombardment Group which flew B-24 bombers in the South West and Western Pacific areas in WWII.

After carrying out many long-range test flights using newly developed cruise techniques to increase range, the mission was approved.

[2][8][9] On August 13 1943, carrying a crew of 10 and one RAAF photographer, Shady Lady was one of eleven bombers that followed the setting sun westward past Timor into heavily defended enemy territory.

At dawn the Shady Lady crew realised they were miles off course and if they had any chance of getting back to Australia alive they needed to overfly a main Japanese air base in Timor.

Shady Lady was intercepted by two Japanese fighters, but after continuous attacks she finally escaped when they gave up and she headed for Australia.

With only days to spare, Shady Lady was finally pushed back and prepared for the flight to Fenton Airfield south of Darwin.