One of the aviation modelling periodicals had an interesting article about the famous beer-carrying Spitfire IX which flew two barrels of beer underneath its wings to troops in France.
The article claims this to have been Johnny Johnson’s aircraft, and indeed the writer had built a Spitfire IX suitably marked-up and modified.
Is there a pic of this anywhere?
By: Papa Lima - 7th June 2004 at 12:00
The first photo showing a close-up of the barrel on the wing is also spread across pages 114 and 115 of Alfred Price’s “Spitfire – A Complete Fighting History” better quality photo but impossible to scan properly!
By: DazDaMan - 7th June 2004 at 11:52
Thanks for that, guys. I would have attempted to Google for it, but as I’m at work, Googling for something with XXX in it would have landed me in several tons of sh*t with the IT boys! 😀
I remember seeing the flying shot now, and I think it was in “Spitfire – The History”, and also the one of the Norwegian pilot in another book.
I’ll try and scan the magazine images, as I’d never heard anything about Johnny ferrying beer across, or at least his aircraft being used for it. (The serial on the model was MK392, but I think this was incorrect – Late Marque Spitfire Aces has a colour profile of the aircraft showing another serial :confused: )
By: allan125 - 7th June 2004 at 11:18
Another photograph on a similar theme.
Beer from barrels being poured into a Spitfire ‘torpedo’ drop tank.
I suspect that the potential for uplifting media PR at the time was so high that they had two hits at it.
Mark
Photo source: ‘Spitfire – Story of a famous fighter’ by Bruce Robertson
The pilot is Nils Magne Jørgensen, a Norwegian, who served with No. 332 (Norwegian) Squadron and ended up as a POW – surviving the war.
The photo is a staged one, several other photos taken during what must have been a “Press Day” during late summer/early autumn 1944 showing other normal duties like re-fuelling, re-arming, etc., and the Spitfire IX is 9N-Y from No.127 Squadron which was also part of No. 132 (Norwegian) Wing. Place is most likely to be B.57 Lille-Nord, B.60 Grimbergen or, just possibly, B.79 Woensdrecht. – cheers !! – Allan 🙂
By: allan125 - 7th June 2004 at 11:17
Only here for the beer !!!
Another photograph on a similar theme.
Beer from barrels being poured into a Spitfire ‘torpedo’ drop tank.
I suspect that the potential for uplifting media PR at the time was so high that they had two hits at it. Mark
Photo source: ‘Spitfire – Story of a famous fighter’ by Bruce Robertson
The pilot is Nils Magne Jørgensen, a Norwegian, who served with No. 332 (Norwegian) Squadron and ended up as a POW – surviving the war.
The photo is a staged one, several other photos taken during what must have been a “Press Day” during late summer/early autumn 1944 showing other normal duties like re-fuelling, re-arming, etc., and the Spitfire IX is 9N-Y from No.127 Squadron which was also part of No. 132 (Norwegian) Wing. Place is most likely to be B.57 Lille-Nord, B.60 Grimbergen or, just possibly, B.79 Woensdrecht. – cheers !! – Allan 🙂
By: Mark12 - 7th June 2004 at 10:28
Another photograph on a similar theme.
Beer from barrels being poured into a Spitfire ‘torpedo’ drop tank.
I suspect that the potential for uplifting media PR at the time was so high that they had two hits at it.
Mark
Photo source: ‘Spitfire – Story of a famous fighter’ by Bruce Robertson
By: Archer - 7th June 2004 at 09:19
Yes there is. I found these on the internet a few years ago, but I’ve seen the image in a book somewhere as well (cannot remember where though).
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June 7, 2004 at 9:11 am