Hello, I recently came across a fascinating article by Martyn Cornell (http://zythophile.co.uk/2014/06/06/you-wont-believe-this-one-weird-tric…) about the so-called “modification xxx” used to fly beer barrels under the wings of Spitfires. A google search suggested it has also been referenced in this forum before.
My Grandfather, Tadeusz Szumowski, was a pilot with the polish squadrons and kept a diary which was privately published in a small run (‘Through many skies’ – sadly now out of print). The article rang a bell, and I looked back his diary and, indeed, he has an entry referring to working alongside the ground crew devising the nose cone modification. So, in case anyone is interested in researching the topic in the future, I attach a scan of the relevant extract. The diary can occasionally be found on ebay or abebooks etc.
Many thanks.
Marek
(P.S – any forum moderators, please feel free to move this post to an appropriate existing thread if that would be better)
By: John Green - 16th April 2021 at 10:40
Marek,
Thank you for that piece. I’d heard about ‘beer in barrels’ but, didn’t know how it was done. Your family must be very proud of your grandfather’s contribution during WW2. The courage, determination and skill of the Polish airman are remembered by the British to this day. We are thankful beyond measure for all that they did.
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April 13, 2021 at 9:24 am