Spitfire – "GUNS LOADED"

I would be appreciative of highish res pix of these extra safety devices for my spade grip archive if at all possible please chaps?!!
cheers
Tony

A variation on the theme, this one is from a 257 Sqn Hurricane during August 1940.

Jeff

Interesting stuff, Jeff! The spade grip I posted a pic of is also a 257 Squadron Hurricane lost during 1940. Having spoken to others I now hear several other tales of mystery fittings and bits of dangling wire. Now it all makes sense.

A variation on the theme, this one is from a 257 Sqn Hurricane during August 1940.

Jeff

Fascinating stuff, thanks!

Peter

Yes, Gareth (and Mark12) ….that is EXACTLY what I am talking about. Interesting stuff indeed. I am certain that I have another photo somewhere showing a IIa with a similar fitting. My belief, as I said, is that these fittings were absolutely the norm during the Battle of Britain and early 1941 although nobody seems to really be aware of this little oddity! Somewhere on the outer ring of the Jubilee clip I’ll bet there is some trace of an attachment that would have held the safety/blanking cover in place across the firing button.

BTW, Gareth, could you e-mail or PM me? Seem to have deleted your address!

spade grip

We found a odd item on a MK1 spitfire dig a few years ago where we recovered the remains of a spade grip complete with a jubliee clip mounted over the gun button. Seemed a bloody odd thing i must admit to find fitted to the gun button but maybe this could be what it was for

The Hurri in the CNAM in Ottawa has a very simple version which is alittle like the stop watch clip (only using the button like a watch) and painted red…if `I get time I’ll post a piccie.
I believe these were squadron local mods…..the Gutersloh/Germany based Hunters and Swifts had a local mod clip as a double safety for their aircraft (I have an example of each aircraft type.)

The Sea Hawk/Hunter also had a rubber cap that could be popped over the grip head with ‘guns loaded’ ‘cast’ into the cap…..I have one of those too….not a great item in the more modern age of FOD awareness and sensibilities.

Here is a “relic” example from a Battle of Britain recovery. The copper wire which secured the “GUNS LOADED” cover can be seen clearly. Several like this have turned up from 1940 recoveries and several more with heavy duty cord attached in the same place. Without doubt, this was a common – if not normal – practice 1940/41, although one rarely sees photographs of the fitting and one never sees them on rebuilds, cockpit reconstructions or the like. My money is on them being the rule rather than the exception. Another version has been seen on a Hurricane spade grip where two holes have been drilled into the safety ring and a hinged flap-over brass cover has been applied to blank off the firing button.

Never seen that before!

Nope….definitely Jubilee clip. I will try to get a photo. It is tightened just enough to make a push-fit over the knurled FIRE/SAFE ring so you didn’t have to undo the screw as such. The version in the photo I have posted seems a variation though. I suspect they were all different as they were, in effect, handmade out of whatever was to hand. There you are Mark 12….you learn something new about Spitfires every day. Didn’t you once go on Telly talking about the ins-and-outs of Spitfire spade grips? 😀

I have recently seen a Spitfire spade grip from a Mk I, II or VA variant in a private collection with what can only be described as a squadron-level field modification. This is a light alloy cap marked “Guns Loaded” which can be fixed over the gun firing button with use of a standard Jubilee Clip. It is secured to the spade grip by a length of copper wire and can be unfastened and left dangling from the grip whilst on an operational flight. I have also seen at least three examples of 1940 period Hurricanes with copper wire strands hanging from the grips which are clearly remnants of these improvised safety caps. Obviously, the reason for this sensible little “mod” is clear, but I wonder if this was just something that was often/sometimes done at squadron level because “it seemed a good idea” or if there was ever an Air Ministry Order (AMO) requiring this mod?

The only photo I have ever seen of this little alteration is attached. I thought this was an unusual one-off, but apparently not.

Jubilee clip. That would be a bit fiddly as you would have to fully un-scroll the clip every time.

Perhaps a spring clip or a ‘Roller jaw’ clip, as used in a smaller diameter version to retain the crow bar on the Spitfire’s door. You could then park it on the stem diameter of the grip for flight/operations.

Mark