[BITList] Motorhead 101 - WWII British Beer Run

[franka]

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    THE INDOMITABLE BRITISH

    In the lighter moments of WWII, the Spitfire was used in an unorthodox
    role: bringing beer kegs to the men in Normandy .

    During the war, the Heneger and Constable brewery donated free beer to
    the troops. After D-Day, supplying the invasion troops in Normandy
    with vital supplies was already a challenge. Obviously, there was no
    room in the logistics chain for such luxuries as beer or other types
    of refreshments. Some men, often called sourcers, were able to get
    wine or other niceties from the land or rather from the locals. RAF
    Spitfire pilots came up with an even better idea.

    The Spitfire Mk IX was an evolved version of the Spitfire, with pylons
    under the wings for bombs or tanks. It was discovered that the bomb
    pylons could also be modified to carry beer kegs. According to
    pictures that can be found, various sizes of kegs were used. Whether
    the kegs could be jettisoned in case of emergency is unknown. If the
    Spitfire flew high enough, the cold air at altitude would even refresh
    the beer, making it ready for consumption upon arrival.

    A variation was a long range fuel tank modified to carry beer instead
    of fuel. The modification even received the official designation Mod.
    XXX. Propaganda services were quick to pick up on this, which probably
    explains the official designation.

    A staged shot of the Mod. XXX tank being filled.

    As a result, Spitfires equipped with Mod XXX or keg-carrying pylons
    were often sent back to Great Britain for maintenance or liaison
    duties. They would then return to Normandy with full beer kegs fitted
    under the wings.

    The Spitfire had very little ground clearance with the larger beer kegs.

    Typically, the British Revenue of Ministry and Excise stepped in,
    notifying the brewery that they were in violation of the law by
    exporting beer without paying the relevant taxes. It seems that Mod.
    XXX was terminated then, but various squadrons found different ways to
    refurbish their stocks, most often done with the unofficial approval
    of higher echelons.

    In his book Dancing in the Skies, Tony Jonsson, the only Icelancer
    pilot in the RAF, recalled beer runs while he was flying with 65
    Squadron. Every week a pilot was sent back to the UK to fill some
    cleaned-up drop tanks with beer and return to the squadron. Jonsson
    hated the beer runs as every man on the squadron would be watching you
    upon arrival. Anyone who made a rough landing and dropped the tanks
    would be the most hated man on the squadron for an entire week.



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