nkvd-83According to the Spitfire Site: “the Heneger and Constable brewery donated free beer to the troops. After D-Day… 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.”
Pylons mounted beneath the wings of Spitfire Mk IX fighters, designed to carry fuel tanks or bombs, could be modified to carry kegs of beer. In some cases, an adapted version of a long range fuel tank was also used for ale carriage and even received an official designation, Mod. XXX. Spitfire Site reports how aircraft equipped with the necessary beer keg mountings or Mod. XXX often had to return to the UK for “maintenance” or “liaison duties”, only to arrive back in Normandy carrying vital supplies for the war effort – chilled to perfection at 2,000 feet.
It wasn’t long, however, before Britain’s HM Customs and Excise caught on and warned the brewery that it was violating the law by exporting beer without paying tax. And as Spitfire Site reports: “It seems that Mod. XXX was terminated then, but various squadrons found different ways to refurbish their stocks. Most often, this was done with the unofficial approval of higher echelons.”
2016-02-28 19:38:26 +0000