Our intrepid correspondent from Selby in the UK, Bryan Wilcockson, has sent us this photo of a Spitfire carrying what appears to be beer barrels under the wings.
Bryan has sensibly steered clear of validating the photo, and given the internet's ability to mislead viewers, we can understand why. However, one website presented the following explanation -
"13th June 1944: An English brewery donates a sizable amount of fresh beer for the troops fighting in Normandy and a unique delivery method is created, strapping kegs to the underwings of Spitfires being shipped to forward airfields. Flying at 12,000 feet chills the brew to perfection."
Another article referred to syphoning beer from wooden kegs into long range metal fuel tanks designed for the Spitfire, and questioning how aviation fuel tainted beer would have been received by the troops.
Whatever the reality of events towards the end of WW2 we are inspired by the idea, and there is little doubt that battle weary troops would have appreciated a cold beer under any circumstances.
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