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World War II
Discuss WWII and the era directly before and after the war from 1935-1949.
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Normandy Keg Delivery
retiredyank
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Arkansas, United States
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Posted: Monday, March 30, 2015 - 01:29 PM UTC
Just saw this, on FB and thought you guys might like it.
BigfootV
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Colorado, United States
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Posted: Monday, March 30, 2015 - 08:23 PM UTC
Hey Matt,

Interesting find. those are called "Mod XXX Depth charge" the casks were from the Strong brewery in Romsey.

https://zythophile.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/strongs-under-wing.jpg

https://zythophile.wordpress.com/2014/06/06/you-wont-believe-this-one-weird-trick-they-used-to-fly-beer-to-the-d-day-troops-in-normandy/

See ya in the funnies...............
SgtRam
Staff MemberEditor-at-Large
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#197
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Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Monday, March 30, 2015 - 08:36 PM UTC
And it was a Canadian pilot that did this.

Jessie_C
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British Columbia, Canada
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Posted: Monday, March 30, 2015 - 09:25 PM UTC

Quoted Text

And it was a Canadian pilot that did this.



Well, if we're dividing rabbits, it was the wing leader of 127 (Canadian) Wing, but I doubt that Johnny Johnson would have been considered Canadian (even if his pilots did give him CANADA shoulder flashes).

The kegs were interesting, but beer was also delivered in specially cleaned drop tanks. 30 minutes at 20 000 ft got it nicely chilled even in the post D-day summer afternoons.

What's infuriating is that the UK Excise people got their noses into this and had the whole thing shut down over unpaid export duties. Didn't they know there was a war on?
JClapp
#259
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Massachusetts, United States
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Posted: Monday, March 30, 2015 - 09:26 PM UTC
was the beer that bad that they would use it as weapon?

We certainly have beer that bad over here, but....
SgtRam
Staff MemberEditor-at-Large
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#197
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Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Monday, March 30, 2015 - 09:37 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

And it was a Canadian pilot that did this.



Well, if we're dividing rabbits, it was the wing leader of 127 (Canadian) Wing, but I doubt that Johnny Johnson would have been considered Canadian (even if his pilots did give him CANADA shoulder flashes).

The kegs were interesting, but beer was also delivered in specially cleaned drop tanks. 30 minutes at 20 000 ft got it nicely chilled even in the post D-day summer afternoons.

What's infuriating is that the UK Excise people got their noses into this and had the whole thing shut down over unpaid export duties. Didn't they know there was a war on?


Close enough to Canada for me..... there was a small Maple Leaf on the plane too....
Jessie_C
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British Columbia, Canada
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Posted: Monday, March 30, 2015 - 09:41 PM UTC
Obligatory modeling content
ShawnM
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Missouri, United States
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Posted: Monday, March 30, 2015 - 09:49 PM UTC
Its a fantastic little kit!

48thscale
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Limburg, Netherlands
Joined: January 31, 2009
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Posted: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 - 12:22 AM UTC
Being the grandson of a beerbrewer makes me like this a lot...beer didn't travel well in those days, must have been strong stuff to survive;-)

Regarding those tax people, now I know where their Dutch equivalents got their ideas...interesting mindset.

H.
EdgarBrooks
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England - South East, United Kingdom
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Posted: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 - 11:11 PM UTC
And here I go again; it's a great story, BUT........
During the 1940s, beer would not have been served chilled; it came straight out of the (wooden) casks, not even pressurised, so any chance of the beer being flown to 20,000' is a non-starter.
According to Johnson, he only ever flew "Junior" on a single trip; it was a "bitsa," from several airframes, and had no armament, so he wouldn't have risked being intercepted.
When you watch film of aircraft, in the 1940s, at low level, and see how they move, even bounce, around, how do you feel that wooden barrels would have stood up to the pressure from the narrow steadies?
48thscale
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Limburg, Netherlands
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Posted: Wednesday, April 01, 2015 - 11:50 AM UTC

Quoted Text

how do you feel that wooden barrels would have stood up to the pressure from the narrow steadies?
"

Don't worry over those barrels, even without being attached on their iron, I've seen them live through far, far worse...ever seen a horse drawn cart with no shocks in a hurry?

I'm reaaly interested what was left of the brew when it got there;-)
Removed by original poster on 04/02/15 - 18:54:10 (GMT).
zythophile
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England - South East, United Kingdom
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Posted: Wednesday, April 01, 2015 - 11:53 PM UTC

Quoted Text

What's infuriating is that the UK Excise people got their noses into this and had the whole thing shut down over unpaid export duties. Didn't they know there was a war on?


Ah, no, you're misinterpreting Johnson's book. It wasn't the beer casks under the wings the customs people objected to, it was flying cases of Guinness over in the Avro.

That's not Johnson's Spitfire in the pic, btw, but a Vickers publicity shot.
zythophile
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England - South East, United Kingdom
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Posted: Thursday, April 02, 2015 - 12:07 AM UTC

Quoted Text

it's a great story, BUT...


Did you actually click on the link to my Zythophile post? There is masses of evidence that this happened, including quotes from Jeffrey Quill, who would hardly have made it up, and plenty of other pilots. And it wasn't 20,000ft, but 15,000ft - though the temperature would still have been below freezing even at that height, probably …
retiredyank
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Arkansas, United States
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Posted: Thursday, April 02, 2015 - 03:34 PM UTC
Did not realize that there was a kit. I'm glad to see the dialogue this has created. I won't join in the debate of whether or not it is true. But, after reading some of the links, the reference on FB and the existence of a kit I will have to go with that it did take place.
EdgarBrooks
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England - South East, United Kingdom
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Posted: Thursday, April 02, 2015 - 05:39 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

it's a great story, BUT...


Did you actually click on the link to my Zythophile post? …

Yes, and over many years I've read references to liquids being carried in auxiliary tanks (usually made of steel, and therefore reusable after washing out,) but nothing I could consider definite about the original wooden kegs being used.
Jessie_C
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British Columbia, Canada
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Posted: Friday, April 03, 2015 - 03:52 AM UTC
stonar
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England - West Midlands, United Kingdom
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Posted: Friday, April 03, 2015 - 09:33 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Being the grandson of a beerbrewer makes me like this a lot...beer didn't travel well in those days, must have been strong stuff to survive;-)
H.


India Pale Ale had been around for well over 100 years by the time this unique form of transport may or may not have been used. It was an ale designed to last well in the cask, for shipment to the various outposts of Empire, notably India as the name suggests.
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