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Olham

"Beer Bombers 1944" - Spitfires delivering "Juice of Life"

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Absolutely true Olham. The RAF has always known its priorities (I remember Buccaneer external tanks being steam-cleaned in the 70's so that they could bring bulk wine back from detachments to Cyprus).

 

Mike

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I thought it was true - I have been in England several times and learned to know the Tommies a bit.

Great humour, and perfectly crazy, but intriguing ideas!

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This would be unthinkable in the American Army.

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Yeah it would. But I've heard that if you made friends with people in ordinance and placed a crate or two with a bunch of rocks in it. Dump the rocks and put exact weight of said beer into crates. 

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Nothing comes between a Brit and his Beer! 

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Nothing comes between a Brit and his Beer! 

 

Quite understandable - you guys are brewing some fine ales, bitters and stouts.

I like it that you don't add that fizzy carbonic acid (what about the German Reinheitsgebot, when they put that in there?!);

and that the beer is not getting chilled, but just has the temperature from the cellar.

I got drunk from many good pints in England many times.

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I like it that you don't add that fizzy carbonic acid...and that the beer is not getting chilled, but just has the temperature from the cellar.

Let us not be too hasty, here. I would submit the two finest things are (1) a hot summer afternoon, and (2) a frosted mug of ice-cold beer. (...but, that's Americans for you.)

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Many, if not most German beer drinkers think the same - they want it ice-cold.

I don't like it - can hardly get it down so cold. :brr:

 

Which is the main danger aboutEnglish beer: it goes down comfortably smooth! :drinks:

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We need warm beer...to warm us up..and take our minds off the drizzle and wind :)

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There you say something! Here it was grey and rainy since two weeks! Bah!

(Although, today there was blue sky - at last! Went out for a walk...)

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...to warm us up..and take our minds off the drizzle and wind :)

Sounds like winter in San Francisco.

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Let us not be too hasty, here. I would submit the two finest things are (1) a hot summer afternoon, and (2) a frosted mug of ice-cold beer. (...but, that's Americans for you.)

 

Ah, what do you Americans know about real good beer?! :grin:

But we could agree on the hot summer afternoon... :beach:

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Ah, what do you Americans know about real good beer?! :grin:

What do we know about beer? All out great beers started out being brewed by Europeans. Same with wines. Europeans came over and brought cuttings from their native vines. When root rot destroyed French vineyards, they came over here and took new cuttings. Now French vineyards grow American vines.

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What do we know about beer? All out great beers started out being brewed by Europeans.

 

I guess that's true, Hauksbee - I was only teasing you. :drinks:

 

Now French vineyards grow American vines.

 

Hmmm... - I guess you would have made a good lawyer... :grin:

Edited by Olham

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I guess that's true, Hauksbee - I was only teasing you. :drinks:

Never doubted it.

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I think Pierre Clostermann mentions the beer run in Spitfires in "The Big Show". 

And Mike Dora's comments about the Buccaneer underwing tanks being used for wine doesn't surprise me.   Just about all the servicing panels on aircraft were taken off and cigarettes and booze hidden therein.   I don't think HM Customs would suspect a drop tank full of vino!

I heard of Shackleton crews returning from overseas stopping at the end of the runway and chucking out loads of contraband before going to their dispersals and the Customs inspectors.  With the Varsity we used to hide stuff in the bomb aimer's bay and then lock it and lose the key. 

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My favorite smuggling story is about the Italians in 1923 Schneider Cup race, which was held in America. This was during the Prohibition era when alcohol in all its forms was against the law. The Schneider Cup planes carried their fuel in the pontoons. The Italian team simply installed a fresh set of tanks (ones which had never seen gasoline) and filled them with red wine.

.

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Man becomes ingenious to get to his drinks!

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