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In the summer of 1944, after the D-Day landings, British troops pressing into Normandy faced fierce resistance—and a dry pint glass. Supplies were tight, and morale was vital. So, in one of the war’s most unexpected missions, Spitfire pilots took to the skies not just with ammunition—but with beer.
Ingenious airmen modified drop tanks and strapped barrels beneath their wings, delivering much- needed refreshment to parched troops across the Channel. Some called it “Operation Cheers.”
These weren’t official missions. They were flights of morale. Spitfires—symbols of British grit— became airborne drays for a brief, glorious period.
It wasn’t about luxury. It was about home. A cold beer in a hot war zone was more than a drink—it was a reminder of what they were fighting for.
So, raise a glass to the RAF pilots who delivered courage, camaraderie, and casks—one flight at a time.
This Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc limited-edition kit in 1:24 scale includes parts required to truly replicate the beer carrying Spitfires ‘Flying Drays’.
Additional resin parts included;
– 2 x Beer barrels, including lids.
– 2 x Nose cones
– 2 x Bomb racks
– 1 x Slipper tank
Also included in this release is a masking set for the clear parts and a special edition pint glass, dedicated to ML208, one of the aircraft known to have participated in these missions. The kit consists of 448 parts, with an overall wingspan of 469mm and length of 397mm and is an Airfix first to supply resin parts and canopy masks.
Over the years, various photographs and stories from pilots’ memoirs about Spitfires carrying beer barrels have emerged. Publications mentioning a special ‘Depth Charge Modification XXX’ whereby after the D-Day landings, squadrons based at the forward airfields in northern France would send a pilot back across the Channel in a Spitfire to collect some beer or ale in barrels strapped under the wings on modified bomb racks. Obviously, such sorties would have been deemed highly irregular by the RAF’s higher command, so the flights would not have been recorded as such in the pilot’s logbooks. Which leaves little official proof as to the exact details of these ad hoc deliveries.
Recurring details relating to these escapades frequently turn up in various secondary sources. One example is the involvement of The Henty and Constable Brewery in Chichester and the nearby RAF Ford. To raise spirits, the story was also propagandised by the newspapers of the time, accompanied by some clearly staged photographs. So, it’s difficult to determine the full and accurate story or whether the pilot’s claiming involvement in such missions were instead guilty of not letting the truth to get in the way of a good story.