Thermos flasks of hot tea or coffee being filled for aircrew on a Lancaster bomber station, England, April 1944. Englishman Edgar Childs, who flew with No. 83 Pathfinder Squadron RAF, recalls being given flying rations of chewing gum, barley sugars, a tin of orange juice and a thermos of coffee. However, Australian James Petersen, who flew as a rear gunner with No. 460 Squadron RAAF and No. 576 Squadron RAF, felt that it was a bit hopeless trying to get a drink in the windy conditions of his turret and that it was so cold anyway that you wouldn't want to take your gloves off to unscrew the thermos. But RAAF pilot Peter Isaacson spoke of taking a 'little hamper' on operations with a thermos of tea, coffee or Bovril, bars of chocolate and pieces of fruit, all of which the crew would eat on their way home. [Edgar Childs, The Telegraph (London), 15 March 2012; interviews, James Petersen and Peter Isaacson, Australians at War Film Archive; AWM SUK12025]
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