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A swarm of bees searching for a home, decided to take up their quarters in an aperture in
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A swarm of bees searching for a home, decided to take up their quarters in an aperture in
A swarm of bees searching for a home, decided to take up their quarters in an aperture in the port rudder of " Q for Queenie" a Halifax bomber at an airfield in the north of England.
" Queenie" was on operations that nighty and while her crew were quite ready for the Germans, they were not prepared to take off with a flight of intruders already inside the bomber.
The Flight Sergeant in charge of the ground staff was called and after a discussion on how to get rid of the swarm, someone remembered that there was a man in the next village who kept bees. So he was called in to do the job, and " Q for Queenie" took off that night to sting the Germans - but minus the bees.
Picture shows; The waiting crew watch from a respectful distance as Mr Webster peers into the bees hide-out.
June 1944
Official
Reach PLC
Mirrorpix
England
Media ID 21886846
© Mirrorpix
Armed Forces Beekeeper Bombing Insects Mission Raid Royal Air Force Disruption Pests
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this photo print, we witness an extraordinary encounter between nature and war. A swarm of bees, in search of a new home, unexpectedly found solace within the port rudder aperture of "Q for Queenie" a Halifax bomber stationed at an airfield in northern England during June 1944. As nightfall approached and the crew prepared for their mission against the Germans, they were taken aback by the presence of these uninvited guests. Determined not to take off with such intruders on board, they sought assistance from Flight Sergeant Webster, who devised a plan to remove the swarm. Fortunately, someone remembered that there was a local beekeeper residing nearby. Mr. Webster promptly summoned him to tackle this peculiar predicament. With anticipation mounting among the waiting crew members at a respectful distance, all eyes turned towards Mr. Webster as he peered into the hidden sanctuary of buzzing bees. The image captures both curiosity and relief on their faces; it is evident that this unexpected disruption had injected an element of unpredictability into their routine wartime operations. However, thanks to Mr. Webster's expertise and swift intervention, "Q for Queenie" eventually took flight that very night without its winged stowaways but armed with determination to fulfill its mission against German targets. This remarkable snapshot serves as a reminder that even amidst times of conflict and chaos, nature can find its way into unexpected places while humans adapt and overcome challenges thrown their way - be it battling enemies or evicting swarms seeking shelter in unconventional spaces.
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