| Accession Number | P03372.012 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Negative |
| Maker |
Hadfield, William |
| Place made | North Africa: Western Desert |
| Date made | January 1943 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
A Wellington bomber aircraft, one of two that were known as 'wedding ring Wimpies'. Note the ...
Description
A Wellington bomber aircraft, one of two that were known as 'wedding ring Wimpies'. Note the large copper ring encircling the aircraft, measuring 48 feet in diameter. Inside the ring was a generating plant, which turned the aircraft into a big magnet. The aircraft would fly up and down the Suez Canal putting off the magnetic mines that the Germans dropped into the Canal overnight. The aircraft flew along at about 50 feet; as it passed a mine, the mine would go off.