<i>An engine fitter watches the CO of No. 504 Squadron, Squadron Leader R. Lewis, in his Spitfire Mk VC at Middle Wallop, December 1942.</i><br>
An engine fitter identified only as 'Lofty' featured in a series of official photographs taken at Middle Wallop in December 1942, intended to illustrate the vital but unsung daily activities of a typical 'erk' (as all junior RAF ground staff were known). Lofty is seen here with his charge, Spitfire VC EE624/TM-R, flown by Squadron Leader R. Lewis, commanding No 504 Squadron.
Royal Air Force official photographer
December 1942
<p><a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//60/media-60748/large.jpg">http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//60/media-60748/large.jpg</a>
</p>
<div style="margin:0.5em;"></div>
<div class="center centered" style="width:auto;">
<table style="width:100%; border:1px solid black; background:#E0E0E0; padding:0; text-align:center;"><tbody><tr><td align="left"><img alt="IWMLondonThumbnail.jpg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/IWMLondonThumbnail.jpg" decoding="async" width="80" height="54" data-file-width="80" data-file-height="54"></td>
<td>This photograph <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205219396">CH 8010</a> comes from the collections of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/">Imperial War Museums</a>.
</td>
<td align="right"><img alt="Flag of the United Kingdom (3-5).svg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_%283-5%29.svg/80px-Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_%283-5%29.svg.png" decoding="async" width="80" height="48" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_%283-5%29.svg/120px-Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_%283-5%29.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_%283-5%29.svg/160px-Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_%283-5%29.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="177" data-file-height="106"></td></tr></tbody></table></div>