Hurricanes in the snow

January 1940 featured some of the coldest temperatures of the 20th Century. The operations record for No. 111 (‘Treble One’) Squadron is typical: day after day, flying was interrupted or not possible at all: “Exercise cancelled” … “All aircraft recalled” … “Weather very bad.” “Flying cancelled owing to bad weather.” “Squadron released. Weather again unfit for flying due to heavy snowfall.”

Hawker Hurricane Mk I serial number L2001, coded JU-B, was the regular aircraft of F/O Henry Ferriss. Note the early war black and white underside camouflage, roundel without yellow outer circle and absence of red-white-blue tail flash. Under the cockpit tarpaulin there is no rear-view mirror either. That would soon change.