"Royal Air Force Operations in Malta, Gibraltar and the Mediterranean, 1939-1945." Airmen of the Special Erection Party assemble a Hawker Hurricane and a Supermarine Spitfire Mark V unpacked from crates at North Front, Gibraltar. The Special Erection Party was established at Gibraltar in July 1942 to assemble and test fly aircraft crated from Britain by sea for the reinforcement of Malta. They are seen here working on a shipment of 70 Spitfires and 27 Hurricanes which arrived by sea on 15 September 1942 and which were built, test-flown and dispersed to vacant areas of the station in 11 days. The SEP were assisted by 15 special tractors and six Coles cranes - two of which are seen in action here - to help speed up the handling.