Enigmatic Variations No. 1581 Aircon by Ifor

One answer in each row loses a letter to go to the right hand column and extra letters in all down clues to be removed. These spell three names and then an AIRCON needs to be found and his repetitive activity also highlighted. Sounds intriguing. Also one cell contains two letters

The down clues revealed three names SEDGWICK, WELINSKI and DICKES. I needed to google to connect them to the film “The Great Escape”. All air crew in a prison camp hence Air Cons.

The letters removed from the across answers yielded ARCHIBAD IVES a further member of the RAF.

Who was hiding in the grid Steve McQueen the Cooler King – VIRGIL HILTS holding his baseball MITT lopping his ball at the wall in the Cooler. My basic artistry shows this badly below going through the o’s in the grid. The double letter being the last cell of 1dn allowing MITT to be revealed, where the baseball is caught.

Many thanks Ifor – loved the film as a child and thanks for a serious workout this week.

Key * anagram; underline definition; DD double definition; Rev. reversed

Across

1 Inhaler provided inside mostly free with emptied shot (7)
if (provided) in (fre + wh)* = WHIFFER

6 Rations end of the strip (4)
e (end of the) + tape (strip) = ETAPE

20 OT book I check in any old rule by clerics (8)
Hag (OT book) + i + ch(check) in ary (any old) = HAGIARCHY

11 One taking advantage of trick, start to finish (4)
ruse (tricK) moving start to finish = = USER

13 Hollow charge, relying on boiling alcohol (8)
(ce + relyng)* = GLYCERINE

14 Shortened, endlessly shuffled on top of what’s specified (6)
(hortene)* = THEREON

15 Carp about focus of useless unemployed (4)
ide (carp) about l (focus of useLess) = IDLE

17 Duck appear, having mark behind the head (4)
Seem (appear) moving m (mark) behind head = SMEE

20 Living in mud in French region (6)
limous(living in mud) + in = LIMOUSIN

22 Grackle the right way round in black shadow (7)
Rev. Tao (the right way) in b (black) + tail (shadow) = BOATTAIL

23 Business centre securing right to return of metallic compound (6)
Rev. city (business centre) around rt (right) = YTTRIC

24 Encounters change of policy without falling short (6)
tack (change of policy) + less (without) – s = TACKLES

28 Shrill sound from runner left in arena (7)
ski (runner) + l in ring (arena) = SKIRLING

30 Inflammation that takes place after fire’s unguarded (6)
it is (takes palce) after ir (fire’s unguarded) = IRITIS

31 Went outside education forcibly removed from group (4)
weed (went outside) around ed (education) = WEDDED

32 Steep estimate (4)
DD RATE

34 Doctrine embraced by independent case rendered free from earthly disturbances (6)
ism (doctrine) in (i + case)* = ASEISMIC

37 Gad about in presumption exactly what one’s looking for grabs first place (8)
Gall(presumption) + it (what one is looking for) around van (first place) = GALLIVANT

39 Prevailing winds nipping bones (4)
Rev. hidden = prevAILIng = ILIA

40 Elderly bully rejected opening medicine in story heartlessly adapted (8)
(stry)* around Rev. Senna (opening medicine) = TYRANNESS

41 He’s filling in formal signature (4)
set (formal) around he = SHEET

42 What’s positioned to screen ring of light from the east? (7, two words)
sat (positioned) around Rev. halo (ring of light) = SOLA HAT

Down

1 No name and date withstands evil doings (6)
S 1 No name and date withstand evil doings (6)
(withstand – n – d)* = WHATSIT

2 Holed in harbour, losing stern in collision (4)
E  2 Hold in harbour, losing stern in collision (4)
Haven (harbour) – n (stern) = HAVE

3 Dwell in iron cages (4)
D 3 Well in iron cages (4)
in in Fe (iron) = FINE

4 Greedy stops in journey, with time taken by obese individual at first (7)
G 4 Reedy stops in journey, with time taken by obese individual at first (7)
Fat (obes) + i (individual at first) around go(journey) + t(time) = FAGOTTI

5 Like acid rock, historically rewritten after line was wrongly taken out (9)
W 5 Like acid rock, historically rewritten after line as wrongly taken out (9)
(historically – l – as)* = RHYOLITIC

6 Closely studied inside yearly policies on the up (4)
I 6 Closely studied inside yearly polices on the up (4)
Rev. hidden insiDE YEarly = EYED

7 Shoot underground in city, taking cover (6)
C 7 Shoot underground in city, taking over (6)
rio(city) in tun = TURION

8 Letter skipped foolishly without backing of department (3)
K 8 Letter sipped foolishly without backing of department (3)
(sipped – dep)* = PSI

9 Bar newer voyages limited by extremes of geography (6)
W 9 Bar ne’er voyages limited by extremes of geography (6)
(neer)* in gy (extremes of geography) = GREENY

12 Songbird made target object (8, two words)
E 12 Songbird mad target object (8, two words)
(target)* + it (object) = GREAT TIT

16 Double link, regularly used less in lack of excitement (8)
L 16 Double link, regularly used ess in lack of excitement (8)
DoUbLe LiNk + ess = DULLNESS
18 Promoter of motion recalled riot after very short time (5)
I 18 Promoter of motion recalled rot after very short time (5)
Rev. rot after mo (short time) = MOTOR

19 Irons stretched along yards remain, planted with flags (9)
N 19 Irons stretched along yards remain, plated with flags (9)
BACKSTAYS

21 Invest, seeing no end of gains to play with (5)
S 21 Invest, seeing no end of gain to play with (5)
(seeing – n)* = SIEGE

25 Call last free spark (7)
K 25 Call last free spar (7)
cry(call) + (last)* = CRYSTAL

26 Poet’s period on watch checking ruin (6)
I 26 Poet‘s period on watch checking run (6)
vigil (watch) around r (run) = VIRGIL

27 Tablets set out lead vagrant (6)
D 27 Tablets set out lea vagrant (6)
(set + lea)* = STELAE

29 Founder of old cities? (6)
I 29 Founder of old cites? (6)
(o + cites)* = OECIST

33 Finished poem as before, without force of oratory (4)
C 33 Finished poem as before, without fore of oratory (4)
ditto (as before) – o = DITT

35 Before risking vessel put in burning alcohol (4)
K 35 Before rising vessel put in burning alcohol (4)
Rev. ante (before) = ETNA

36 Eminence from Arizona occupying prime seat (4)
E 36 Eminence from Arizona occupying prime sat (4)
Hidden priME SAt = MESA

38 Slice chapter leaving press (3)
S 38 lice chapter leaving press (3)
lice – c (chapter) = LIE