spekesoftly (#15),
Taking up your Dad's opening remarks: one of the first "mods" which increased a pilot's tolerance to "G" might have been the two-level rudder "stirrup" rudder pedals on the "Spit" (not sure about the Hurricane). With your feet in the top "stirrups", you were in the crouch of a racing jockey, and it helped to minimise the pooling of blood in your legs.
Whether that was the intention is doubtful, but it would certainly have helped in air combat (said he, never having done any!)
Danny.