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#1
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More Burma Spitfires to be discovered.
Here's one of these delightful stories that so often wind up being false. Let's hope that's not the case this time. Link Quote:
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Film maker 42 FGT No8 (Aust) remains 42 FGT No9 (Aust) 42 F15 Keith Webb Macleod, Victoria Australia Also Canadian Military Pattern Vehicles group on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadianmilitarypattern |
#2
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Would be great to open the crates to fine 20 unrestored Fairey Battles.
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Regards, Hanno -------------------------- |
#4
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This story wasn't released on 1 April, was it? It seems there are some "Burmese Whispers" allowing the story to evolve unchecked.
THIS SITE says the aircraft have already been physically located in February, and arrangements are being finalised to dig them out. Once sanctions are lifted on exporting military equipment from Burma, they're on their way back to the UK. ![]() |
#5
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This sounds like it might have 'legs', this story. I hope so anyway.
I regret that I didn't make the effort to investigate a claim my father made, regrading Australian ![]() I just love these stories and the occasional one that proves to be true wets my appetite. Bring em home lads ![]()
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Ford CMP, 115" WB,1942 (Under Restoration...still) Medium sized, half fake, artillery piece project. (The 1/4 Pounder) |
#6
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reading that gave me a chill, is this true!
they should televise the find and everything involved. its kind of a big deal! |
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...no solid evidence yet...
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Film maker 42 FGT No8 (Aust) remains 42 FGT No9 (Aust) 42 F15 Keith Webb Macleod, Victoria Australia Also Canadian Military Pattern Vehicles group on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadianmilitarypattern |
#8
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Regards, Hanno -------------------------- |
#9
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so 20 turned into 120? does that even sound reasonable.
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#10
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One of the articles says total production was 20,000. some crashed in the water and were never seen again, many more were written off with as much as possible recovered for re-use and the remainder recycled. I don't know what the total fleet was by war's end but 1% of total production buried in one relatively area seems suspect.
Another way to look at it is that 120 aircraft represents how many squadrons? There might have been that many squadrons in the area so it might be possible but how likely. My other question about the whole concept is- what condition will they all be in if they are recovered? The climate is a whole lot tougher on airplanes in that part of the world than the Greenland glacier B-29 and the P-38 also salvaged from the ice. |
#11
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CBC article says that a British citizen will recover up to 140 Spitfires which were buried by the Americans in Burma immediately after WWII being excess to requirements.
The belief is, that the aircraft are in good shape and the intention is to see many of them capable of flying again. ....I've already put my name down for one! Cheers Wayne
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.50 Cal Ammo Can |
#12
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Richard 1943 Bedford QLD lorry - 1941 BSA WM20 m/cycle - 1943 Daimler Scout Car Mk2 Member of MVT, IMPS, MVG of NSW, KVE and AMVCS KVE President & KVE News Editor |
#13
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The article stated that earlier this year the number did indeed stand at 20 airframes, however a Burmese (Myanmarian?) archeologist who was assisting said that there was up to 140 aircraft at several locations about the country.
They have a 2yr contract to recover up to 60 aircraft and re-negotiate on recovering the rest. Cheers Wayne
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.50 Cal Ammo Can |
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Thanks Wayne, I just saw another news item that mentioned 60. With 140 that would have been one giant hole to dig, but if at different locations I can understand that now. Just to pull one out and find it in recoverable condition will be a miracle.
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Richard 1943 Bedford QLD lorry - 1941 BSA WM20 m/cycle - 1943 Daimler Scout Car Mk2 Member of MVT, IMPS, MVG of NSW, KVE and AMVCS KVE President & KVE News Editor |
#15
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I've read so much contradicting information on this subject now, I'd say: seeing is believing . . .
H.
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Regards, Hanno -------------------------- |
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Re the buried Spitfires in Burma. There is a report today in our daily newspaper. "SA Advertiser," Friday 19/10/2012, regarding the subject . They state that, Aircraft enthusiast, David Cundall spent 15 years and $200,000.00tracking them down. He states that there are 60 planes buried in their transport crates at a secret location 12 metres below ground, to ensure they did not fall into Japenese hands. The Spifires are believed to be in good condition because they were waxed, wrapped in greased paper and had their joints tarred by RAF crews. Excavation is due to start at the end of the month after an agreement was signed by the British Prime Minister Mr Cameron and the Military Regime in Rangoon. Mr Cundall started his seaches in 1996 after hearing a throwaway remark from a group of US Veterans who said that Spitfires were buried in Burma. They were shipped to Burma and transported by rail to a British RAF Base in August 1945, they were apparently deemed surplus to requirements. Mr Cundal tracked down an eye witness who led him to the burial site. He eventually located the the buried planes using ground-penetrating radar equipment. So the dig begins at the end of this month (October 20112). I look forward to further newspaper reports. ![]() Cheers Tony ![]()
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Anthony (Tony) VAN RHODA. Strathalbyn. South Australia |
#17
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This is a familiar subject. I've been involved with discussions on this site concerning the intentional burying of perfectly useable vehicles, aircraft, or equipment simply because that it was perceived as the most cost effective solution at the time. As counter-intuitive as it seems today, I cannot deny that this practice was not an aberration but was actually quite a common practice that I believe was practiced throughout the Commonwealth.
What a concept to discover that a substantial section your GNP could so easily be discarded without even being willing to recover a fraction of the cost thru "scrap value", in fact, incurring the labour costs of your troops being paid hansomly to employ heavy equipment to dispose of cutting edge technology. It makes me wonder....how many squeaky clean, brand new, Canadian Leopard II's are just below the surface in the countryside of Kandahar? Cheers Wayne
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.50 Cal Ammo Can |
#18
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Hi Tony, thanks for that. I'd like to point out the contradiction I see, which was also pointed out by Richard:
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Anyway, I hope they are found and that this project will indeed lead to better relations between the people of Myanmar and the UK. H.
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Regards, Hanno -------------------------- |
#19
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They are widely believed to be Mk 14 Spitfires - late models. Griffin not Merlin engines. The Burmese Air Force operated Mk 14 Spitfires through the 50's - they were bought second hand from the Israelis.
A Spitfire case is one and a half times the size of a 40 foot shipping container. Made of softwood not noted for long life. 140 is just ridiculous. 12 Squadrons worth. To bury 140 Spitfire crates 40 feet underground would require a hole the size of Wembley Stadium. If they get them out at minimum they will have to be completely re-riveted, a huge job. The slightest corrosion on many critical parts completely writes them off for ever being airworthy. A Spitfire is worth around $2,000,000 flying. A total restoration including reskinning and replacement of corroded fittings would conceivably cost more than this. If 120 hit the market there will be a nose dive in the value of Spitfires. Nobody has seen them, nobody has had ground penetrating radar on the job. There seems little doubt there were some Spitfires buried (just deep enough to cover the boxes I dare venture. Production and shipping details are available for every Spitfire ever built - the claimants obviously have based their research on these records. The numbers and details in the above posts are figments of enthusiast's and journalists imagination. Buried in August 1945, I was not aware the Japanese Army was fighting on after surrender to such an extent Spitfires had to be buried to hide from them. Last edited by Lang; 19-10-12 at 09:26. |
#20
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We all know how journalists like to promote sensationalism. However there are a number of reports regarding the "Found Spitfres" to maybe though some truth on the matter. Especially if they refer to the British Government meeting in Burma to secure the recovery of the boxes. One wonders how the crates could survive in the ground in tropical weather. But I guess we will all have to wait and see, today's newspaper report, (attached) does state they will start recovering them at the end of the month, that is only a couple of weeks away. Though the Spitfires numbers vary depeding on what report you read. In the meantime it makes for interesting reading. Another report below. The new Battle of Burma: Find 20 buried Spitfires and make them fly • Historic planes buried in Second World War are to be shipped back to Britain after their mystery locations were discovered • War leaders did not want them to fall into foreign hands when they demobilised in 1945 • Hidden in crates at a depth of 4ft to 6ft the RAF then forgot where they were Twenty brand-new RAF Spitfires could soon reach for the sky following a deal reached with Burma yesterday. Experts believe they have discovered the locations of around 20 of the Second World War fighters buried at airfields around the country. David Cameron has secured an agreement that they will be returned to Britain. Historians say the Spitfires were shipped out to Burma in the summer of 1945, two weeks before atomic bombs were dropped on Japan which brought the war to a sudden end. The British campaign to push the Japanese out of Burma was the longest and bloodiest of the war, beginning after the Japanese invaded in late 1941. Spitfires helped to support the Chindit special forces on the ground – and proved a huge boost to morale. They played a crucial role in defeating the enemy and covering the subsequent Allied advance through Burma, protecting the ground troops and providing vital supplies. But the Mark II Spitfires in the secret haul never saw action. Earl Mountbatten issued an order for them to be hidden in 1945 to prevent foreign forces from getting their hands on them as the British army demobilised. The aircraft, straight from the production line, were buried in crates at a depth of 4ft to 6ft to preserve them. Cheers Tony ![]()
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Anthony (Tony) VAN RHODA. Strathalbyn. South Australia |
#21
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Wayne
__________________ .50 Cal Ammo Can Gotta respect a man who can justifyably brag about his collection...Tell me Wayne - does your tongue hurt, pressed into your cheek like that? f
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Charles Fitton Maryhill On., Canada too many carriers too many rovers not enough time. (and now a BSA...) (and now a Triumph TRW...) |
#22
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Hey, I don't like to brag...but, when you got it...flaunt it.
![]() Cheers Wayne
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.50 Cal Ammo Can |
#23
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The question begs to be asked "what else was buried along with the spits"
Guns, ammo, support equipment, etc.etc.
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Roberta Jayne Melville CD II QJ MK I * universal carrier 1942 WLC Harley under restoration 1957 M38A1 jeep R.E.L. optical equipment Military manuals Field phones MK II 19 set (needs work) 4 MK III W-19 sets AN/PRC-9 CPRC-26 WS-29 componets WS-38 AFV WS-38 MK III WS-48 with generator WS-58 MK I MK V heliograph |
#24
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True for the first part, not true for the second. A very reliable source says he has seen the radar scans and they show items of the correct size to be crates but GPR is hard to interpret and they may just be shadows in the ground by now.
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Adrian Barrell |
#25
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Adrian,
I still stick with no ground penetrating radar. I notice a fair bit of hedging bets in your contact's information. Lang |
#26
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You are assuming you know the identity of 'my contact'.....
![]() Actually, he is not my contact, just a very reliable source of information. He has merely stated he has seen scans (that purport to be) of the site and they show what seems to be areas of approximately the right size and shape to be crates. Unlike many, he doesn't post opinion as fact so a degree of bet hedging is inevitable. I am fairly sure that anything pulled out of the ground in that area will be more of curiosity value than anything else but I hope I'm wrong!
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Adrian Barrell |
#27
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Adrian,
I think you may be right about the condition. It would be nice to think some were restorable to at least a good static display standard. A flying restoration would be fantastic. Lang |
#28
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So no further reports after many months.
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#29
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It's been less than a month since I posted the most recent article that laid claim to [U]140[U] buried Spits', Hanno must have joined my thread starter with an older one dating back to the origonal, much smaller discovery.
Cheers Wayne
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.50 Cal Ammo Can Last edited by Wayne McGee; 09-11-12 at 04:50. Reason: Freakin' never endin' underline! |
#30
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I tried to find a picture I have here somewhere but no luck yet. It's a 'photo' of the mines south of Drumheller at the 300 and 600 foot levels made from a helicopter with a ball hanging from a cable as he flew a grid over the site. I don't know if it was magnetic or radar based but you can see which stopes have collapsed and which ones had junk abandoned in them.
If anyone was serious about those Spitfires wouldn't they just get hold of some of that equipment for a few days and know for sure? I couldn't believe you could come up with images like that and this was about 15 years ago!
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1940 Cab 11 C8 Wireless with 1A2 box & 11 set 1940 Cab 11 C8 cab and chassis 1940 Cab 11 C15 with 2A1 & Motley mount & Lewis gun 1940 Cab 11 F15A w/ Chev rear ends 1941 Cab 12 F15A 1942-44 Cab 13 F15A x 5 1942 cab 13 F15A with 2B1 box 1943 cab 13 F15A with 2H1 box 1943 Cab 13 C8A HUP 1944 Cab 13 C15A with 2C1 box 1943 Cletrac M2 High Speed Tractor MkII Bren gun carrier chassis x 2 |
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