Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum - 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

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Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

No, all Spitfires were built in the UK and shipped to wherever. There is an article on crated Spitfires on Key Publishing's Historic forum, along with the latest (external) comments on the dig story. The dig does have its own website and blog, but don't expect too much, at least as yet. I can't imagine anything significant going on it until the full story (whatever it turns out to be) is released to the press.

Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

Jim K. wrote:

Quote:

Good point, Larry. But, please to remember that they had to get to Burma somehow, and to me that means by steamer - either as hold cargo or deck cargo. And whether the Panama Canal - Australia - Burma or around the Cape, that's a long journey by ship and it's salt air and salt spray all the way.
How were they protected?
Larry, I haven't even thought about cosmoline in about 50 years, but I remember cleaning cosmoline from crates of M1 Garands and M-1919 Browning MGs! [Yeah, I'm that old.... ;) ]
A more than a bit OT here, but how were aircraft shipped from GB to down under? Were there any companies manufacturing Spitfires, et al in Australia?
Cheers,
Jim

I think the various articles said the crates were buried at Mingaladon airfield, which is just a few kilometers north of Rangoon and is now Burma's principal international airport. Rangoon and Mingaladon were liberated from the Japanese by Indian infantry divisions 3-4 May 1945. So the crates could not have been buried there until after that date. By that point in the war, the ships delivering the crates to Burma could have safely come through the Suez Canal and off-loaded the crates in Rangoon.

Yep, Jim, back in the 50's I did some cosmoline removal, too. We had drums and cans filled with a liquid that we dipped the coated item into and the stuff came off pretty well, although we usually had to use a brush because some of that stuff had been applied to the items 15 years before and had hardened. Nasty stuff, but it did what it was supposed to.

Best,
Larry

Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

In a BBC news report, today,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20957162

It is said they have found a crate but it is in water and they are having to pump it out.

Not encouraging.

Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

The story keeps changing daily so I guess we'll have to wait a week or two to find out what's going on. The first articles implied they were all buried at Mingaladon, but now they have them at airfields all over Burma. Also, the number has now risen to 120.

L.

Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

By the way, one of the people involved was quoted in a newspaper as saying that the aircraft could be in any state between perfectly preserved and "Daz", a sticky green sludge that is the product of decades of corrosion. One hopes this isn't the case but it was a welcome note of realism.

Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng (Post 160398)

Jim K. wrote:

I think the various articles said the crates were buried at Mingaladon airfield, which is just a few kilometers north of Rangoon and is now Burma's principal international airport. Rangoon and Mingaladon were liberated from the Japanese by Indian infantry divisions 3-4 May 1945. So the crates could not have been buried there until after that date. By that point in the war, the ships delivering the crates to Burma could have safely come through the Suez Canal and off-loaded the crates in Rangoon.

Yep, Jim, back in the 50's I did some cosmoline removal, too. We had drums and cans filled with a liquid that we dipped the coated item into and the stuff came off pretty well, although we usually had to use a brush because some of that stuff had been applied to the items 15 years before and had hardened. Nasty stuff, but it did what it was supposed to.

Best,
Larry

I hear what you're saying, but wasn't one of the reasons cited for the stashing of the aircraft was to keep them from the Japanese? If so, that would contradict the theory that "Rangoon and Mingaladon were liberated from the Japanese by Indian infantry divisions 3-4 May 1945. So the crates could not have been buried there until after that date." <shrug>

Now what would be almost as exciting (IMO) would be the necessary paperwork associated with the burial of these aircraft (assuming for the sake of argument that there are at least a couple of Spitfires buried there.

Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

Quote:

Yep, the story seems to be all over the place and contradictions abound. That's why we'll have to wait a while for the facts to surface.

Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

One of the key problems with this story is that there appears to be no good reason why any Spitfires should have been buried in Burma at the time specified, let alone the very latest variant and the finest fighter available in theatre.

Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

It really is difficult to view this with anything other than extreme scepticism. The story, and the number of Spitfires involved, seems to vary almost daily. Currently, we are told there are 60 waiting to be recovered with another 80 to be dug up at a later date.

If I were a betting man I'd wager a considerable sum on there being nothing there and, like most other 'buried aircraft' stories, for this to turn out to be nothing more than fantasy and an urban myth that has got out of hand. Of course, we'd all like it to be true. But.......!!!

Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

The latest update - nothing found...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21074699