Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum  

Go Back   Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum > Discussion > Japanese and Allied Air Forces in the Far East

Japanese and Allied Air Forces in the Far East Please use this forum to discuss the Air War in the Far East.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 16th April 2012, 00:30
Edward Edward is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 334
Edward is on a distinguished road
20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

Really? I have heard half-a-dozen variations on this story usually involving P-38's buried at Clark Field in the Philippines. Could this one be true?

British farmer’s quest to find lost Spitfires in Burma
The Telegraph - 15 April 2012

"The extraordinary plans to dig up the lost squadron were revealed this weekend as David Cameron visits the country.

Now, David Cundall, 62, of Sandtoft, near Scunthorpe, has spoken about his quest to recover the Spitfires and get them airborne.

Mr Cundall has spent £130,000 of his own money, visited Burma 12 times, persuaded the country’s notoriously secretive regime to trust him, and all the time sought testimony from a dwindling band of Far East veterans in order to locate the Spitfires."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...-in-Burma.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ned-to-UK.html
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 16th April 2012, 08:57
Pilot's Avatar
Pilot Pilot is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Srbija
Posts: 1,545
Pilot is an unknown quantity at this point
Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

With today equipment it would be easy to search and find so only hope that someone will give some effort in this way. Long time ago I have read that some British airplanes are simply loaded in tunnel which was cover with ground. Transport was so expensive as well aluminum, for example cost of new manufactured aluminum was twice less then from scraped airplanes. In this way many airplanes are just drop or push in sea. Therefore- mayn options for airplane archaeologist
__________________
Srecko Bradic
Owner: www.letletlet-warplanes.com
Owner: www.letletlet-warplanes.com/forum
Owner: www.sreckobradic.com
Owner: www.warplanes-zine.com
Email: srecko.warplane@gmail.com
Skype: sreckobradic
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/LetLet...s/308234397758
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 18th April 2012, 04:25
RangerJimK's Avatar
RangerJimK RangerJimK is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 14
RangerJimK is on a distinguished road
Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

And supposedly there are hidden caches of Japanese Zeros and Bettys in caves on islands all over the South Pacific....

In fact, I seem to recall a fairly decent novel from about the mid-90s about that very thing.
__________________
We investigate the past not to deduce practical political lessons, but to find out what really happened.
---T. F. Tout
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 19th April 2012, 17:17
ahafan ahafan is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 207
ahafan is on a distinguished road
Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

Quote:
Originally Posted by RangerJimK View Post
And supposedly there are hidden caches of Japanese Zeros and Bettys in caves on islands all over the South Pacific....

In fact, I seem to recall a fairly decent novel from about the mid-90s about that very thing.
And in the Sun newspaper 1994 in Mother Russias caves 10 crated lancaster bombers ..I know that 5-10 harley davidsons WLA 750S that were found in a cave in russia-and thats true..ive seen them in a bike mag-
Sharon
__________________
The Last are the Best!
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 19th April 2012, 21:32
Graham Boak Graham Boak is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Lancashire, UK
Posts: 1,680
Graham Boak is on a distinguished road
Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

To be fair, there does seem to be rather more behind this than some tales similar at first glance. It might be worth a look at what is being said on the Key Publishing site, by some creditable individuals.

I certainly have some doubts about the details of this story, but it does seem that there is something down there. Whether it turns out to be Spitfires is another matter, and Mk.14s yet another!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 20th April 2012, 01:12
RangerJimK's Avatar
RangerJimK RangerJimK is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 14
RangerJimK is on a distinguished road
Thumbs up Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham Boak View Post
To be fair, there does seem to be rather more behind this than some tales similar at first glance. It might be worth a look at what is being said on the Key Publishing site, by some creditable individuals.

I certainly have some doubts about the details of this story, but it does seem that there is something down there. Whether it turns out to be Spitfires is another matter, and Mk.14s yet another!
Well, it seems as the Burma discovery may be legit.

Mind, I dinna know the reliability of BBC.Com or Telegraph.com, so I can't make a decent analysis of the story, so we'll have to wait and see how this works out....

But I dare say that - if true - the British and Burmese governments will share a good bit of cash by putting them up for auction, eh?

See below....

Jim

From Wikipedia [Disclosure: I am an editor for Wikipedia] :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitfire
"In 1945, the RAF buried a number of Mk.XIV Spitfires in Burma, still unassembled in their crates, in order to prevent them falling into enemy hands or being destroyed. Their exact location has never been determined but in April 2012 the UK government announced they were working with the post-junta Burmese government to locate and potentially return the total of 20 aircraft to flying status. Leeds University experts and an academic from Rangoon, using sophisticated radar techniques claimed to believe they discovered the site of the buried aircraft. In addition to the 20 aircraft thought to be at this one site, other sites with buried Spitfires are believed to exist. One such site is thought to have up to 36 Spitfires alone buried ¯and preserved."[153][154]

Footnote 153 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17710598

Spitfires in Burma 'could be found',
13 April 2012
"British and Burmese authorities could work together to find 20 Spitfires buried in Burma at the end of the World War II, officials say."

Footnote 154 - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...-in-Burma.html
( http://tinyurl.com/bquuh35 )

British farmer’s quest to find lost Spitfires in Burma,
by Adam Lusher7:50AM BST 15 Apr 2012
"A Lincolnshire farmer has told how he spent 15 years trying to find a lost squadron of Spitfires that was buried in Burma at the end of the Second World War."
[article includes a photo, "Spitfire being prepared for burial in Burma" - Photo: Sean Spencer]
__________________
We investigate the past not to deduce practical political lessons, but to find out what really happened.
---T. F. Tout
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 20th April 2012, 01:33
RangerJimK's Avatar
RangerJimK RangerJimK is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 14
RangerJimK is on a distinguished road
Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

Dear Gods and Goddesses of flight and war....

Should this story turn out to be true, and the joint Brit-Burmese team actually find a cache of aprox 20+ Spitfires (regardless of Mark and Mod), in flying condition - after the Airframe & Engine mechanics have certified at least one, of course.

Lets have an informal poll (since I don't know how to set up a real one yet):

1. What do you think that a '43-44 vintage Spitfire in original - flying - condition would bring on the open market?

2. Assuming that you were Bill Gates (or your favorite Gazallionaire ), how much would you be willing to pay for a Spitfire in flying condition. eh?

Jim
__________________
We investigate the past not to deduce practical political lessons, but to find out what really happened.
---T. F. Tout
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 20th April 2012, 15:18
taitbb taitbb is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 146
taitbb is on a distinguished road
Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

I believe most allied warbirds (of the single seat fighter variety) seem to go in the 1.5-2million+ range airworthy, depending on the type...from the few public prices i have seen here and there. Not sure if level of originality and other details may affect price.

So I would imagine that would be the going rate (returned to airworthy), even if there are 20+. I am sure there is a large list of people waiting to purchase there would be little to no deflation in the market.

I am more curious what the 'still in the crate' market price might be. 1Mil +?

I hope a few of these a set aside for historical purposes. Depending on whether the planes are fully kitted out or not...these presumably would be the most original, unaltered warbirds out there of any kind (not that i know the details of all the museums in the world, and knowing the current generation of restorations are kept as authentic/original as possible).
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 29th April 2012, 02:00
ahafan ahafan is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 207
ahafan is on a distinguished road
Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

I read some years ago- about Italian Macchis been buried in italy ?
IE-hangers.rock types.;
sharon
__________________
The Last are the Best!
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 25th June 2012, 02:58
Alex Smart Alex Smart is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Great Britain
Posts: 4,269
Alex Smart is on a distinguished road
Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

Hello,
These may not be the 20 aircraft.
But they were all with 11 Squadron
1 - MV319 - SSLS2561 - India 21/5/45.
2 - MV356 - City of Chester - India 25/6/45.
3 - MV363 - Empire Dynasty - India 7/6/45.
4 - NH748 - City of Chester - India 25/6/45.
5 - NH801 - Ocean Chata - India 23/5/45.
6 - NH804 - City of Hong Kong - India 17/9/45.
7 - NH841 - City of Chester - India 25/6/45.
8 - NH875 - Empire Dynasty - India 7/6/45.
9 - NM817 - Empire Dynasty - India 7/6/45.
10 - NM819 - City of Chester - India 25/6/45.
11 - NM822 - City of Chester - India 25/6/45.
12 - RN145 - Empire Paragon - India 12/4/45.
13 - RN175 - Fernbank - India 7/5/45.
14 - RN219 - Empire Gambia - India 30/8/45.
15 - SM887 - City of Chester - India 25/6/45.
16 - SM921 - Sancouan - India 31/1/46.
17 - SM934 - Ocean Gallent - India 14/10/45.
18 - TZ102 - Samsturdy - India 28/7/45.
19 - TZ115 - Empire Gambia - India 30/8/45.
20 - TZ189 - City of Chester - India 25/6/45.

Anyone know serial numbers of other Mk. XIV's or perhaps F.18's that served with 11 Squadron ?
All for now
Alex
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Luftwaffe losses in the east 20-30.01.1945 AreKal Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 36 20th April 2021 15:28
Ramrod 154 on 25 July 1943 Håkan Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 11 6th January 2015 19:20
Spitfires Found In Burma hucks216 Allied and Soviet Air Forces 4 14th April 2012 22:08
AIR ENTHUSIAST - article - Spitfires Burma DavidIsby Allied and Soviet Air Forces 4 8th June 2011 10:36
FW190 JG2 at Nantes in 23/9/1943 GOFRIDUS Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 11 28th April 2006 21:28


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 02:54.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net