|
Japanese and Allied Air Forces in the Far East Please use this forum to discuss the Air War in the Far East. |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
#2
|
||||
|
||||
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 |
#3
|
||||
|
||||
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 |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????
Quote:
Sharon
__________________
The Last are the Best! |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
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! |
#6
|
||||
|
||||
Re: 20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????
Quote:
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 |
#7
|
||||
|
||||
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 |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
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). |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
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! |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
|
|
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 14:28 |
Ramrod 154 on 25 July 1943 | Håkan | Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces | 11 | 6th January 2015 18:20 |
Spitfires Found In Burma | hucks216 | Allied and Soviet Air Forces | 4 | 14th April 2012 21:08 |
AIR ENTHUSIAST - article - Spitfires Burma | DavidIsby | Allied and Soviet Air Forces | 4 | 8th June 2011 09:36 |
FW190 JG2 at Nantes in 23/9/1943 | GOFRIDUS | Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces | 11 | 28th April 2006 20:28 |