Spitfires coming home?

[Egan]

Interesting story from Burma:

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

British and Burmese authorities could work together to find 20 Spitfires buried in Burma at the end of the World War II, officials say.

The case of the missing planes was raised when PM David Cameron met Burmese President Thein Sein.

A Downing Street source said it was "hoped this will be an opportunity to work with the reforming Burmese government".

The exact location of the planes is unknown.

The planes were buried in 1945 by the RAF amid fears that they could either be used or destroyed by foreign forces, but in the intervening years they have not been located.
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The Spitfire is arguably the most important plane in the history of aviation”
Downing Street

At the time they were unused, still in crates, and yet to be assembled.

Until a general election in 2010, Burma was ruled for almost half a century by a military junta.

It has been reported that experts from Leeds University and an academic based in Rangoon believe they may have identified the sites where the craft are concealed using sophisticated radar techniques.

On Friday, officials said President Thein Sein was "very enthusiastic" about the prospect of finding and restoring the planes.

A Downing Street source said: "The Spitfire is arguably the most important plane in the history of aviation, playing a crucial role in the Second World War.

"It is hoped this will be an opportunity to work with the reforming Burmese government, uncover, restore and display these fighter planes and get them gracing the skies of Britain once again."

According to another source I read, they should still be in pretty good nick if they are all still packed properly. If they can all be rebuilt without too many issues, it should just about double the number of flyable Spits still around today.

[Jimbuna]

Looks like we may yet have something to fly off the new careers

[Egan]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Looks like we may yet have something to fly off the new careers

Only if it's cheaper than stapling sailors to kites.

I remember hearing a story years ago that there is a landfill site somewhere in the north of england that is full of dozens of unused Spits that were dumped in it at the end of the war. I doubt that it's true but what a find that would be for some kid with a metal detector.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Egan

Only if it's cheaper than stapling sailors to kites.

I remember hearing a story years ago that there is a landfill site somewhere in the north of england that is full of dozens of unused Spits that were dumped in it at the end of the war. I doubt that it's true but what a find that would be for some kid with a metal detector.

Shhh! don't go giving David any ideas

[_dgn_]

British and Burmese authorities could work together to find 20 Spitfires buried in Burma at the end of the World War II, officials say.

Nice news !

But any idea about the model of these Spits ?

[Garion]

Originally Posted by _dgn_

Nice news !

But any idea about the model of these Spits ?

Airfix 1/24th scale

I'll get my coat

Cheers

Garion

[Egan]

Originally Posted by _dgn_

Nice news !

But any idea about the model of these Spits ?

According to the Telegraph they were buried in July '45, so very late war.

More from the Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ned-to-UK.html

The Prime Minister secured a historic deal that will see the fighter aircraft dug up and shipped back to the UK almost 67 years after they were hidden more than 40-feet below ground amid fears of a Japanese occupation.

The gesture came as Mr Cameron became the first Western leader to meet Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese democracy campaigner held under house arrest for 22 years by the military regime, and invited her to visit London in her first trip abroad for 24 years.

He called on Europe to suspend its ban on trade with Burma now that it was showing ***8220;prospects for change***8221; following Miss Suu Kyi***8217;s election to parliament in a sweeping electoral victory earlier this year.

The plight of the buried aircraft came to Mr Cameron***8217;s attention at the behest of a farmer from S****horpe, North Lincs, who is responsible for locating them at a former RAF base using radar imaging technology.

David Cundall, 62, spent 15 years doggedly searching for the Mk II planes, an exercise that involved 12 trips to Burma and cost him more than £130,000.

When he finally managed to locate them in February, he was told Mr Cameron ***8220;loved***8221; the project and would intervene to secure their repatriation.

Mr Cundall told the Daily Telegraph: ***8220;I***8217;m only a small farmer, I***8217;m not a multi-millionaire and it has been a struggle. It took me more than 15 years but I finally found them.

***8221;Spitfires are beautiful aeroplanes and should not be rotting away in a foreign land. They saved our neck in the Battle of Britain and they should be preserved.***8221;

He said the Spitfires, of which there are only around 35 flying left in the world, were shipped to Burma and then transported by rail to the British RAF base during the war.

However, advances in technology and the emergence of more agile jets meant they were never used and in July 1945, officials fearing a Japanese occupation abandoned them on the orders of Lord Louis Mountbatten, the head of South East Asia Command, two weeks before the atom bombs were dropped, ending the conflict.

***8220;They were just buried there in transport crates,***8221; Mr Cundall said. ***8220;They were waxed, wrapped in greased paper and their joints tarred. They will be in near perfect condition.***8221;

The married father of three, an avid plane enthusiast, embarked on his voyage of discovery in 1996 after being told of their existence by a friend who had met some American veterans who described digging a trench for the aircraft during the Allied withdrawal of Burma.

He spent years appealing for information on their whereabouts from eye witnesses, scouring public records and placing advertisements in specialist magazines.

Several early trips to Burma were unsuccessful and were hampered by the political climate.

He eventually met one eyewitness who drew maps and an outline of where the aircraft were buried and took him out to the scene.

***8220;Unfortunately, he got his north, south, east and west muddled up and we were searching at the wrong end of the runway,***8221; he said.

***8220;We also realised that we were not searching deep enough as they had filled in all of these bomb craters which were 20-feet to start with.

***8220;I hired another machine in the UK that went down to 40-feet and after going back surveying the land many times, I eventually found them.

***8220;I have been in touch with British officials in Burma and in London and was told that David Cameron would negotiate on my behalf to make the recovery happen.***8221;

Mr Cundall said sanctions preventing the removal of military tools from Burma were due to be lifted at midnight last night (FRI).

A team from the UK is already in place and is expecting to begin the excavation, estimated to cost around £500,000, imminently. It is being funded by the Chichester-based Boultbee Flight Acadamy.

Mr Cundall said the government had promised him it would be making no claim on the aircraft, of which 21,000 were originally produced, and that he would be entitled to a share in them.

***8220;It***8217;s been a financial nightmare but hopefully I***8217;ll get my money back,***8221; he said.

***8220;I***8217;m hoping the discovery will generate some jobs. They will need to be stripped down and re-riveted but it must be done. My dream is to have a flying squadron at air shows.***8221;

Edit: MK2 Spits? In July '45? Really? I would have thought we would have been talking about MK XIV or MK XIX or something like that?

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Egan

According to the Telegraph they were buried in July '45, so very late war.

More from the Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ned-to-UK.html



Edit: MK2 Spits? In July '45? Really? I would have thought we would have been talking about MK XIV or MK XIX or something like that?

Me too

[Egan]

It's strange, isn't it? There were MK Vs in use in Oz/SWPac by '43 (I think,) so MKIIs just seems odd. I wonder if it's a mistake. I'm surprised that there were any MKIIs in production at all that late.

[Jimbuna]

I'm wondering if it's a reporting error/lack of knowledge.

[_dgn_]

Originally Posted by Garion

Airfix 1/24th scale

I'll get my coat

Cheers

Garion

I built it, when I was younger : a nice set !!!

Originally Posted by Egan

It's strange, isn't it? There were MK Vs in use in Oz/SWPac by '43 (I think,) so MKIIs just seems odd. I wonder if it's a mistake. I'm surprised that there were any MKIIs in production at all that late.

In 1943, there were mainly Spitfires Mk. VC in Burma.

I found this information in one of my Osprey books "Spitfire Aces of Burma and the Pacific", by Andrew Thomas (published in 2009):

From late 1943 the RAF and RAAF squadrons in Burma and the Pacific were equipped with Spitfire VIIIs.

Cheers.

[_dgn_]

But things are not so simple !!!

Found on page 74 in the same book :

Elsewhere, on 28 June No 17 Sqn began conversion to the Griffonengined Spitfire XIV ...

It's naturally June 1945.

To be (maybe) continued ...

[Schroeder]

The Spitfire is arguably the most important plane in the history of aviation, playing a crucial role in the Second World War.

Pah, ignorant Brits! We all know it was the Mustang that won the war!

@Jim

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Looks like we may yet have something to fly off the new careers

You're planning a new career?

Anyway those are Spitfires, not Seafires so I think they are not equipped for carrier operations. However you will be delighted to hear that the Luftwaffe will finally part with the last of their F4 Phantoms in 3 years (IIRC). You could use those and they are only "slightly" used. If you're really nice to us at the European Football championship we might even give you a special price for a friend.

The Mark 14 Spitfires had recently arrived in Burma in crates. They were shipped into the country along the Burmese death railway built by allied prisoners of war during the Japanese occupation.

from.....http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...s-buried-burma

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

However you will be delighted to hear that the Luftwaffe will finally part with the last of their F4 Phantoms in 3 years (IIRC). You could use those and they are only "slightly" used. If you're really nice to us at the European Football championship we might even give you a special price for a friend.

Oooh, I'll have one, I like the Phantoms.