Plans to dig up buried Spitfires

[Hans Tucker (Hans)]

Cool...

http://www.onenewspage.com.au/n/Worl...-Spitfires.htm

[Exfso (Peter)]

Wow, I hope this guy is successful, they were an absolutely beautiful aircraft. If they are buried in crates and protected, that would be brilliant if they are in pristine condition as well.

[tlgerdes (Trevor)]

When I was growing up, I met a man who had done similar with WW2 motor bikes in PNG in the 60s. They brought back about 50 Harleys that had been put in the back of trucks then driven into a hole and buried at the end of the war.

[Hans Tucker (Hans)]

Everytime I see a Spitfire I have the Battle of Britain Theme by Ron Goodwin going through my head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF5vl...eature=related

[astroron (Ron)]

Iheard Stories, over twenty five years ago when I worked in Telecom that there is a big stash of crated Spitfires and other Aircraft buried under the Darling Downs, some where between Toowoomba and Dalby, if I remember rightly.
Cheers

[AdrianF (Adrian)]

Originally Posted by astroron

Iheard Stories, over twenty five years ago when I worked in Telecom that there is a big stash of crated Spitfires and other Aircraft buried under the Darling Downs, some where between Toowoomba and Dalby, if I remember rightly.
Cheers

I heard the same story from an old RAAF mechanic before I left Roma. Didn't believe the story. This guy could remember things from 50 years ago but couldn't remember yesterday.

Adrian

[Barrykgerdes]

After the war there was a lot of surplus military equipment in Australia including unopenned cases.

I servered my NST at Amberly and heard a few stories about disposal of surplus aicraft but not this one. However in the post war years much equipment was auctioned off as "army disposals" and a lot of this came from undisclosed sources.

In 1961 I bought an RDP/RDO EW recieving set up through disposals that was in its original unopened crate and it worked out of the box.

I suspect that there are still items of this nature still buried in possibly long lost locations/.

Barry

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by AdrianF

I heard the same story from an old RAAF mechanic before I left Roma. Didn't believe the story. This guy could remember things from 50 years ago but couldn't remember yesterday.

Adrian

Adrian, I seem to remember it even had some press coverage back then as well,with a possible search being undertaken to find them.
But I never heard anymore about it .
Cheers

[Ric]

How nice would that be to see a squadron of Spitfires roaring through the skies again.

[AdrianF (Adrian)]

Would be absolutely wonderful. Had a flight in a 2 seated trainer many years ago would like another go

Adrian

[Merlin66 (Ken)]

Sounds interesting....
Unfortunately there are no records either in "Spitfire International" or the definitive " Spitfire - The History" which show any significant transfers of Spitfires to Burma, nor is there a "missing" block of serials.
Many were sent (but not used during WW2) to India (11 Sqd.)

If these were there, then why would Burma in the mid 50's buy second hand MkIX's from Israel????
There were some 957 MkXIV produced and at the last count there were 19 known survivors (FlyPast Special - "Spitfire70" p61)

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

and I started a thread about how they just buried F-111's, and many replies didn't care about them being buried.

And here are people getting sentimental about Spitfires being dug up

In another 50 years people will want to dig up the F-111's as well.
As I said previously, a sad waste of planes.

[AdrianF (Adrian)]

I agree Ken burying any planes spitfires tiger moths or F111's is a waste.

Adrian

[Moon (James)]

If they dig up any StarFires give me a call

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

Many records were lost or ignored in the post-war period so who knows.....?
My father flew Spits in England, India and Burma and most were left behind as the the aesthetics of fighters became sedcondary to their actual performance.
I'd kill for a Spitfire!
I'd double-kill for a one of those space-spitfires from Doc. Who!!

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

There are also 100 1942 Harley-Davidson WLA 750 Army Motorcycles buried under the Football Field at Puckapunyal Army Base.

Collectors world-wide have been trying to get the Army to dig them up and sell them, but the Army won't budge.

[Hans Tucker (Hans)]

Construction workers discovered pieces of Australian military history while developing the 2 SQN hangar site at RAAF Base Williamtown.

They found two six-inch howitzer artillery pieces and a twopound anti-tank gun. The two howitzers had serial plates identifying them as having been manufactured in 1918 [one by Vickers and the other by W.B. & Co] but it was believed they were buried in the 1940's or 50's.

One of the Howitzers has been restored and sits out front of 2 SQN

[Astroman (Andrew Wall)]

If anyone has a buried De Havilland Vampire I'd love to have it Spitfires are nice though.... if they are in good condition, who cares if they don't fly, to have them as museum pieces would be awesome, and there would be plenty of interest. $$$$$$$

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Originally Posted by Astroman

If anyone has a buried De Havilland Vampire I'd love to have it Spitfires are nice though.... if they are in good condition, who cares if they don't fly, to have them as museum pieces would be awesome, and there would be plenty of interest. $$$$$$$

The old Tottenham RAAF Base has one up on display, but it is now the Central West Shopping Centre in Braybrook, Victoria. There is another one on display at a public park in Tamworth, another in Forbes, and the RAAF Museum at Point Cook has 2 beautifully restored operational vampires on public display inside the Museum hangars.

Just grab one of those

Geez I used to love that whistling wizzing roaring sound of Vampires. Ahhhh, the memories

But then again I also used to love hearing Canberra Bombers start up . . . BOOM! BOOM!

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Here's an interesting website about a Military Burial Ground that is in the process of rescue of the old gear: http://www.ozatwar.com/nyefoto.htm