20 Spitfires to be excavated and returned from Burma

[CTjockey]

http://news.sky.com/story/1053172/burma-spitfire-m...

[yellowjack]

ralphrj said:

Crossflow Kid said:

A few Chinnies (3 or 4?) have been destroyed on the ground after forced/emergency landings but the Taliban have been literally within a stone's throw when a 500lb laser guided scrap label arrived.

Edited by Crossflow Kid on Thursday 7th February 11:24

Wikipedia suggests 2 have been deliberatley destroyed in Afghanistan (within 11 days of each other).

In addition 2 Hercules aircraft have been deliberately destroyed (1 in Afghanistan and 1 in Iraq). There was a youtube clip of at least one of these.

Love the term 'laser guided scrap label' by the way.

There's a bit (with images) on here... http://thetension.blogspot.co.uk/2008_07_06_archiv... ....about the septics disposing of one of their Alberts near Bagdahd.

I don't have access anymore, nor permission to use the images, but one of our RE EOD squadrons did a job on a Herc a few Telics back. Photos were up on the 'What we done in Afghan' board for the Sqn, in RHQ. Basically the wings and airframe were severed, using Barmines, Hayricks, and PE4 to make the cuts. Aircraft was said to have been repairable, but the tactical situation made repair and recovery impossible, so destruction was seen as the only option.


4ft long L-9 Barmine.

[LotusOmega375D]

CTjockey said:

http://news.sky.com/story/1053172/burma-spitfire-m...

Well there's plenty of evidence of what looks like a 737 nearby!

Better than nothing I suppose.

[Wedg1e]

CTjockey said:

http://news.sky.com/story/1053172/burma-spitfire-m...

Sky said:

Mr Cundall subsequently gathered eyewitness testimony from eight surviving servicemen who claimed they saw the burial.

So either he was lying, or they all were.

...and is there REALLY a bloke called Frazer Nash...?!

[hidetheelephants]

Wedg1e said:

CTjockey said:

http://news.sky.com/story/1053172/burma-spitfire-m...

Sky said:

Mr Cundall subsequently gathered eyewitness testimony from eight surviving servicemen who claimed they saw the burial.

So either he was lying, or they all were.

...and is there REALLY a bloke called Frazer Nash...?!

It's a pseudonym; he's really called Armstrong Siddeley.

[stuttgartmetal]

FWIW, some handlebarred old airman from WW2 would have come forward by now if this had an iota of truth behind it, and validated the site.

[Simpo Two]

Wedg1e said:

...and is there REALLY a bloke called Frazer Nash...?!

Well there's a bloke called Austin Healey!

[Total loss]

Wedg1e said:

...and is there REALLY a bloke called Frazer Nash...?!

How about Archie Frazer Nash as in AFN Porsche.

[dave-the-diver]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/9615146/British-plane-enthusiast-wins-right-to-dig-up-buried-Spitfires-in-Burma.html

[S100HP]

dave-the-diver said:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/9615146/British-plane-enthusiast-wins-right-to-dig-up-buried-Spitfires-in-Burma.html

That link is from 2012?

[Rewe]

dave-the-diver said:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/9615146/British-plane-enthusiast-wins-right-to-dig-up-buried-Spitfires-in-Burma.html

Hey buddy, did you sort out getting the Mrs and daughter to Yorkshire in the end?

[generationx]

[dave-the-diver]

Article seems to be from this Saturday?

(But, as mentioned above, I’m on a bit of a roll at the moment and it’s probably just a rehash of the original).

David

Edited by dave-the-diver on Wednesday 22 May 23:53

[Tony1963]

Just do a Google News search for Burma Spitfires. There is no “News” to report, it seems.

[S100HP]

dave-the-diver said:

Article seems to be from this Saturday?

(But, as mentioned above, I’m on a bit of a roll at the moment and it’s probably just a rehash of the original).

David

Edited by dave-the-diver on Wednesday 22 May 23:53

[anonymous-user]

How disappointing, I thought maybe they’d been found after all.

[Hill92]

Ukraine have uncovered 8 buried Hurricanes outside Kyiv.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65955365

[MartG]

Hill92 said:

Ukraine have uncovered 8 buried Hurricanes outside Kyiv.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65955365

Interesting why they were buried - Russia avoiding paying for them, after all the help they received from their Western allies

[xeny]

Common practice. I think the RN dumped some Martlets overboard for similar reasons.

[Alex Z]

Hill92 said:

Ukraine have uncovered 8 buried Hurricanes outside Kyiv.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65955365

Remains of, anyway. And I wouldn’t be surprised if one or more gets rebuilt even though it would end up being a 99% new plane.