Dozen or more Spitfires to be un-earthed in Burma

As I said I was trying to be positive, but if it's hard to take, we can stick with the negative.

The guy quotes "The Americans buried them." Apologies for not being a descendant of Montgomery my war history is limited.. I don't know the name of the guy who was running the base on the day. If you say he was British.. Then he was for all i know, and the guy digging them up must be wrong for talking to Americans.

Tbh I still believe my post above.. A bunch of knackers and bombed out ones tipped into a hole, embellished over the years.

How about comibg off the fence and giving your theory ?

 

Montgomery wouldn't have helped, he was North Africa and Europe, it was general Slim out in Burma.
My theory? Haven't you read what I've posted over this thread? I don't actually believe they're there and certainly don't believe in the back story of brand new ones being buried. I'm happy to be proved wrong on both counts of course but there have been many claims regarding brand new aircraft, engines etc. being buried at the war's end but not a single one has come to light to date so I treat this claim with a degree of scepticism.

 

I think you missed my point. Wasn't saying Slim was CinC Indian Army (Auchinleck) but as CinC XIV Army he was the equivalent in Burma to Monty at VII Army in North Africa.

 

Well if you want to be really pedantic, The Auk wasn't actually responsible for the reconquest of Burma, that was essentially Slim's job while Auk had charge if the Indian Army for internal security of India, defence of NW Frontier, training and supplying XIV Army. He wasn't actually responsible for the prosecution of the war against the Japanese, that was SEAC's responsibility.
This is getting silly isn't it?

 

Time to call it a day me thinks!!

 

Maybe Lew is there too...?

 

Now that's the best post I've read for some time.
:tea:

 

Not that wrong though. Indian Army was equal to SEAC in the pecking order and without the support of Indian Army in the training of troops and supply of materiel to XIV Army, Slim's Burma campaign would not have been possible. Also The Auk was a superior to Slim but not Slim's superior as such as XIV Army answered to SEAC where the prosecution of the war was concerned. All a bit confusing really so an easy mistake to make.

 

Well I served with 'Bill' Slim, (the younger) and he told me that his dad told him..................

 

An update on the Sky News website. I'm looking forward to the end of January now and their findings

Burma Spitfires: Team To Start Dig For Lost Planes

 

And an update on the BBC website - now postulating there "could be up to 36 buried planes at the end of the airport's runway in Mingaladon and up to 124 aircraft in total, it is thought"

BBC News - WWII Spitfires digging team leaves for Burma

We are either on the verge of the greatest warbird story of all time, or a monumental anti-climax...

Tom

 

A further update. Starting to get interesting...

BBC News - Burma Spitfire hunters discover crate

 

Interesting that he is now talking about having to pump lots of water out of the crate that has been found, but yet remains optimistic that the contents will still be in good condition. Surely if they've been submerged in water for any length of time, what is left of them will be barely recognisable?


Keith

 

I admit it doesn't sound promising - but it does depend on, for example, the salinity and oxygen content of the water. Their are ex-WW II planes dragged out of Norwegian fjords that look practically like new - but that is out of very deep, dark, cold and low oxygen freshwater, which doesn't sound like the situation here.

We await with baited breath...

Tom

 

I love the use of the word seam.

 

Picture of the first Spitfire to be unearthed in Burma
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