Buried Treasure
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There is a "mine" of used aircraft parts near the centre of Cambridge. At the end of the war and into the early fifties an old pit was filled with aircraft parts from Lancaster fuselages to complete cockpit canopies.
I used to stand across the road and watch the Queen Mary's arriving every day, one thing that I remember in detail to this day was the cockpit perspex, it was always yellow, not stained but the yellowness of exposure. The only time I have seen a reference to this is in "Fate is the Hunter"
There are without doubt hundreds of aircraft in that hole, now it is covered up and there is an industrial estate on the surface.
As for treasure behind a locked door, I do know of a garage in Africa that contains a 1912 Silver Ghost, a Cadillac that once belonged to Al Capone and a lot more in between, oh and an original Dennis Fire Engine.
I used to stand across the road and watch the Queen Mary's arriving every day, one thing that I remember in detail to this day was the cockpit perspex, it was always yellow, not stained but the yellowness of exposure. The only time I have seen a reference to this is in "Fate is the Hunter"
There are without doubt hundreds of aircraft in that hole, now it is covered up and there is an industrial estate on the surface.
As for treasure behind a locked door, I do know of a garage in Africa that contains a 1912 Silver Ghost, a Cadillac that once belonged to Al Capone and a lot more in between, oh and an original Dennis Fire Engine.
Avoid imitations
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RAF Ternhill saw the belated recovery of a training aircraft (a Miles Magister, if my memory is correct) in the late 1970s. A solo student had crashed into a bog that surrounded the airfield during WW2 and had not survived, the aircraft and he sinking into the mire. Over the years, the land was drained and was later used for agriculture. Story was that they found an old farm boy who took the recovery team into a field and simply said "dig there". They did, the remains of the aircraft and its pilot were quickly recovered and he was later given a formal military burial.
I occupied a MQ at RAF Shawbury for a while in the late 1970s. Every time I dug the back garden I unearthed small broken pieces of perspex and metal aircraft pipework. Was never sure if it had arrived there off the back of a truck or from a great height.
I occupied a MQ at RAF Shawbury for a while in the late 1970s. Every time I dug the back garden I unearthed small broken pieces of perspex and metal aircraft pipework. Was never sure if it had arrived there off the back of a truck or from a great height.
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Apparently, the hard standing at Gib had a lot of scrapware used as fill-in ballast when it was being built, including old tanks, etc. The story goes that a Nimrod sank into a hole caused when the ironwork rotted through the passage of time. Anyone heard of this?
The atmosphere at Gib is highly salt-atmosphere laden, and is lethal to metals. The Vulcan that stood next to the stadium rotted into dangerous condition in only a few years...
The atmosphere at Gib is highly salt-atmosphere laden, and is lethal to metals. The Vulcan that stood next to the stadium rotted into dangerous condition in only a few years...
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Then there's theradioactive Swifts buried somewhere in the Australian desert i believe...
I know Tony Schwerdt flew a P51 out of Maralinga that had been sat with others in the blast
Last time I saw he he didnt glow in the dark.!
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In the 70's I was told as a PC at STN by a number of locals that a number of a/c were buried beneath the taxiways amongst other lend lease equipment. Also told that kit was buried at Fords of Langley after the war finished as there was a glut of kit.
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I thought i had read about the Swifts somewhere...Nigel Walpole in "Swift Justice" lists some of the Swifts in operation Buffalo at Marilinga (and mentions the Mustangs too!) Good book as that is the same chapter that gives an account of WK198's restoration (to which i am very close!)
ShyTorque - there were a significant number of aircraft scrapped at the MU in the late 60's at Shawbury so that may be the source of the bits. As a youngster a few years ago I used to go round the farmers fields next to the base in the hope of finding any left over bits - surprisingly we found nothing!!
ShyTorque - there were a significant number of aircraft scrapped at the MU in the late 60's at Shawbury so that may be the source of the bits. As a youngster a few years ago I used to go round the farmers fields next to the base in the hope of finding any left over bits - surprisingly we found nothing!!
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Aaaaah Shawbury......fond memories of Market Day at Wem!
I certainly remember a load of Javelins parked up for scrapping in the very early 60s when I visited as a cadet.
Latterly working there for Marshall's in the mid 60s I recollect acres of Shacklebombers, Hastings and Beverleys awaiting the 'torch'. If I remember correctly there was also a Comet 2 kept in the MU hangar for the years I was based there.
I wasn't p*ssed at the time but I seem to recollect a certain Fl/Lt B****er rolling a Dominie at the open day.
FW
I certainly remember a load of Javelins parked up for scrapping in the very early 60s when I visited as a cadet.
Latterly working there for Marshall's in the mid 60s I recollect acres of Shacklebombers, Hastings and Beverleys awaiting the 'torch'. If I remember correctly there was also a Comet 2 kept in the MU hangar for the years I was based there.
I wasn't p*ssed at the time but I seem to recollect a certain Fl/Lt B****er rolling a Dominie at the open day.
FW
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Still lots of stuff around High Ercall. Got talking to some of the locals, who said a lot of engines and bits were chopped off the airframes and dropped into pits. An overhead of High Ercall reveals some interesting features bordering the airfield, and what appears to be the old railhead.
Buried aircraft? No doubt some around, personally, I'm waiting for them to clean up all those mines on the Libyan/Egyptian border
Failing that , a trawl of German/Polish lakes might bring up something. Wasn't there a Halibag in a lake in Germany? As I recall, it's still there, because it's carrying the warload.
There is still something to be found.
Buried aircraft? No doubt some around, personally, I'm waiting for them to clean up all those mines on the Libyan/Egyptian border
Failing that , a trawl of German/Polish lakes might bring up something. Wasn't there a Halibag in a lake in Germany? As I recall, it's still there, because it's carrying the warload.
There is still something to be found.
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St Athan in the late 1950's had, among many units there, an MU devoted entirely to the disposal of surplus aircraft.
From memory Hunter 1's were 300 pounds, Venoms 80, Meteors 100, a Balliol would set you back 70 pounds, and so on.
All the aircraft were complete except for being defueled and having the blind flying instrument panel removed.
Also at that time there were two hangars full of brand new Swift 1's.
They were aircraft already built when the order was cancelled.
All had just 25 minutes flying time from the factory to St Athan.
On arrival they had an Maintainance number put on, which ensured they would never fly again, and they were used by the Boy Entrants school for servicing practice etc.
From memory Hunter 1's were 300 pounds, Venoms 80, Meteors 100, a Balliol would set you back 70 pounds, and so on.
All the aircraft were complete except for being defueled and having the blind flying instrument panel removed.
Also at that time there were two hangars full of brand new Swift 1's.
They were aircraft already built when the order was cancelled.
All had just 25 minutes flying time from the factory to St Athan.
On arrival they had an Maintainance number put on, which ensured they would never fly again, and they were used by the Boy Entrants school for servicing practice etc.
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Henry you brought back another memory. As a kid in South Wales my chum and I would cycle miles from Newport to St Athans to crawl over that aircraft dump. We must have made an interesting sight as we struggled away with 'bits' strapped to our bikes! Ispecifically remember the Venoms.
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Got an interesting book about Shawbury showing pictures of the MU scrapping the prototype Jet Provost T2, Hastings, Javelins, Ansons, Mosquitos and Venoms in the late 50's and 60's. Also mentions the scrapping of Argosies and Shackletons. (Doesn't mention whether any were buried though....!) Must have been quite a sight during the 1960's with all that going on.
Hi all
Given the remark above about uncleared mines in North Africa, who did the clear-up after WW II ended? Did the Armies do it or was it left to the individual Governments? I remember a story about the Allies coming upon an ad-hoc munitions plant, alongside a lake in Germany. As the Allies got near, the Germans are supposed to have tipped thousands of stick-grenades and Panzerfausts into the lake. One report said that there were more than a million individual items! If anyone wants to read about the current French "demineurs", who deal with the modern crop of ploughed up ordnance from both World Wars, then try "Aftermath" by Daniel Webster of National Geographic.
regards
TDD
Given the remark above about uncleared mines in North Africa, who did the clear-up after WW II ended? Did the Armies do it or was it left to the individual Governments? I remember a story about the Allies coming upon an ad-hoc munitions plant, alongside a lake in Germany. As the Allies got near, the Germans are supposed to have tipped thousands of stick-grenades and Panzerfausts into the lake. One report said that there were more than a million individual items! If anyone wants to read about the current French "demineurs", who deal with the modern crop of ploughed up ordnance from both World Wars, then try "Aftermath" by Daniel Webster of National Geographic.
regards
TDD
North Africa was cleared up by the allies and the work continued into the late 50's / early 60's I seem to recall having read once.
I spent a bit of time in the Libyan desert, Tripoli, Benghazi and Tobruk in the 1980's. Tobruk still had ****e lying around on some parts of the coast as di Benghazi to a lesser extent. There are lots of shipwrecks beached on the coast and I once kicked what I thought to be a tin canwhile walking along a beach 25km South of Benghastly only to discover that it was a 3" shell with fuse still attached. The correct steps were taken; large and fast ones in the direction of away!
A pal of mine used to drive into the deep desert to mark positions for the drilling companies to drill the oil wells. He found all sorts of bits and bobs including a single seater aeroplane with the pilot's remains in it. This was duly reported to the appropriate authority who organised the recovery of the remains.
I spent a bit of time in the Libyan desert, Tripoli, Benghazi and Tobruk in the 1980's. Tobruk still had ****e lying around on some parts of the coast as di Benghazi to a lesser extent. There are lots of shipwrecks beached on the coast and I once kicked what I thought to be a tin canwhile walking along a beach 25km South of Benghastly only to discover that it was a 3" shell with fuse still attached. The correct steps were taken; large and fast ones in the direction of away!
A pal of mine used to drive into the deep desert to mark positions for the drilling companies to drill the oil wells. He found all sorts of bits and bobs including a single seater aeroplane with the pilot's remains in it. This was duly reported to the appropriate authority who organised the recovery of the remains.
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Fokkerwokker
The book is "A History of Royal Air Force Shawbury" and is by Aldon P. Ferguson. it was published by the Merseyside Aviation Society in 1977. I'm not sure how easy it is to get but I have seen the odd one advertised.
The book is "A History of Royal Air Force Shawbury" and is by Aldon P. Ferguson. it was published by the Merseyside Aviation Society in 1977. I'm not sure how easy it is to get but I have seen the odd one advertised.
HTP was used in the Blue Steel stand-off weapon and a HTP dumping area would be a feature of any base to which V-force Blue Steel Vulcans and Victors might deploy.
Evil stuff it was, I'm told, and required extreme care in handling.
Evil stuff it was, I'm told, and required extreme care in handling.
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I recall in the 70's going to visit Shoeburyness Island and the host took me to the a/c dump and there was a TSR2 there, which I can only imagine was eventually destroyed. Anyone confirm if there is anything there now as the island is still closed as far as I know, even though there are only a few days each year when RAF practice.
Usual disclaimers apply!
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Also told that kit was buried at Fords of Langley after the war finished as there was a glut of kit.
I don't recall anything of significance being found.
There was however a very small test/development nuclear reactor on the site that the neighbours knew nothing about.
It went by the name of Jason and was moved to Greenwich in the early sixties, the building that housed it was still there all bricked up last time I saw it. 
Didn't the BBMF Hurricane come off the langley production site?
