Buried Spitfires???
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Buried Spitfires???
Spotted the following on http://www.avweb.com. Anyone got any further news?
Bungunya farmer and pilot David Mulckey, of Australia, is hoping to find some Spitfires within the next few weeks. He plans to dig in a spot about 85 miles west of Brisbane that he believes is a warbird burial ground. For years, locals around the town of Oakey have told stories about Spitfires buried by airmen upset that the planes were otherwise destined for the scrap heap after WWII. Mulckey thinks the rumors are based in truth and plans to dig a trench near the local drive-in, to have a look for himself.
Bungunya farmer and pilot David Mulckey, of Australia, is hoping to find some Spitfires within the next few weeks. He plans to dig in a spot about 85 miles west of Brisbane that he believes is a warbird burial ground. For years, locals around the town of Oakey have told stories about Spitfires buried by airmen upset that the planes were otherwise destined for the scrap heap after WWII. Mulckey thinks the rumors are based in truth and plans to dig a trench near the local drive-in, to have a look for himself.
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Good on him. But what does he do if he finds them?
Are they owned by the land owner, by the RAAF, by some Department of Administrative Management Administration, or who? If they have weapons aboard does he run afoul of some Oz laws on owning automatic weapons or cannons? Oh my, just realized if they came from the UK we are talking international trafficing in arms!
Forget the backhoe, call in the lawyers!
[This message has been edited by RATBOY (edited 12 June 2001).]
Are they owned by the land owner, by the RAAF, by some Department of Administrative Management Administration, or who? If they have weapons aboard does he run afoul of some Oz laws on owning automatic weapons or cannons? Oh my, just realized if they came from the UK we are talking international trafficing in arms!
Forget the backhoe, call in the lawyers!
[This message has been edited by RATBOY (edited 12 June 2001).]
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Here's snip from their local rag which doesn't add much to your post.
http://thechronicle.toowoomba.com/da...01/29spit.html
Perhaps keep an eye on that site.
http://thechronicle.toowoomba.com/da...01/29spit.html
Perhaps keep an eye on that site.
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I first heard this story when I was an air cadet in Oz and we were flying from Oakey and Amberley. As I remember it, there were a pile of late mark Spits (numbers varied between 12 and 24) were delivered to Oakey at the close of the war -- I can't remember which mark, but I think that they were Griffon engined -- and the war ended after they arrived but before they were uncrated and flown.
The story runs that they were stuck out in a cave in the bondu rather than being scrapped, and that people had gone to look for them, but that no-one had ever found anything. Best of luck to all of those involved!
Cheers
Tobbes
The story runs that they were stuck out in a cave in the bondu rather than being scrapped, and that people had gone to look for them, but that no-one had ever found anything. Best of luck to all of those involved!
Cheers
Tobbes
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I dont know about the Spit's, but there are a number of UK sites where it has been rumoured that Lancaster parts were buried.
Two of which were at Elsham airfield and Kirmington, (now Blunderside, sorry Humberside Airport), both North Lincolnshire, UK.
I know that some excavation took place at Elsham, along with X ray scans. They did retrieve some parts, which were appropriately wrapped and therefore preserved, but sadly, they were not of any use as spares for the existing Lancasters.
The miserable gits who run Humberside wouldnt allow any searches, although I do know that when the site was being developed over the years, it was very common to come across buried stores, most of which went elsewhere,and not to the appropriate mseum etc.
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It wasn't me.
Two of which were at Elsham airfield and Kirmington, (now Blunderside, sorry Humberside Airport), both North Lincolnshire, UK.
I know that some excavation took place at Elsham, along with X ray scans. They did retrieve some parts, which were appropriately wrapped and therefore preserved, but sadly, they were not of any use as spares for the existing Lancasters.
The miserable gits who run Humberside wouldnt allow any searches, although I do know that when the site was being developed over the years, it was very common to come across buried stores, most of which went elsewhere,and not to the appropriate mseum etc.
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It wasn't me.
