The new Battle of Burma: Find 20 buried Spitfires and make them fly

Daily Mail ^

[nuconvert]

Historic planes buried in Second World War are to be shipped back to Britain after their mystery locations were discovered

War leaders did not want them to fall into foreign hands when they demobilised in 1945

Hidden in crates at a depth of 4ft to 6ft the RAF then forgot where they were

Twenty brand-new RAF Spitfires could soon reach for the sky following a deal reached with Burma yesterday. Experts believe they have discovered the locations of around 20 of the Second World War fighters buried at airfields around the country. David Cameron has secured an agreement that they will be returned to Britain.

[tanknetter]

If you can get a ride in a B-25, do it. I was able to ride in a B-25 last year. One of the other passengers flew B-17s and was a B-25 instructor during WWII. It was a great opportunity.

I'm saving pennies for my "$2000 Plan": rides in a B-25 ($350-400), B-17 ($500) and FiFi ($1000).

[tanknetter]

You don’t suppose we can claim one or two of those for the Smithsonian, as partial payment for war debts?

Back when the Garber NASM restoration facility was still running weekend tours, and the NASM Hurricane was under resto, the restoration staff would tell a GREAT story about how NASM acquired its Hurri.

Seems the Imperial War Museum had several Hurricanes, and NASM proposed either a trade or permanent loan. IWM declined. Then the IWM managed to wreck one of its Spits (I think they dropped it from a crane or something) right before a major exhibit was due to open. Guess what? NASM had, as a surplus airframe, the exact Mk of Spit IWM wanted. IWM, suddenly very polite, asked for the Spit. NASM told them "Sure, but we want a Hurricane in return. We know you have four, here's the serial of the one we're willing to trade for".

Gawd, I miss those Garber tours. Won't get any good stories like that from the docents at Mall or Udvar-Hazy.

[norton]

Very, very, cool.

Sad that they only built/sold 20 190 kits.

[Stonewall Jackson]

At the Battle of Mill Springs, KY in January 1862, a number of Confederate soldiers were plagued by their antique flintlocks misfiring (it was a foggy, sleety day) so many of them hid their old guns under rock ledges so that they could claim they'd lost them and thus be issued newer weaponry.

When the battlefield was turned into a state park a few years ago, a team of researchers from the University of Kentucky went down to the battlefield and located dozens of these weapons. They were still in fairly good condition, considering they'd been there for over 140 years. Several of these flintlocks are on display at the battlefield's museum.

[Winniesboy]

You don’t suppose we can claim one or two of those for the Smithsonian, as partial payment for war debts?

As a matter of purely technical interest, the United Kingdom paid the U.S. the last remaining instalment of its last 50-year war debt at the end of 2006.

[FedsRStealingOurCountryFromUs]

"Before burial, the aeroplanes would have been waxed, wrapped in greased paper and their joints tarred, to protect them against decay. There seemed to be a chance that somewhere in Burma, there lay Spitfires that could be restored to flying condition."

One can only hope!

[Tommyjo]

Not RAF Waddington, but RAF Coningsby. Coningsby is located about 15 miles east of Waddington. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is located at RAF Coningsby. Lancaster, Spitfires and Hurricanes.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/