20 new WWII Spitfires buried somewhere in Burma

Interesting story I came across on the BBC News website today.

Spitfires in Burma 'could be found'.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17710598

British and Burmese authorities could work together to find 20 Spitfires buried in Burma at the end of the World War II, officials say.

The case of the missing planes was raised when PM David Cameron met Burmese President Thein Sein.

A Downing Street source said it was "hoped this will be an opportunity to work with the reforming Burmese government".

The exact location of the planes is unknown.

The planes were buried in 1945 by the RAF amid fears that they could either be used or destroyed by Japanese forces, but in the intervening years they have not been located.

At the time they were unused, still in crates, and yet to be assembled.

Until a general election in 2010, Burma was ruled for almost half a century by a military junta.

It has been reported that experts from Leeds University and an academic based in Rangoon believe they may have identified the sites where the craft are concealed using sophisticated radar techniques.

On Friday, officials said President Thein Sein was "very enthusiastic" about the prospect of finding and restoring the planes.

A Downing Street source said: "The Spitfire is arguably the most important plane in the history of aviation, playing a crucial role in the Second World War.

"It is hoped this will be an opportunity to work with the reforming Burmese government, uncover, restore and display these fighter planes and get them gracing the skies of Britain once again."
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Very interesting! If they were in crates, they could be in pretty good condition, depending on how well the crates were sealed. Since this was at war's end, they're probably Griffon-powered, like Mk. 14s or 18s.

 

Very cool story, but I can't help thinking of the buried Plymouth Belvedere. Hopefully these fared better.

 

That's an amazing story. Hope they find them.

 

I lived in Burma in the 70's. Ready to go back for a visit. Lots of obstacles to find those planes though.

 

Reliable sources say they already have been found. Borescopes have been sent down to inspect and images have been made. I hope it's true and they are recoverable.
Talk about buried treasure!

 

The ultimate "barn find!".

 

that would be cool to find....something tells me it's a loooong shot

 

Talk about your buried treasure... Twenty iconic Supermarine Spitfire aircraft will be returning home to the UK soon now that they've been found buried 40 feet underground in Burma. The discovery was made in February by David Cundall, 62 - a British farmer and patriot who spent 15 years searching for the missing aircraft.

Since then, Prime Minister David Cameron has stepped in to resolve political and trade entanglements that might have prevented their return. It's believed the 20 planes will be in near perfect condition as they were buried in their shipping containers waxed, wrapped in greased paper, and with their joints tarred.

The aircraft were abandoned and buried at the order of Lord Louis Mountbatten to protect against a Japanese occupation just two weeks before the end of the war. Amazingly Cundall says the British government will make no claim against the planes, so he hopes to be able to recover some of the money he spent searching for them. His dream is to see a full squadron of the iconic fighters flying at future airshows.

Of the 21,000 ships produced in WWII only about 35 are reportedly left flying in the world today.

 

Fingers crossed this is not an April Fools hangover.......

 

Anything is recoverable with enough money. How likely is it that water didn't seep in over the years and corrode everything away?

 

Here is what Wikipedia says about this:

"In 1945, the RAF buried a number of Mk.XIV Spitfires in Burma, still unassembled in their crates, in order to prevent them falling into enemy hands or being destroyed. Their exact location has never been determined but in April 2012 the UK government announced they were working with the post-junta Burmese government to locate and potentially return the total of 20 aircraft to flying status. Leeds University experts and an academic from Rangoon, using sophisticated radar techniques claimed to believe they discovered the site of the buried aircraft. In addition to the 20 aircraft thought to be at this one site, other sites with buried Spitfires are believed to exist. One such site is thought to have up to 36 Spitfires alone buried and preserved."

Incidentally, they claim about 44 flyable Spitfires and a few Seafires still in action today.

 

Wonder why in the world Mountbatten thought he was going to get overrun in the last two weeks of the war?

Wasn't it obvious that the Allies had won it by then?

 

Why do you think they needed our help in the war? Classic example of their planning. While they endured quite a bit during the war, remember that if we hadn't come to their assistance, initially with lend lease, then troops, they'd be speaking Russian today.

Art

 

So cool. A book needs to be written about the guy who found em...

 

i hope they take tons of pics

 

Having been in the service in WW2 I recall that the attitude was oriented to ending the war as soon as possible and doing whatever was expedient to dispense of anything and everything that would not be needed in peacetime. Scores of fresh-out of the factory-unused P-38's, P-51's, and other pristine aircraft were bulldozed into piles and destroyed by the U.S. military. The waste was incredible. Then there was the political/strategic thinking that "We can't let the Russian's get anything because they will use it against us." I remember that we wanted to get rid of the war as soon as possible and we returned to peacetime with the same vengeance that we entered the war. Switch on...switch off.

 

Hello, they have been found and with camaras looking through bore holes, they seem to be in very good shape sealed in crates.

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Lost_Spitfire_Squadron_206526-1.html

 

Wow. Just wow. The King Tut tomb of airplanes.

 

I would start following the Duxford museum pages as a probable location for the restorations. They seem to have the facilities and like to report their restorations. Though many months away, I am sure.

http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford

 

Switch on...switch off.

Precious.

And amazing.

Amazing find as well as the history of what we percieve to be bizzare behavior.



I remember doing a report on the making of the movie "The Battle of Britain". There were probably fewer Spits flying back then, but no real shortage. They were found to be in service in the Syrian and Israeli air forces. The Bf 109s didn't fair as well. Only eight were able to be made airworthy for the filming. Most Spanish air force.

 

Looking forward to whenever the first pictures start showing up!!

 

They were buried by US troops, not the Brits.

 

On Fox News. Just totally amazing.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/04/19/buried-treasure-in-burma-squadron-lost-wwii-spitfires-to-be-exhumed/?intcmp=features

 

I remember those later Spitfires had the RR Griffin engines and were very fast indeed.

Maybe I can get one.