140 Crated Spitfires buried in Burma (Myanmar)?

[Little Jo]

Originally Posted by Lang

They are widely believed to be Mk 14 Spitfires - late models. Griffin not Merlin engines. The Burmese Air Force operated Mk 14 Spitfires through the 50's.

A Spitfire case is one and a half times the size of a 40 foot shipping container. Made of softwood not noted for long life.

120 is just ridiculous. 10 Squadrons worth.

To bury 120 Spitfire crates 30 feet underground would require a hole the size of Wembley Stadium.

If they get them out at minimum they will have to be completely re-riveted, a huge job. The slightest corrosion on many critical parts completely writes them off for ever being airworthy.

A Spitfire is worth around $2,000,000 flying. A total restoration including reskinning and replacement of corroded fittings would conceivably cost more than this. If 120 hit the market there will be a nose dive in the value of Spitfires.

Nobody has seen them, nobody has had ground penetrating radar on the job.

There seems little doubt there were some Spitfires buried (just deep enough to cover the boxes I dare venture. Production and shipping details are available for every Spitfire ever built - the claimants obviously have based their research on these records.

The numbers and details in the above posts are figments of enthusiast's and journalists imagination.

Buried in August 1945, I was not aware the Japanese Army was fighting on after surrender to such an extent Spitfires had to be buried to hide from them.

Hi Hanno and Lang

We all know how journalists like to promote sensationalism. However there are a number of reports regarding the "Found Spitfres" to maybe though some truth on the matter. Especially if they refer to the British Government meeting in Burma to secure the recovery of the boxes.

One wonders how the crates could survive in the ground in tropical weather. But I guess we will all have to wait and see, today's newspaper report, (attached) does state they will start recovering them at the end of the month, that is only a couple of weeks away. Though the Spitfires numbers vary depeding on what report you read. In the meantime it makes for interesting reading.

Another report below.

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

Historians say the Spitfires were shipped out to Burma in the summer of 1945, two weeks before atomic bombs were dropped on Japan which brought the war to a sudden end.
The British campaign to push the Japanese out of Burma was the longest and bloodiest of the war, beginning after the Japanese invaded in late 1941.
Spitfires helped to support the Chindit special forces on the ground – and proved a huge boost to morale. They played a crucial role in defeating the enemy and covering the subsequent Allied advance through Burma, protecting the ground troops and providing vital supplies.

But the Mark II Spitfires in the secret haul never saw action. Earl Mountbatten issued an order for them to be hidden in 1945 to prevent foreign forces from getting their hands on them as the British army demobilised. The aircraft, straight from the production line, were buried in crates at a depth of 4ft to 6ft to preserve them.

Cheers

Tony