Spitfires buried in Burma in WW2 recovered

Ok folks, What happened here? Did they send some fighters back to the U.K?
Can somebody update this?

Sure can...

Burma Spitfire Mystery Is Solved


The hunt for up to 36 planes which many believed had been buried in Burma at the end of World War Two ends in disappointment.

3:45am UK, Sunday 17 February 2013
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An aerial view of the excavation site in Burma (Gavin Longhurst, Wargaming)


By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

A group of archaeologists, historians and scientists have admitted defeat in a mystery which has spanned decades.
After just over a month of digging for lost World War Two Spitfire planes in Burma they have concluded that none exists.
"No Spitfires were delivered in crates and buried at RAF Mingaladon (in Burma) during 1945 and 1946," a statement from the company funding the search read.
Rather than discovering the iconic World War Two planes, the team uncovered evidence which suggested that it would have been impossible to have buried them.
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Archaeologists have been left disappointed (Gavin Longhurst, Wargaming)
"(The) documents tell a story of appalling weather conditions at Mingaladon (airbase) and shortages of everything from heavy equipment to timber and labour all of which we believe suggests it would be almost impossible that the Royal Air Force could have buried aircraft thirty feet deep in wooden crates even if it had wanted to do so," a statement from the team said.
"The team now believes, based on clear documentary evidence, as well as the evidence from the fieldwork, that no Spitfires were delivered in crates and buried.
"Most significantly, the archival records show that the RAF unit that handled shipments through Rangoon docks, 41 Embarkation Unit, only received 37 aircraft in total from three transport ships between 1945 and 1946.
"None of the crates contained Spitfires and most appear to have been re-exported in the autumn of 1946," the statement concluded.
The group of experts flew out to Burma in January to begin digging at a site within the perimeter fence of Yangon international airport.
The trip had followed years of dedicated research by a farmer and aviation enthusiast from Lincolnshire.
David Cundall's life ambition was a determination to uncover the mystery of the lost Burma Spitfires.
His firm belief that the spitfires existed stemmed from rumours and indirect documentary evidence.
In 1996 he was told that the rare Mark XIV Spitfires had been declared surplus to requirements at the end of the war and buried in crates rather than being shipped home.
Evidence from the UK National Archives and other sources had supported the claim that surplus equipment was, on occasion, buried rather than repatriated.
Mr Cundall subsequently gathered eyewitness testimony from eight surviving servicemen who claimed they saw the burial.
Three separate sites were excavated by the aviation enthusiasts and archaeologists but nothing was found.
As many as 36 planes were believed to have been buried at the airport, which was under British occupation during World War Two and called RAF Mingaladon.
The team left the UK with 17 years of research and a firm belief that as many as 140 of the planes were buried in near pristine condition at various sites by American military engineers at the end of the war.
Until mid-January, the team remained confident and committed to the search.
A series of images from a specialist camera at one site promoted some early excitement.
"The images I have seen are not conclusive but it is very encouraging that we have found a wooden crate in the same area where the Americans buried the Spitfires," Mr Cundall said at the time.
"The water is muddy, it's causing problems, we can't see through the water and we will have to pump the water out before we can give more information."
By late January confusion surrounded the project with the team's spokesman forced to deny reports that the search had been called off.
"We haven't found any yet," Frazer Nash told Sky News at the end of January.
"We're still looking. Just because we haven't found them, it doesn't mean they are not here." he said.
However, just three weeks later the team has now conceded that none were ever buried in Burma.
The excavation had been given approval at the highest authority with UK Prime Minister David Cameron raising the issue with the Burmese Government on a visit to the country last year.
Years of military dictatorship in Burma had prevented the search from taking place earlier but political reforms over the past two years gave the team the go-ahead.
In a statement, the CEO of Wargaming, Victor Kisly, said: "We chose to support the Spitfire project because we found the story fascinating.
"We wanted to be a part of this unique archaeological investigation of an enduring mystery - whether we found planes or not.
"We are delighted our team has shown how good research can help tell a great story about not just the warplanes themselves, but the people who flew, maintained and care about them to this day," he said.


http://news.sky.com/story/1053172/burma-spitfire-mystery-is-solved
 
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There's been rumours floating about for years in UK about brand new Lancaster bombers being taken apart, crated up and buried. No one has confirmed or denied it.
 
BritinAfrica- "There's been rumours floating about for years in UK about brand new Lancaster bombers being taken apart, crated up and buried. No one has confirmed or denied it."
Probably with the same end story as the Spitfires, wishful thinking.
Where in Africa are you, if you can tell. I went to South Africa for 3 weeks, in 1987.
 
BritinAfrica- "There's been rumours floating about for years in UK about brand new Lancaster bombers being taken apart, crated up and buried. No one has confirmed or denied it."
Probably with the same end story as the Spitfires, wishful thinking.
Where in Africa are you, if you can tell. I went to South Africa for 3 weeks, in 1987.

I live in Somerset West about 55 kilometers east from Cape Town, South Africa. Where did you visit in 1987?
 
I was in Pretoria,Johannesburg,Soweto,Pietermaritzburg,Durban,Newcastle, Ladysmith,Port Elizabeth,Boputaswana by Pretoria. Another homeland down by East London or Port Elizabeth.
I was there for three weeks with a Missionary who had lived down there for several years and founded, a dozen or so churches and built brick buildings for them.
I believe he moved back down there around 1990 and should still be there.
 
I was in Pretoria,Johannesburg,Soweto,Pietermaritzburg,Durban,Newcastle, Ladysmith,Port Elizabeth,Boputaswana by Pretoria. Another homeland down by East London or Port Elizabeth.
I was there for three weeks with a Missionary who had lived down there for several years and founded, a dozen or so churches and built brick buildings for them.
I believe he moved back down there around 1990 and should still be there.

Its a lot different now to when you were here. All the previous homelands have now gone and form part of South Africa.
 
To be honest I get the impression they were never there, it seems that had the war continued they would have built up the force however as it came to an end they were simply moved or redirected to where they were needed.
 
I remember seeing news reel footage of Spitfires being dumped in the sea of the coast of Malaya when they were replaced by jet fighters
 
There is a pic of a claimed 400 Spitfires at the old WW2 strip at Oakey in South Queensland. Said to have been melteddown and used in industry.
Also many Corsairs etc, maybe ex NZAF or ex USAAF.
 
There are a lot of pictures of RNZAF Mosquitos being cut up for firewood after the war, now we spend millions to remake them.
 
There are a lot of pictures of RNZAF Mosquitos being cut up for firewood after the war, now we spend millions to remake them.

I know and its sickening. There were also rumours of a whole squadron of Lancaster boxed up and buried, where? I have no idea.

I'd like to see at least one Halifax and one Wellington built up as airworthy, as far as I am aware neither of them are. I read that there is a Lancaster in Canada rebuilding to airworthy condition, but they need C$ 10,000,000 to carry out the restoration. I hope they get the money.
 
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