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Burma Spitfire dig to begin this month
18 October 2012Plans to unearth more than 60 Spitfires which were buried near Burmese airfields at the end of World War II have been approved by the Burmese government and excavation work is set to begin before the end of the month, it has been announced.
Lincolnshire farmer David Cundall, 62, announced his plans to unearth the Spitfires in April, following 15 years of research during which he interviewed over 1,000 veterans of the Burma campaign. After spending more than £150,000 of his own money researching the locations of the aircraft, he believed it was possible to recover at least 12 which were still in good condition.
A two-year contract between Cundall's firm, a Burmese partner company and the Burmese government has now been agreed which will recover 36 planes buried in Mingaladon, 18 in Myitkyina and six in Meikthila.
There are thought to be around 140 Spitfires buried in their transport crates throughout Burma and more are expected to be unearthed during the contract's second phase.
A report by the Associated Press said that under an agreement signed on 16 October, the Burmese government would receive half of the aircraft plus one for display in a museum while Cundall's company will get 30 per cent of the total and his Burmese partner company, Shwe Taung Paw, will receive 20 per cent.
The agreement is said to have been made possible following talks between Prime Minister David Cameron and Burmese President Thein Sein in April.
Htoo Htoo Zaw, managing director of Shwe Taun Paw said: "We want to let people see these historic fighters, and the excavation of these fighter planes will further strengthen relations between Myanmar [Burma] and Britain."
A Downing Street spokesperson said: "We are pleased to hear that contracts have been awarded, which mean that the digging up of the Spitfires in Burma can begin. We've always said that we want to see these Spitfires back home in Britain – perhaps one day even flying over the skies of Britain – and today's news brings us another step closer to that."
HAVE YOUR SAY
18 October 2012
Would very much hope that the "extraction" is filmed for all to see.
They must be always owned by the British Government and licensed to organisations to rebuild and fly in the UK or Commonwealth only. They should never be sold to "buyers" around the world.
Bob Geary - Lincoln
18 October 2012
Great news - I have been waiting for this and thought it would take much longer, so may I welcome some of these iconic aeroplanes back to the UK in the near future so that they may one day fly again in British skies. As a volunteer with the the Welsh Spitfire Trust I hope we may have a chance to quote for the restoration as we are currently restoring JG 668, a Mark VIII from 1944 in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.
Mike R - Wales
18 October 2012
I take it that they would be MkVIIIs and MkXIVs ? Exciting stuff. Looking forward to seeing these come back from their premature burial.
Ian R - Durham
18 October 2012
Well if you need help to recovere
these i would like to put name forward
many thanks
Glenn Broddle - Bardney Lincolnshire
18 October 2012
Whatever happened to Boltbee who I read had tried to muscle into this project? Hopefully he is now out of the equation. Somehow though I reckon he's still involved somehow as he's one of Cameron's mates.
Allan B - West Midlands
19 October 2012
I see Downing Street would like to see them back in Britain and perhaps flying. Since that number represents around half our current frontline fighter fleet they could prove a welcome addition!
Gavin Gordon - Chichester
19 October 2012
Lets hope they in decent condition and be made flyable.
Who knows, we may need them one day lol!!
JC - UK
19 October 2012
What Ho! Cabbage crates coming over the briny! What a find! R J Mitchell's genius lives on.
Steve Watts - Biggin Hill
19 October 2012
Great news,
One of our greatest moments in the resent history of this great country,
We all need to take a step back in time to take a look at our greatest achievements rather than judge and listen of our current failures,
To survive we must remain an Island, Winston Churchhill,
Tim Hirst - Hampshire
22 October 2012
Amazing job, Mr Cundall. I hope there will be at least photos of one being dug up and the case cracked open for the aviation buffs to drool over, myself included! I'd buy one but the wife won't like it parked on the driveway/garden/neighbour's land......
Nick - Guernsey
23 October 2012
This fascinating story has been circulating for quite some time. Perhaps therefore, the MoD included a highly classified section within the SDR which suggested that the RAF could replace the Harriers with a few squadrons of Spitfires!!!
MikeyB - Merseyside
26 October 2012
I am happy for Mr Cundall, all his time,effort and money has not been wasted.Good luck to him and his team in the big dig. Hopefully all aircraft unearthed are restored and airworthy,it will be good to see them flying as a squadron or squadrons.Very best of luck to Mr Cundall.
Vince Hyde
01 November 2012
The following is a a posting I placed on the internet a few years ago and with this new find in Burma it makes me ask the question again to those out there in the know for help
I am researching the early years of RAF Colerne for historic facts and for personal recollections from service men/women of the war years, I have lived in the village since 1958, any help would be most appreciated.
.
I am trying to get information to authenticate an old village rumour,
The Rumour!
As part of the camps work in the war, was a section that put aircraft together from "flatpacks" these being delivered either by rail /road, the rumour is that there are complete Spitfires that were not assembled at the end of the war and were buried there in there original packing boxes and still rapped in greased paper.
I have had a few replies but nothing concrete
thanks in advance
Bob
Bob Atter - Colerne Wilts UK
04 November 2012
I there any way that i can get involved in the excavation of the planes?
Gary Lane - london
08 November 2012
Brilliant news. Commonsense prevails. I hope we get a chance to see the excavations. Has anyone approached BBC/C4? .
Dennis Cheetham - Hertfortdshire
09 November 2012
I think a lot of people are forgetting the fact that these aircraft are going to cost a terrific amount of money to restore, never mind getting them airworthy.There is not a shortage of airworthy Spitfires throughout the UK, never mind elsewhere. Perhaps static displays could be the answer.
Having seen the struggle to obtain finance for XH558 over the past few years I think some people are living in cloud cuckoo land if they think this could be met by the taxpayer.
Peter.H - Warwick
09 November 2012
Never heard such "bosh" in my life from EX Pilot EX Far East airforce.
Ted Holmes - Malmesbury UK
11 November 2012
I would like to start with well done David Cundall for all your years in research and hard work and a lot of money spent in finding these wonderful aircrafts. Aircrafts in fact to which Britain owes a great deal. I need not say anymore about that. This is why I feel that Britain needs to do everything possible to help David Cundall, who I'm sure has been working in the best intrest of British heritage. He should receive all credit and bounty for all the work he has done. Thinking of British heritage, isn't that what the the National lottery is about, supporting British interests? I think all or most of these aircraft should be at home with us in British Museums or maybe flying over British skies again. To remind and teach generations to come how Great Britain became what it is today.
Dean Ingram - Essex
13 November 2012
So out of 60 Spitfire's only 18 will make their way back to the UK with the rest no doubt finding their way onto the open market. I expect more will end up in the USA than the 18 that may get back to the UK
R King - London
19 November 2012
Sir,
I think Mr David Cundall deserves to have great success in this venture,would give my right arm to be in on the dig and see the first one unpacked. Well done Mr Cundall.
Capt M Eggleton.
Malcolm Eggleton - Barrow. Bury st Edmunds.Suffolk
20 November 2012
toys for playboys to destroy.
John Matthews - uk
23 November 2012
If a 360 excavator driver is required from the uk i am your man.would love to be involved in this project..dave parsons.chesterfield.derbyshire
dave parsons - chesterfield.england.
25 November 2012
This is so exciting - almost unbelievable. Wish they could find a few Hurricanes in the same situation.
Malcolm H. - North Ferriby, East Yorks.
26 November 2012
July 14th 2007, we got married at home in Alcester and had SM845 with pilot Lee Proudfoot do a 17 minuite display for us to the live music of WW2 from the CBSO
(City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra) The plane at the time from The Prop Shop (ARCO) at Duxford was a sight never to be witnessed again by our guests. There were grown men crying with the amazing sight of the pilot Lee Proudfoot putting this iconic plane through it's paces.
We had a film crew film it for our wedding video, staggering unbelieveable sight only feet off the ground.
I salute Mr. Cundell for his efforts, I wish everyone could witness what it done for us and our guests that sunny July day.
It will NEVER be forgotten, like the planes and their pilots from WW2.
I may load the video onto you tube once I get permission....
Malcolm Cox, Alcester Heath, Warwickshire.
Malcolm Cox - Alcester, Warwickshire
26 November 2012
July 14th 2007, we got married at home in Alcester and had SM845 with pilot Lee Proudfoot do a 17 minuite display for us to the live music of WW2 from the CBSO
(City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra) The plane at the time from The Prop Shop (ARCO) at Duxford was a sight never to be witnessed again by our guests. There were grown men crying with the amazing sight of the pilot Lee Proudfoot putting this iconic plane through it's paces.
We had a film crew film it for our wedding video, staggering unbelieveable sight only feet off the ground.
I salute Mr. Cundell for his efforts, I wish everyone could witness what it done for us and our guests that sunny July day.
It will NEVER be forgotten, like the planes and their pilots from WW2.
I may load the video onto you tube once I get permission....
Malcolm Cox, Alcester Heath, Warwickshire.
Malcolm Cox - Alcester, Warwickshire
27 November 2012
fantastic to hear of this acievement
well done Mr Cundall, I just pray that most of the found planes will be able to thunder their sounds out as they were intended, the thought of opening the crates the escaping smells of grease and yester year brilliant. I have a spade and am willing like many others to get dirty and help, plse make a dvd sometime as these planes are the PLANE for me.Awaiting the glorious thunder
mortie - australia
28 November 2012
As an ex-RAE Farnborough mechanical & electrical engineering apprentice and Assistant Experimental Officer at the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine (1958-66), I am thrilled by all this news. While I went on to study philosophy and theology, becoming a church pastor in later years, I've never lost my enthusiasm for our heroic aviation culture. So, as a tribute to our brave service personnel (past & present), I look forward to hearing more Rolls-Royce 'Merlin music', (or should I say, the 'Griffon growl'?) powering more magnificent specimens of R. J. Mitchel's Supermarine star!
The Revd Dr Alan C. Clifford - Norwich/England/Reformed Church
29 November 2012
I can direct David Cundall to 2 other sites where aircraft are buried, some are German WWII.
If interested Mr Cundall, please advise when and where 1 to 1 contact might be made, your Farm perhaps. Brandon White.
Brandon White - Lutterworth, Leics/UK/ myself.
29 November 2012
My father Charles Pedley served in the RAF in Burma during WW2.He was part of the ground crew.I have a few old photos of the crews not sure about location
Bill Pedley - Bradford UK
11 December 2012
Bravo, Mr cundall for your hard work you deserve every success, in getting these fantastic machines back to BLIGHTY
mchale david - plymouth devon
26 December 2012
Brilliant and very exciting. I have a very strong interest in WW2 aviation including UK WW2 airfields and the men and machines flown from them. I would like to offer my help in excavating the Spitfires at no expense to the official team. Basic tasks would be willingly undertaken as I am not an archeologist or have any mechanical background.
John Grout - United Kingdom
03 January 2013
Great find. hope to see pictures !. Here in denmark wee still have a komplet Whitlye bomber lying on the seabed outside the litlle town of "Stubbekøbing" It crach in 1941 and still this day lying´almost komplet. go and raise it to !...
john nielsen - copenhagen.
13 January 2013
My grandfather worked with Mr Mitchell or the entire series of Schnider Trophy planes. He was involved in the prototype, later to be called "Spitfire". When war finally broke my grandfather was involved in the production lines at Southampton throughout the war. The Spitfires that have been found in Burma are of great importance to the living memory of those that survived, lived and died through out the war. I am sure that if my grandfather was still with us he would take great interest in this amazing discovery. The discovery has and will have an a positive impact on the enthusiasts that live and breath for these amazing machines. I hope along with so many others that the dig goes well and that a full recorded documentary is made as the process continues. For all those involved I wish you all the best and hope that the discoveries made are far greater than our dreams could ever allow us to dream.
Adam Harris - Hailsham - England- South Coast.