British Spitfire planes to be dug up in Myanmar

[fly_tornado]

its called "click bait"

 

 

[Riley]

Perhaps another Furphy gentlemen. A year or so back David Cundall did spend a bunch of money and a lot of sweat digging somewhere not too far from Rangoon looking for these 'Ghost Spitties' (it probably cost him as much to 'grease' the local authorities as it did to conduct the fruitless excavations). Short to say the erstwhile cavalier went home much poorer. It is of much interest however, that over thirty years ago whilst living in Singapore, at a local noggin & natter evening with the local vintage car club, I listened in on discussions relating to a couple of un-assembled crated Spitfires preserved in cosmolene resting in a 'godown' (warehouse) in Rangoon that at the end of the war were struck off register. Burma was a closed 'locked-down' country for many decades after the war but it's been an urban myth for so long that even I (the original disbeliever in all things), wouldn't be too surprised if it came to pass. When you get to the age of three score and ten (plus some more), dreams are more rewarding than reality. I wish them much luck but I ain't gonna donate to the search cause. cheers all.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

looking for these 'Ghost Spitties' (it probably cost him as much to 'grease' the local authorities as it did to conduct the fruitless excavations).

I have no doubt those local authorities also bought in some old local witnesses to the fact to keep the enthusiasm high and the payments coming.

 

He's lucky or smart to be doing it through the Embassy though, could end up buried next to the Spits otherwise, Burma's not a place to mess around in, especially splashing money around.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I've got that feeling again

 

https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/man-ready-to-crack-mystery-of-the-buried-oakey-spi/

 

NICK Rigney has been fascinated with the legend of the buried Spitfire planes at Oakey since he was a child - now he believes he's just metres from cracking it.

 

The Brisbane man, who spent four years sifting through government and military documents, is ready to start digging in a location near the town where supposedly several unused WW2 fighter planes have been buried for decades.

 

The legend of the Spitfires is not a new phenomenon, with the first expeditions searching for one of the most famous war machines in history starting in the 1980s.

 

Mr Rigney said the mystery originated from Oakey being used as a military base during the Second World War, when US General Douglas MacArthur was planning to protect Brisbane from a potential Japanese invasion.

 

 

The proposed Brisbane Line, first drawn up by General McArthur during World War 2. Contributed

 

"At the time, this would go back to March 1943, when MacArthur came out publicly with the Brisbane fallback line," he said.

 

"A lot of people didn't believe we would be able to defend north of the line.

 

"Oakey was built as the inland storage base - I believe they actually moved (the storage base) to Oakey.

 

"There were certain government departments that re-zoned government mines off for the military."

 

While several theories exist over the exact location, Mr Rigney said he had special documents that helped pinpoint a feasible area where the warbirds could hide.

 

 

A Brisbane man believes he has found the location near Oakey where buried World War 2 spitfire planes could be waiting to be found. Contributed

 

"In early 1943 I have evidence that suggests the Government and military departments took over the mining lease area and that works were done on at least one tunnel entrance and possibly a second," he said.

 

Mr Rigney has kept the location a secret, but plans to hire experts to run ground-penetrating radar at the potential site.

 

"It's a gamble, but chances are there are going to be some parts," he said.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Would Oakey be at the Paris end of Myanmar?

 

 

[old man emu]

Mr Rigney should broaden his span of research. The "Brisbane Line" was considered, and discarded, by the Australian War Council in February 1942, a month before the Mighty Macarthur fled his command in the Phiilipnes and landed in Australia. So he did not propose it. His plan was to stop the Japanese before they could land on Australia. That is why the Kakoda Track campaign and the Battle of the Coral Sea were fought.

 

"The Brisbane Line" - Was it fact or was it a myth?

 

 

[kaz3g]

I share a hangar with a Tiger Moth that has 29 HTTSN

 

Kaz

 

 

[Methusala]

I share a hangar with a Tiger Moth that has 29 HTTSN

 

Excuse me but...I don't understand this cryptic post. Regards Don

 

 

[bexrbetter]

.I don't understand this cryptic post.

It means he knows where there's some BF109 Metchies buried

 

 

[Riley]

It means he knows where there's some BF109 Metchies buried

If SHE knows, I'll be she wouldn't be blatherscathing (in code or not)! Bex, such an oversight for you.

 

 

[onetrack]

OME is right on the mark with his expansion on the history of the "Brisbane Line".

 

No such line ever existed - but it was presented as an option to the War Council, by Lt. Gen. Sir Iven Giffard Mackay, in the desperate days of early 1942.

 

The idea was discussed by the War Council and they dismissed it out of hand.

 

The Line was merely a "suggested approach" to a full Japanese invasion of Australia, by Lt Gen Mackay (bearing in mind, we had very little to defend Australia in early 1942), and the suggested Brisbane Line plan, carried no immediate relationship to the-then current fighting, or fighting forces.

 

In Appendix 4 of the AWM collection of Second World War Official Histories, we find the following extract (below), which outlines the hullaballoo associated with E.J. Wards initial mention of the Brisbane Line in Oct 1942, as part of electioneering BS.

 

Wards outburst, dishonestly blaming the Menzies Govt for initiating the Brisbane Line, led to a Royal Commission that was supposed to see if there was any truth to Wards statements. There wasn't, and Ward apologised.

 

Ward claimed there was one important document missing from the official War Council records that would prove his "Brisbane Line" statement true.

 

The Royal Commission found otherwise, that there was no missing document, and Ward had gained totally incorrect information, and based his electioneering claims on that wrong information.

 

Brisbane Line.PDF

 

Brisbane Line.PDF

 

Brisbane Line.PDF

[Methusala]

I beg your pardon contributors,but... I am no closer to understanding what Kaz meant by her cryptic post. Can't believe that we are running a secret society here.

 

 

[Camel]

I beg your pardon contributors,but... I am no closer to understanding what Kaz meant by her cryptic post. Can't believe that we are running a secret society here.

I'm going to guess and I'm confident that it is Hours Total Time Since New. TT is usually total time S is since and usual o overhaul, M maintenance,

 

Be interested if I am correct ! 29 hours Total Time Since New sound unbelievable.

 

 

[facthunter]

TTSN is since new. (Usually TT airframe.) engine Separate. TTR is time to run to say O/Haul/inspectionl .TTS OH You can guess. NDH is Nil Damage History. You keep learning these things. Nev

 

 

[Guernsey]

The only one I remember is TTFN.....I wonder if any youngsters know that one.

 

Alan

 

 

[onetrack]

Here you are, Methusala - bone up on this, over the weekend - your test will be on Monday morning, and you'll need a 98% pass rate ....

 

List of aviation, aerospace and aeronautical abbreviations - Wikipedia