The Spitfire

[Vivienne14]

Another Spitfire update....this time the focus could be moving to the Castle Vale stories of buried Spitfires. Can't you tell I'm fascinated by this story.
I do like happy endings mind you. Hoping. https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/ne...-dig-for-spitfires-in-birmingham-says-1246086

Me too Jennyann. This is relatively 'modern' archaeology. Do so hope some of these are found, whether abroad or on our doorstep. The article mentions some of the UK buried parts being greased before burial, which doesn't sound to me like disposal. How interesting. Viv.

 

[RoyAAllsopp]

Re: Replies Here

Like to know more about the people who worked at the Castle Bromwich Factory
My Father was Albert Allsopp who was a Maintenance Fitter were there anymore work mates who worked with him or perhaps knew him
I know its a bit of a long shot

 

[Wendy]

Re: Replies Here

I do hope someone finds something one day. I think burying items in these days was common. I remember talking to an elderly lady a few years ago who lived on a farm here in Tamworth. She told me a lot of machinery from the farm was buried in the 50's like cheese presses and other cheese production machinery. So why not planes etc.

 

[jennyann]

Looks very much like there are no Spitfires buried in Burma..https://news.sky.com/story/1053172/burma-spitfire-mystery-is-solved
Wonder how the follow up story about Spitfires being buried at Castle Vale is developing...or not?

 

[cookie273uk]

What is the reason for burying them in the first place ?? and surely burying crates that size would be easy to locate plus records would have been kept of location and people concerned with the burying would have passed information to friends and family members It all seems a bit far fetched to me, hope I am wrong. Eric

 

[jennyann]

The sponsors, Wargaming, have pulled out of the locate Spitfires project in Burma and Mr. Cundall, who is convinced that there are Spitfires buried,
vows to carry on. https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/spitfire-hunter-insists-burma-search-1330661

 

[mike jenks]

Hi

just had a Fantastic piece on Flog it. A south African Air force Spitfire fully restored
took 9 years and still flying from Manston.

Mike Jenks

 

[maypolebaz]

Hi

just had a Fantastic piece on Flog it. A south African Air force Spitfire fully restored
took 9 years and still flying from Manston.

Mike Jenks

"Flog It"? I fantasise about attacking that Paul wotsisname with a blunt pair of shears and hacking those stickey-out bits of hair off the sides of his head !

 

[derekw]

I'm don't know if this info has been posted before but I was in the BBC shop in the Post Box yesterday and noticed there was a nice painting in the foyer named ''A Spitfire over Castle Bromwich.''.....there's a photo of it on the BBC website.

 

[tinywizz]

Hello, I'm a newbie to the site and found this thread really interesting. My husband's family have a link to Castle Bromwich and the building of the spitfire and family legend has it that my husband's grandfather helped to design the landing gear on the spitfire. He was Joseph Robinson and came to Castle Bromwich (originally an Aston Cross lad) from Dagenham. Does anyone have any information or can direct us to clarify this "rumoured legend". Thanks. Joseph was from Stella Street around 1897. Thanks.

 

[jennyann]

Update from the Birmingham Mail about the Spitfires possibly buried in Burma.
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/spitfire-hunter-planning-dig-far-2977719

 

[G G Jean]

Hi tinywizz welcome to the forum. I am sure someone on here will be able to help you?. Enjoy. Jean.

 

[jennyann]

Looks as though David Cundall's search for the buried Spitfires in Burma will continue again in January 2014.
Article from today's Birmingham Mail on how he plans to go forward with this project: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/search-burma-spitfire-go-2014-4864356

 

[Rupert]

Hopefully this picture will post. Taken last weekend with a dinky little camera that was hard to use. So don't expect too much.

 

[Rupert]

The Hurricane. A late arrival but managed to get a photo before going home. Not many left now that fly and one was lost to a fire a few years ago.

 

[Rupert]

A PBY taxiing after landing with the Lanc taking off in the background.

 

[Rupert]

The PBY is such a gracefull aeroplane. It looks at home on the ground but probably should always be flying. Many more to follow if it is allright to post here.

 

[Donbogen]

A PBY taxiing after landing with the Lanc taking off in the background.

That is a great pic Well Done.

 

[Rupert]

The Firefly. Not remembered so much perhaps but a beautiful flying machine.

 

[Rupert]

The Lancaster...what can you say...still flies and bl..dy well.

 

[Vivienne14]

Absolutely Rupert. Occasionally a Lanc will fly over our house on its way to Biggin Hill and even my son who was born 50+ years after the war can identify it as a Lanc. So very distinctive. My dad ditched in the North Sea in one somewhere off the coast of Scotland. And there still lies that Lanc, I sometimes wonder if it was due to the fact that it was a Lanc, that he and the crew all survived the ditching. Who knows. Viv.

 

[Rupert]

The P40 Kittyhawk. Not widely used in Europe but did stirling duty against the Zero's in China during the early years of war with Japan. Better known as being the aeroplane of the Flying Tigers...with a sharks mouth and teeth on the engine cowling.

 

[Rupert]

The Corsair. There were reasons for it's shape and it had enough horsepower to make it very fast. Carrier based.

 

[Rupert]

There were 3 at least of these T28 aeroplanes flying. They were after WW2 and were pre-jet trainers. I think they were very beautiful and admired them very much. Can be privately owned and I think this one was...ohh to be a flier...and have a spare 400Gs. Beautifully prepared. Tandem 2 seat and trike undercarriage.

 

[Rupert]

Flypast. From bottom...Spitfire, Corsair, Lanc., P51, Kittyhawk.

 

[maypolebaz]

Great pictures, Rupert and beautifully taken ! One of my favourites is the one of the Hurricane, a Lysander can be seen in the background.

 

[roverman]

Thanks for posting the photographs , Rupert, absolutely fabulous.

Reg

 

[maypolebaz]

Absolutely Rupert. Occasionally a Lanc will fly over our house on its way to Biggin Hill and even my son who was born 50+ years after the war can identify it as a Lanc. So very distinctive. My dad ditched in the North Sea in one somewhere off the coast of Scotland. And there still lies that Lanc, I sometimes wonder if it was due to the fact that it was a Lanc, that he and the crew all survived the ditching. Who knows. Viv.

You've reminded me of when I lived in Woolwich, in the late 70s, Viv. Planes waiting their turn to fly over the Biggin Hill air show used to orbit over where we lived and my then 6 year-old son used to jump up and down with excitement. He loved the Lancaster so much we were considering seeing if Jimmy Saville could get him a flight in one. (Phew !).

 

[Rupert]

The P51. Probably better known as the Mustang. Not a game changer perhaps but when the game did change it could fly all of the way to Germany and back; with it's drop tanks and large fuel tank below the pilot. Protecting the bombers. Laminar flow wings and modern air frame structure...oh and a Merlin engine, made it a winner.

 

[Rupert]

The cockpit of a Blenheim/Bolingbroke and navigators quarters...must have needed small recruits. State of the art, I am told, at the start of the war. Those sentiments did not last long.