Warbird Information Exchange

Hi Dave

I am very impressed with Norway and all the heritage of wrecks there especially the Gladiators, Ju88s , Fw190s, Halifaxs, He111s etc - people go on about PNG but there seem to be so many good projects in Scandinavia and Russia.

As I posted a while ago I believe some more rare breeds will come to light sooner or later.

Regards
John P

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Air Vice Marshall
Sunshine State Air Farce

Hi John,

I agree, while there are some very promising sites in the Pacific, closer to home (from where I am located mind you), the Norewegian sites have proved to be very fruitful and the end is nowhere in sight.

I read in an old after the battle issue that divers had investigated a fjord where the Tirpitz once was moored. During the investigation they found some remains of the X-subs as well as some aircraft sections one of which was a Barracuda wing. Any idea if this was lifted out and preserved?

One of the subs is on display at Duxford IIRC

Cheers

Cees

Hi Cees

Yes I saw the sub last year at Dux - I didn't read the caption but I will make a point of it later in the month when I visit.

I don't know what happened to the Barracuda wing but it is an aircraft I am interested in because when I was a lot younger this was thew first aircraft type I excavated at Williamtown RAAF base dump. I sure wasn't expecting it because it wasn't a type bsaed there but as it turned out some were stored there after the war - then scrapped with a bulldozer - I think they are really weird in a good way. I wonder what did happen to the wing - it would probably have been good if the FAAM had access to it for their restoration.

_________________
Air Vice Marshall
Sunshine State Air Farce

John,

Barracuda's in Oz? Recovery of bits and pieces?

Tell me more.............

Cees

Hi Cees

After WW11 A large number of RN aircraft including Seafires, Avengersand Barracudas were stored in Australia and after a period of time were taken to the docks in Sydney , Newcastle and Brisbane . They were loaded onto British Carriers and taken out to sea off the continental shelf - holes were cut in hollow spaces with an axe and the aircraft pushed overboard.

I don't know the quantities but it is a significant number. I have seen the prop from a Corsair , several Corsair sections, an Avenger wing and some Barracuda structure that was dredged up over the years and the condition is excellent.

Well some of this stuff didn't make it to the Carriers - some was just dumped and destroyed in Situ at Richmond , Williamtown and Archerfield. When I was in my teens I got the Warbird Bug and started digging up the Williamtown Dump with a friend who was an RAAF reserve officer and one of the bits we dug up was the crushed rear section of a Barracuda as well as parts from a P51 and burnt Corsair stuff - not much to write home about but there is a confirmed dump of in excess of 50 complete aircraft on the base and I have the post war aerial photos to prove where it is . Unfortunately time marches on and the dump is now close to the factory where Hawks are now built for the RAAF. The other issue is the water table which is now just below the surface. It seemed to have caused a lot of corrosion .

Regards
John P

_________________
Air Vice Marshall
Sunshine State Air Farce

Link to pic of the second 88 (rear fuselage), not sure if the tail was there or not as yet..doesn't look like it.

http://home.no.net/kjellsor/jonsvatnet3.html


Dave