Interesting information on Morotai

[HarvardIV]

lastly, some of the airfields mentioned above on pacific wrecks:

http://www.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/ ... ahera.html

[george]

A few years back, a poster was able to show satellite photos of parts of Korea where Corsairs had gone down, as well as some from the WWII desert fighting areas. We could make out what appeared to be aircraft. Was that Tony? Why couldn't that be done for Morotai so none of us would be at risk, and we could see what is there?

[DaveM2]

George, yes that was Tony . No doubt they can be found in the old archives somewhere.

Dave

[HarvardIV]

Hello George and Dave:

I'm wondering if those photos were found on the internet?

Chris

[bdk]

I'm wondering if those photos were found on the internet?

I think that Tony had access to another source not readily available to the public.

[Tony]

Brandon is right

The other photos George mentioned, were Hudner and Browns Corsairs on a North Korean hillside ( Now that would be the THE recovery coup)

I sent the photo sets to CIHLI , who did confirm they appeared to show Corsairs, and the position was correct. There were also what appeared to be A/B-26 remains in the area too. Terrian was ghastly, and it appeared Tom Hudner put his Corsair down in the one flat spot for miles.

The Western Desert photos showed what appeared to be a 109 down at the edge of the Great Sand Sea , a much larger aircraft in the Egyptian/Libyan border area , and what I think is a Blenheim , but Phil Earthey swears is a Beaufighter , on a former LG , in an oil drum revetment. Those of you that saw the image, will no doubt agree it was a twin , in a revetment, approximately 25 km SSE of Wadi Kufra (From memory)

And yes I have cross checked the position with the Kufra Blenheim, it's a different aircraft.

Unfortunately, I no longer have those images, or access to the system I was using, but as I'm about to be moved back into a particular role , I may regain access to imagery.

I hope so, there's a lot of 1m stuff I'd like to look at

Regards

Tony

[bdk]

Since Indiana Tony mentioned Libya- here is an interesting site:





http://www.fjexpeditions.com/start/start.htm

http://www.fjexpeditions.com/expeditions/past/nov01/nov01_4.htm

http://www.fjexpeditions.com/frameset/convoys.htm

[HarvardIV]

Hi bdk:

That looks like an Italian Breda Bomber at the top. Kind of an interesting fabric covered Stinson like trimotor.

[DaveM2]

Chris I think it is a SM 79, but no doubt our resident Italian Gregory can confirm.
Since Libya is now welcomed back into the world, hopefully wrecks recently off limits will now be recovered, although from what I have heard minefields are a BIG problem..but still that keeps the scrap man at bay as well

Dave

[bdk]

Chris I think it is a SM 79, but no doubt our resident Italian Gregory can confirm.
Since Libya is now welcomed back into the world, hopefully wrecks recently off limits will now be recovered, although from what I have heard minefields are a BIG problem..but still that keeps the scrap man at bay as well

Dave

Want to visit?
http://www.fjexpeditions.com/expeditions/prinfo/libya/libya.htm

http://www.fjexpeditions.com/desert/history/expeditions/expeditions.htm

1967 April & 1969 August

The Desert Rescue Team of the RAF, based at El Adem near Tobruk, made a number of expeditions to the south during their annual exercises. In 1967 April the DRT visited Jebel Sherif, where the wrecked LRDG trucks were still there, intact. In August 1969 the DRT visited Jebel Uweinat where they found several rock art sites near Ain Doua, and the remains of two Italian Savoia bombers wrecked by the LRDG in 1941. The team also visited the spring at Arkenu, which was reported dry.

ZELENY, Adolf P., "The Desert Rescue Team", After the Battle, Number 51, 1986

[DaveM2]

BK

There was a great story of an NZ LRDG truck pulled out of the sand in After the Battle some years back, it is now displayed as found at the IWM London, and is in great condition apart from the knackered tyres.

On another Nth.African theme there were reports of a Ju 52 fusleage being found in a sand dune by petroleum workers in Tunisia, but didn't hear further on that for a couple of years.

Dave

[tom d. friedman]

i have read more than 10 replies to this topic & numerous site members have said can't the u.s. government use it's satellites to find lost warbird wrecks???? 1st of all our illustrious government is not that benevolent to loan us wixers their space hardware for our cause, that's a pipe dream!!! maybe burt rutan can do some space recon in about 10 years!! even if the u.s. government was that generous to do that think of the 60 year old thick jungle foliage that that satellite would have to penetrate to find the warbirds!! no way in hell!!!! my dad was an infantry rifle company commander in new guinea, morotai & mindanoa philippines, he told me they would be on 1 week patrols, would have to leave dead g.i.'s or enemy troops to pick them up on the return & found the jungle re- overgrown to the extent that they couldn't find the dead to pick up on the return trip. i appreciate all the pie in the sky thinking, i'm as passionate on warbirds & wreck chasing as anybody!! all the best, tom (the kosher kamikaze)

[HarvardIV]

Tom:

Yes, I'm glad we've all had a great discussion on this subject. It sure is a good way to observe the "big picture".

[george]

The graveyard on Morotai was still very visible more than 40 years after they were abandoned, though (1986). And an airline pilot spotted a graveyard not more than 5 years ago in Indonesia (may or may not have been Morotai).

[HarvardIV]

Hi George:

It might be a good idea to get into contact with any airline pilots who fly in the Morotai/Halmahera vicinity. I'll do some homework on that.

Chris