Spitfires Probably Won't be Found

[HawkerTempestMKII]

Pretty sure evidence according to this guy:

http://www.warhistoryonline.com/article ... teran.html

[Noha307]

Isn't this guy only refuting the claims about Mingaladon and not the other locations? Therefore, I find the title of this thread a bit deceptive.

IMHO, my current belief hinges on the mysterious waterlogged crate - if it turns out to be nothing, then I've just about lost all hope.

And so it begins...

[HawkerTempestMKII]

Noha wrote:

Isn't this guy only refuting the claims about Mingaladon and not the other locations? Therefore, I find the title of this thread a bit deceptive.

IMHO, my current belief hinges on the mysterious waterlogged crate - if it turns out to be nothing, then I've just about lost all hope.

And so it begins...

I don't know, but it stands to reason the following:

lack of digging equipment

lots of spare pilots sitting around

and remoteness of northern location Mychitnya

trouble required to pack the planes and dig the holes

likllihood of the planes only staying in crates near a port

makes it appear very doubtful.

[PeterA]

I am recently back from the dig site.

There is way to go yet.

There are the usual internal and external politics etc.

I would give it another two or three weeks yet...maybe longer.

PeterA

[bdk]

Sounds like quite an adventure Peter! May the force be with you. I'm glad there is at least someone willing to pursue this dream to the end. At least in the end we should know, the conjecture will be over with.

[Noha307]

We all very much appreciate your efforts Peter, thanks for taking the time to keep us informed. If I may, could you confirm what was written in post #2182 in the Burma Spitfire thread on the FlyPast forum? Specifically, it states that they had tried to recover the Myitkyina crate and were unable to. It hasn't been mentioned further there, and no link was provided to the Facebook post mentioned. Seeing as what I wrote in the post above, you can understand why this is important to me. Your response would be much appreciated.

[PeterA]

We all very much appreciate your efforts Peter, thanks for taking the time to keep us informed. If I may, could you confirm what was written in post #2182 in the Burma Spitfire thread on the FlyPast forum? Specifically, it states that they had tried to recover the Myitkyina crate and were unable to. It hasn't been mentioned further there, and no link was provided to the Facebook post mentioned. Seeing as what I wrote in the post above, you can understand why this is important to me. Your response would be much appreciated.

I do not have a Facebook account and have not read it. Who posted it?

Myitkyina is right up there in the north where currently there are serious problems involving the military.

There are four sites with reported burials, some in crates some not. The press and forums have had a field day as the the numbers have spun out of control. A lesson for all for the future.

Investigations are currently centred back at Mingaladon. This time without the circus.

PeterA

[Noha307]

We all very much appreciate your efforts Peter, thanks for taking the time to keep us informed. If I may, could you confirm what was written in post #2182 in the Burma Spitfire thread on the FlyPast forum? Specifically, it states that they had tried to recover the Myitkyina crate and were unable to. It hasn't been mentioned further there, and no link was provided to the Facebook post mentioned. Seeing as what I wrote in the post above, you can understand why this is important to me. Your response would be much appreciated.

I do not have a Facebook account and have not read it. Who posted it?

Myitkyina is right up there in the north where currently there are serious problems involving the military.

There are four sites with reported burials, some in crates some not. The press and forums have had a field day as the the numbers have spun out of control. A lesson for all for the future.

Investigations are currently centred back at Mingaladon. This time without the circus.

I didn't mean to insinuate that it was you who posted it on Facebook, sorry. Who posted it? Uh, lemme check ... a Mr. "D1566". Maybe it wasn't obvious, but I included a link to his post in my post you quoted. (I like to include my links in-text, I think it makes the writing appear less clunky.) In case you missed it, here's the link to it: http://forum.keypublishing.com/showpost.php?p=1986634&postcount=2182, and here's the text of the FlyPast post:

Originally Posted by Burma Spitfires
Update: Hi there, apologies for silence, I've been away in San Francisco on business. So, David and the team tried to recover the crate in Myitkyina but the ground was far too waterlogged and the pumps they were using weren't able to keep the water out. They are waiting for the ground to dry out and will then make another attempt. They are now back working at the airport and have promising survey results in areas where they were originally hoping to look. I'm afraid it doesn't look like anything is going to happen particularly quickly; even confirming the 'absence' of the planes is still going to be a slow and arduous process. I'll keep adding any updates when I receive them.

As far as the press having a field day, yea, I noticed. I always considered the press involvement a necessary evil. The search needed Wargaming's funding and Wargaming "needed" the coverage. I like to think of Wargaming as doing a good deed, I hope that is indeed the case.

Serious problems with the military, this I haven't heard of. Please tell more, if you are allowed to - I don't want to get you in any trouble.

Everyone here is rooting for you guys, I'm betting that even those who don't believe in the story want you to succeed. I know you're not officially involved, but good luck nonetheless.

[Brenden S]

I just hope that they find at least one spitfire and not nothing.

[PeterA]

Myitkyina is right up there in the north where currently there are serious problems involving the military.

Serious problems with the military, this I haven't heard of. Please tell more, if you are allowed to - I don't want to get you in any trouble.

This will give some idea of the situation.

PeterA

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wo ... -conflict/

[CH2Tdriver]

Hey look.....It took them 500 years to finally find Richard the III under a parking lot, so I'm sure after 70 years we can find some Spitfires.

"A My Kingdom for a !!!

[Noha307]

Myitkyina is right up there in the north where currently there are serious problems involving the military.

Serious problems with the military, this I haven't heard of. Please tell more, if you are allowed to - I don't want to get you in any trouble.

This will give some idea of the situation.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wo ... -conflict/

Yea, I had an inkling that was what you meant. My first impression upon reading your first post was that the military was interfering with the dig itself. (e.g. it was on their base or something) After thinking for a while, I realized that you probably meant the military was conducting some sort of operations in the area relating to internal politics and not the dig directly. I still wasn't completely sure though, thanks for posting the link.

Any insight about the Facebook post I mentioned above. Sorry to be beating you to death with questions about it. I should probably just learn to be patient.

[CoastieJohn]

Greetings Peter,

Is your team using GPR's and magnatometers in the search?

Thanks....John

[PeterA]

Greetings Peter,

Is your team using GPR's and magnatometers in the search?

Thanks....John

Not my team. I am just an independent observer.

The British geophysicists have returned to the UK, the Burmese geophysicist continues. They are using the full suite of ground penetrating detection devices.

PeterA

[CoastieJohn]

Greetings Peter,

Is your team using GPR's and magnatometers in the search?

Thanks....John

Not my team. I am just an independent observer.

The British geophysicists have returned to the UK, the Burmese geophysicist continues. They are using the full suite of ground penetrating detection devices.

PeterA

Peter,

Thank you for the response. When the above news article said they didn't know there was active underground wiring at a dig site, I wondered why the sensors didn't pick that up ahead of time?

Also....is it accurate to suggest the GP sensors did indeed identify an underground anomaly(s) that would be consistant with a signature produced by a large crate or airframe like a Spit? I believe the magnatometer should ID what ferrous material there is on a Spit (struts, prop hubs, some engine parts/components, maybe tiedown chains, etc). The GPR should ID the size and depth of the target.

If so, has team bore down to any of these anomolies to identify the targets, other than the crate already identified?

If you can't say, no worries.

Thank you....John