Search for missing Spitfires in Burma due to begin

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20515659 Work is due to start in January to unearth dozens of missing British Spitfires believed to have been buried in the Burmese jungle at the end of World War II. What began as one man's quest to discover the truth of claims that unused unassembled aircraft were packed into crates and buried by the RAF in Burma in 1945 has captured the imagination of a war games company and a team of experts, including archaeologists and scientists. They all gathered at the Imperial War Museum in London on Wednesday to outline their plans for the dig, due to get under way in the New Year. It is thought 36 planes could be lying undiscovered in Mingaladon - one of three sites where it is believed as many as 60 Spitfires in total may be located.

"It could also be one of the most fascinating discoveries in aviation archaeology” Andy Brockman Project archaeologist Farmer and aviation enthusiast David Cundall, from Lincolnshire, is spearheading the dig, having spent 16 years and thousands of pounds already researching the project. "I have been flying airplanes for 45 years and been digging up sites looking for military aircraft for 36 years. It's in my blood," he said. After hearing the story of the buried planes, he sought out eyewitness accounts from American and British service personnel, as well as local people, who told him how scores of brand new Mark XIV Spitfires were buried in 1945 under the orders of Lord Mountbatten. He said one local Burmese man recalled how, as a 15-year-old, he and his father had transported timber that had been used as the Spitfires were buried. The local man led him to the spot where the planes had been put. Clues found But aside from these eyewitnesses, all the experts have uncovered so far are tantalising signs of increased electrical conductivity found in two areas during an electromagnetic survey. This could in turn indicate the presence of buried metal at around 10 metres deep