You Aussies need to get out there and start looking for those buried, "mint condition" WWII Spitfires supposedly under the Oakey drive-in theater. If you find 'em, grab one for me!


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/fact-or-fable-hunt-is-on-for-buried-spitfires/story-e6frg95x-1225995654752

This story has been around for as long as I can remember, but to-date, no aircraft have been recovered.

Similarly there are stories of WWII aircraft hidden in underground bunkers around Mt Louisa in Townsville, adjacent to the Townsville aerodrome, which was of course a major US Airforce base during the war. Several searches have been conducted during my time in Townsville - but nothing has been found.

I have heard of many similar planes in England, but they are in flooded underground bunkers, along with a lot of ammo and explosives. Because of the threat of explosion if they drain it, they won't go after them.

Libya is suppose to have acres of P51's in the desert somewhere.

You guys don't have to go that far. Walnut Ridge AR is the final resting place for untold WWII era aircraft. I believe brand new B-17's and P-47's (and probably lots of other types) were buried on the airfield after the war. Just sweet talk the government to let you go dig them up.

Have any of you been to the War Hawk Museum at Boise,Id.? In the early seventies the museum needed spares to keep their War Hawk flying. Following up on a rumor, they jumped in their P40 a flew the short distance to an airfield in Canada. They asked the older lineman about the buried airplane and he told them that he had played in the P40 as a child and that infact it was at a local wheat farm. When they arrived at the farm, they anxiously asked its where abouts. The owner said the airplane was just in the way and that he had years earlier dug a pit with a sloping ramp and had pulled it in and buried it! You've got to be kidding! After a brief negotation, the museum acquire the airplane and dug it up mostly with hand tools. Thanks to an arid environment, the P40 was in pretty good shape. Eventually, it flew once again and is now in Australia. If you get the chance, visit the museum at Nampa. They have a photo display of the recovery which just is amazing. Bob

Seymour, Indiana. The USAAF brought over a bunch of German aircraft and tested them at Seymour. Once the flight testing was done, they brought in engineers to study the airplanes. As a part of that study, the planes were partially disassembled. When the engineering studies were done, the parts and remaining aircraft structures were dumped on the field grounds and covered over with dirt. So says local legend anyway.

The USAAF closed Freeman Field and conveyed it to Seymour. For years Freeman Field was a sleepy, if large GA field. In the 1990s a bunch of people got tired of the local legend and started a serious hunt for the buried aircraft. Some random German aircraft parts were dug up, but no intact airframes. More or less confirming the local legend. All that is left of the Luftwaffe era at Freeman is a really great photo archive at the airport museum showing a good number of German aircraft on the ramp. There are some reports filed away at the Purdue University Library about German aircraft performance.

Alan Bradley

The second large dig at Freeman is underway now. The field was a twin engine school. Literally hundreds of plane parts have been recovered, most unidentified. Some V2 rocket engines and pieces for example. A few air frame parts.

All the photos available with the planes' bios, are found at the official site for Freeman Field and the Museum, at http://www.IndianaMilitary.org Largest private website in Indiana at more than 50 Gigabytes. Supported and hosted by the US Army and AmVets. (Click on "Freeman AAF")

In addition to German, Japanese, & Italian planes, British and Experimental American planes were stored and evaluated at this base.

Jim West
webmaster

I was based at the Army Avn Fire Station from around 74 to 76. I didn't here of the spitfires but we did have an airial photograph of the base up on the wall in the watchroom. It showed where the Yanks had buried munitions in a number of bunkers around the base. Would be nice to get my hands on that photo now. Aparently, it was brand new gear that was oiled, greased, wrapped and buried.

There is a new clear bumb buried just off the Beach in Savannah, GA. It might be a little crusty by now though, though nothing some WD 40 won't take care of.