More Hidden Treasure: now in Oakey

[fly_tornado]

TWO Melbourne advertising executives are determined to complete their 13-year search for a squadron of iconic war birds they believe are buried near Oakey.

 

James Carter and Karl von Moller have dedicated much of their spare time since 2000 to researching the possible burial site of RAAF Spitfires which were stationed at Oakey at the end of the Second World War.

 

They are producing a documentary titled Broken Wings about their search

 

http://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/spitfire-search-returns-to-oakey/2043515/

 

 

[Marty_d]

Mmmmmm... Spitfires....

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Why don't these guys get real jobs?

 

 

[rage83]

There has been rumours of the aircraft since the war apparantly.

 

I first heard about them whilst I was in the Air Force cadets out of Oakey about 15 yrs ago.

 

Whether true or not it's a compelling story.

 

 

[old man emu]

Probably buried along with the WLA Harley Davidsons still in their crates.

 

I belive that the truth is that the surplus aircraft of all types were stripped of instruments, radios, armaments etc then set alight so they became blobs of molten meal, or they were cut up with saws for recycling. They did it to CAC Boomerangs there, too. And there are pictures at Narromine of wingless fuselages of Mosquitos being towed away after being sold at auction to local farmers.

 

This yarn about buried military equipment is mostly urban myth.

 

(But what about the Spitfires in Burma?)

 

OME

 

 

[jetjr]

Story about mozzies @ ynrm is that they were weighed and volume of fuel estimated and sold for its value. Deal was the buyer had to take it away. Only way to do it was cut off wings with big saw, strap them on somehow then tow them home up the road.

 

There are for sure piles of parts against farm sheds. Slowly being collected and retuned to hanger at airport. Plenty of bits still in use from hydraulic pumps to wheels on hay trailers.

 

Significant numbers of small arms were dumped in farm tips too. Odd one is found even today, but they are DEEP and bundles of rust.

 

 

[facthunter]

The Harleys in crates was true. Mates of mine built them up in the 50's. A place I worked at was putting zero miles Blitz wagons on the road as tow trucks. We had new GMC 6x6 trucks I worked on bren gun carriers with new V8 Ford engines in them. Great big MACK sidevalve monster crane trucks. The mosquitoes were sold for scrap value only, (mainly engines and undercarriages.) The wooden structure did not last long in flying condition. I almost bought a Mustang with 4 FOUR hours on it , in a partnership.. (A lot of us almost do a lot of things). Nev

 

 

[jacmiles]

When i was a kid (40 + years ago) it was known as fact that crated spitfires were buried " in the hills around Toowoomba " . When I would ask if we could go find one and dig it up i would be told it would be illegal to dig stuff up the Army or Airforce Burried.

 

 

[DAVID SEE]

I know of a case about 30+ years ago, (I was doing subdivision work around Brisbane and Gold Coast at the time) a bloke was stripping topsoil with an excavator for? I can't remember whether it was the Bank or P.O. to be built at the time. Anyway it was/is on Kerry Rd. towards the Beaudesert Rd. end or Eastern end of Kerry Rd. he was stripping the soil back and doing the footings when he hit concrete, started to uncover it to see what it was or how big, found the edge and got it lifted enough to look under....his eyes nearly popped out of his head..it was a room half full of WWII Harleys and four or five of the small fold up motor bikes the S.A.S.used if they had to parachute down with them. He was smart enough to cover it up and race into town (Brisy) and take out a miners lease on it. Got a couple of his mates with ropes and chains and lifted them out, some only had as little as 50mile on the odometer, the underground hallways etc. let towards the airfield at Archerfield. Remembering that it was a very busy area for the Americans during the war. and it was common practice back then to go out and do these jobs on your own. I have personly seen one of the Harleys and one of the little fold up bikes that came out of that. I asked the chap who had one of them what would it be worth? his reply was something like "at this low millage and condition, you can't really put a price on it, maybe that's why he retired early so he can ride his bikes around"

 

Cheers Davo:cheers:

 

 

[Guest Escadrille]

Tell ém their dreamin....

 

 

[nomadpete]

Back in the early 70's I "almost bought" a new '42 WLA Harley from a chap who was assembling them from crates of parts that he had bought at auction. Then I thought to myself "Who, in their right mind, would spend that money on a dangerous, poorly braked, non-suspensioned, gutless heavy bike?"

 

Instead, I went out and spent my $450 on a quick Japanese bike which had suspension AND brakes.

 

Hindsight: " Who, in their right mind, would pass up the opportunity to spend $450 on an investment that would grow to maybe $30,000 now?"

 

 

[Marty_d]

I did the same thing in 1990, only the price was $5,000. (And it wasn't new). Regardless of the investment value though, I don't regret buying the VFR750 over the Harley, I had a hell of a lot of fun on that bike!

 

 

[old man emu]

I bought a WLA with sidecar in 1968 for $1000, all painted up. Sold it in 1970. Forty-two years later I bought another WLA solo for $14,000. Gave it a lick of paint and fitted some shiny bits. Now it's worth around $20K. And I have it as a daily ride, if I don't have to cart anything bulky.

 

OME

 

 

[facthunter]

Don't ride into Queensland or Can Do will have you in Gaol for 25 years. Just what all you nasty bikers need .Naughty naughty Nev

 

 

[turboplanner]

Denis has his eye on you too FH, I told him you rode a Harley and regularly rode an Indian and he spluttered for five minutes!

 

 

[facthunter]

My mate Denis is OK about all that. When I told him my HOG was a DOG, his veterinary instincts came to the fore. Nev

 

 

[Marty_d]

Don't ride into Queensland or Can Do will have you in Gaol for 25 years. Just what all you nasty bikers need .Naughty naughty Nev

Maybe Campbell Bjelke-Newman will extend them to ultralights... if the cops see three of you in formation you're gone!

 

 

[bexrbetter]

This yarn about buried military equipment is mostly urban myth.

Mostly but I have personally worked on .50 cal Browning machine guns that came off the wings of whatever was pushed overboard into the drink off Gladstone and there's a lot of them still there.

 

 

[M61A1]

They've been looking for spitfires around Oakey for years, a lot of people have dug big holes until they run out of money.

 

The local photographic man at the Army Aviation museum, has shown me many photos showing row after row of spitfires awaiting destruction. Some photos show how they used Chevy Blitz's to tumble them over and over until they broke into small enough pieces to fit into the furnace in the background. The local museum guys have combed and still find stuff in known locations where they dumped the ferrous parts after melting them. There are a few locals known for storing parts, but not for having complete aircraft.

 

 

[M61A1]

Mostly but I have personally worked on .50 cal Browning machine guns that came off the wings of whatever was pushed overboard into the drink off Gladstone and there's a lot of them still there.

There's plenty of stuff out there(in the water), a friend of mine has a centre spar section with landing gear attached, from an F4U Corsair snagged by a trawler.