David Cundall’s Search For The Lost Squadron Of Spitfires

Spitfire

Cundall has returned to the site with fresh financial backing, ready to find the hidden planes. He has promised that if the planes are found, he would bring one of them to its home in Birmingham to honor the descendants of the people who made them and the people of the city.

The man intent is to do some digging before Christmas. He said he has an expert who also supports his evidence, while eyewitnesses are there to confirm they saw a Spitfire box being buried.

“I have a bore hole machine that will cut through concrete and steel and we will then place a camera down a hole and capture the images,” said Cundall.

David insisted that Lord Louis Mountbatten was responsible for the burial of about 36 Castle Bromwich-built Spitfires in 1945, sometime after the end of World War Two.  He also revealed images of objects buried 11 metres deep under the grounds of Mingaladon Airport in Yangon and he is “90 per cent” sure that those are the missing Spitfires.

During his first attempt to find them, Mr Cundall ended up very disappointed. The dig was stopped by the Burmese Government after they found some underground cables connected to the airport, the Birmingham Mail reports.

People involved in the first dig suggested that it felt like “chasing a rainbow” and that the missing planes were first destroyed and then given away to the local people for scarp. However, the 63-year-old farmer, didn’t want to stop there, although he’s been searching for the lost planes for 17 years.

He became even more determined after a man from the Midlands came up saying that he could “pretty much guarantee” that was the place where the planes were buried. Andrew Johnson talked about his Flight Sergeant grandfather who was in the RAF No 96 Squadron and who served in the Burma Campaign. He strongly believes that his grandfather helped to bury the Spitfires.

“I can pretty much guarantee they were buried there. My grandfather was Flight Sergeant with 96 squadron and details from his Squadron were sent to bury them,” said Johnson.

To be able to continue his hunt, Mr Cundall was asked to figure out a plan with civil engineers, to avoid causing damage to the runway.

Also, “to allow me to dig close to the runway the Burmese are asking for more eye witnesses to come forward so I would appeal to anyone who can assist me with detailed information to get in touch,” said David Cundall in an interview with Birmingham Mail.

Ian Harvey

Ian Harvey is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE