Buried Merlins

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2162754/Griffon-Chance-rare-successor-Rolls-Royce-Merlin-engine-auctioned.html

Where did these end up?

This taken from the comments at the foot of the article:

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Ron, Oz, 1 year ago

There’s at least one New Merlin buried under the Hanger Apron at Yeovilton. These are still wrapped and crated, buried when extensions done. I believe it’s under the Concord apron. Worth a few quid now, they’ll need running in perhaps.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2162754/Griffon-Chance-rare-successor-Rolls-Royce-Merlin-engine-auctioned.html

Where did these end up?

No signs of ‘any’ activity in Titchfield Park on Monday afternoon – I couldn’t even find signs of the paddling pool! :confused:

Later on I did resolve the Greasley Mosquitoes though!! 😉

This just cropped up in a post on a certain Facebook page about Spitfires buried in a certain far-eastern country.

Dan

I am simply drawing attention to something that is already very widely in the public domain on Facebook and however silly many of us now find the Burma saga I am not sure from where you draw the conclusion that I am ‘one of the folks who would like the Burma Spitfire bit to go away.’ I am fairly ambivalent about the whole thing. On the one hand curious about the on-going saga and on the other hand not caring in the slightest if it does all die a death!

As it happens, the discussion has brought to light an interesting story of unrelated buried Merlins which I am certain you will find was news to a good many folk here who have an interest in such things.

“Usual suspects” – perhaps that could be translated as “wisely scepticals”. :highly_amused:

It bothers me a bit Andy that you as one of the folks who would like the Burma Spitfire bit to go away, would post something like this just to stir the pot some more. The usual suspects then come in with their commentary.

Frankly I believe you are better then that.

I have it on good authority that some (from a CAA point of view) very dubious Merlins were used in the filming of the BoB movie.

Moggy

Apart from the fact this type of story keeps appearing, I wonder if the parts had been found would it be prudent for the BBMF start using the spares? Having read about Peter Vachers Hurricane they never used parts of the original engine because they weren’t sure of its subsequent history.

Well, at least I can console myself with the fact that I was more or less correct in my observations:D

By the way, I couldn’t find, nor download, the thread you were referring to. I did find some more interesting photo’s on that first link/site though, even if there were quite a few errors in some of the captions (such as an Eagle-engined Wyvern referred to as a “six-blade Fury!).

Anon.

Sorry Mike.

Now, if you’d have just kept quiet and not drawn attention to yourself….nobody would have noticed!

Presume that’s me then!?

Anon.

For those who didn’t read the attached thread it was stated that:

“Sometime post-war, it was said that Hucknall Council lacked the funds to repair an outdoor padding pool in Titchfield Park Hucknall. (Damage blamed on coal mining subsidence I was told) A plea went out to local firms for hardcore, or any waste to bring the surface level, so Rolls Royce responded with an offer of at least two ground-tested late mark Merlins, of the type that powered Lincolns.”

So, it looks as if they were just junk/rubbish engines that were used to fill in a hole!

The Merlin shown having been excavated from a park is almost certainly a post-war Merlin 68A or Mk.102 from a lincoln.

It has certainly got the correct exhaust system and the inverted A-frame hinging stays to hold the side cowls which, once deployed would serve as maintenance platforms – a prominent characteristic of the late-war/post-war annular cowling/power egg design. Look at the length of the blower – definitely a two-stage although very much the worse for wear.

The bearers have the pressed steel upper supports which only came in at the end of the war so, I’d reckon these engines (or at least the one in the photo) were buried some time well after WW2. Why they would want to bury them in a public park is anybody’s guess but do we know what the area was used for before it became parkland, i.e. was it requisitioned for ministry use?

Anon.

At the end of the war they just wanted shot of them, there was that RR employee who had put his name down for an engine box to use as a shed, staff were allowed to, anyway the war had just finished and his turn came up and RR duly delivered his new garden shed, though when he opened it he found it contained a new Merlin, such was the desire at the time to get rid, they hadn’t even bothered emptying it.

No, I do realise what you meant Knifeedgeturn. My wording might have been clumsy or inadvertently implied you had meant otherwise.

Unfortunately, the likely application of cosmoline/grease/wax/tarred paper/hessian adds little credibility to the story.

Correction.

No credibility.

It wasn’t meant to, hence; “not specifically for the purpose of burying though”

I take back (almost!) some of what I said previously!

http://thisishucknall.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/archive-photo-engine-excavation-66.html

What is the story, here??

Not quite crated and inhibited, though! Not to mention the slight discrepancy in locations.

More here:

http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?1368-Bomber-Airfield-Society

Is this the origin of the story??

Many years ago there was an item on the local news about an expedition to find a cache of Merlins that Rolls Royce had burried in a public park in Hucknall after the war. Never heard anything since. Perhaps they are still digging.

They did find 2 out of an anticipated 3. They were dug up from titchfield park, in Hucknall in about 1996. I was about 5 years old at the time but I remember the excitement around the town (I’m a Hucknall boy). I believe the rumours t the time was that they’d be restored and donated/sold to a deserving party, possibly BBMF but I’m not sure.

Unfortunately, the likely application of cosmoline/grease/wax/tarred paper/hessian adds little credibility to the story.

Correction.

No credibility.