Heads up BBC1 World war II unearthed

Thanks for that.

Been showing the full programmes on BBC2 (part 3 tomorrow 7pm) – amazing where Dan Snow gets his info from – apparently the Catalina wasn’t fitted with wheels during the war?….

iPlayer link – http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01hzqzj/

He’s correct, they weren’t, from the PBY-1 of 1937 through to PBY-5. They were non amphibious until the PBY5-A was introduced in around October 1941. All the early RAF Catalinas were non amphibious as I understand it. The non amphibious were still made until around 1943. Better range without the u/c to lug around of course.

Been showing the full programmes on BBC2 (part 3 tomorrow 7pm) – amazing where Dan Snow gets his info from – apparently the Catalina wasn’t fitted with wheels during the war?….

iPlayer link – http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01hzqzj/

Very interesting programme. Also enjoyed the Catalina piece on Castle Archdale and Operation Deadlight the scuttling of the U-boat fleet off Malin Head at the end of the war. The sunken Sherman tanks from a U-boat attack on the sea bed made engrossing viewing.

One of our Guinea Pigs went nuts when they fired the Browning!!

A shame that it was an edited and compressed version of the whole series that has only been seen in NI and I’m sure some elements were left out. Arnhem, I think?

In the end it was one of the better programmes I saw on TV last couple of weeks.

Its not as silly as it sounds. Many groups acquire huge amounts from a dig and may not have space to keep it all. How many have then scrapped stuff?
I have contemplated it with redigging an aircraft I have been digging. We only have about 100kg, but much is repetitive engine casing, frame trap shards etc.

Digging a historic aeroplane site has many responsibilities, no point in recovering it to scrap stuff – so anything I cannot home or use, will be reburied. So that one day, someone else might want it and can get parts.

I remember in the 80s, a group had stored BoB wreckology in a farm type environment – some friends were invited to see it – lots of fantastic stuff – all with ‘lost’ history.

Totally agree Ian, every piece does have merit. And therefore everything should be kept and preserved together!

Rob

Thanks Dobbins, I should have added aromatic. It stank of fuel! Wyvernfan, it would have made an amazing display put back together. The ‘light’ distortion would be a challenge but with lots of space and an imaginative frame it would look superb, pretty much everything was there. I don’t think anything spectacular would be reburied, but every piece has some merit.

Think you have the wrong end of the stick, only the stuff not on fit for display will be buried.

Sorry, but why re-bury some of the wreckage? Why not display all of it together? :confused:

Rob

It’s a shame they’ve condensed a three part series into one episode.

a big soupy dollop.

That has to be my favourite quote on this forum ever!

So the pilot, American Bud Wolfe, ended up in an interment camp in the Irish Republic that served FREE Guinness and Irish Whiskey and he decided to escape and return to the North !!!!
Then the UK Government send him back so as not to upset the Irish! Brilliant.

Just a bump as this on shortly

………Rumor has it it might even be buried on top of another Spitfire yet to be discovered:diablo:

Now that would be clever

Think you have the wrong end of the stick, only the stuff not on fit for display will be buried.

Rumor has it it might even be buried on top of another Spitfire yet to be discovered:diablo:

I’m not sure if anything was reburied, I did read that myself somewhere.
I know the dig had involvement from the School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology at QUB, and it may have been a process suggested from that direction.

I think if I remember correctly, it was the more mangled stuff that was being considered, which probably has less appeal from a display perspective. I don’t know if they actually went ahead and did it, or even if it was a serious proposition.

I’m sure all the sexy items like the spade grip etc will be on display.

And the important thing is that they are on display, and anyone can walk in and see them.

Quite a lot of material from crash sites in Ireland North and South, has ended up being recovered by organizations and individuals and never seen the light of day. In reality some of it should maybe been left where it was, and it actually would have resulted in the items being better preserved!

A few people in the North were a bit peeved about the Spitfire recovery because it was perceived as stealing their thunder. But as it’s now on display, I think they’ve done a good job.

The engine is on display at the Workhouse museum in Derry.
I think the tail wheel and oleo are on display at City of Derry airport, formerly Eglinton. Where the aircraft was based.

http://www.derrycity.gov.uk/Museums/Workhouse-Museum

http://www.derrycity.gov.uk/News/City-hosts-only-exhibition-of-first-excavated-spit

So most of the bits ‘twixt tailwheel and engine will be re-buried? :confused:

Ah well. It will give somebody something to dig up in years to come I suppose!

“Dig WW2 Revisited” 2050?

I think your confused with the plans to put a Wildcat back into a lough Andy.

.

………LOL 😀