Historic Aviation Crime

Didn’t Sweden pinch a load of B17’s and convert them into airliners?

They were interned. I believe they were purchased…or traded in lieu of accumulating storage fees.

Did Duxford ever find the gunsight from their Meteor?

Seem to recall an illicit trade in F16 engines for use in racing speed boats in the US.

Didn’t Sweden pinch a load of B17’s and convert them into airliners?

Rather more gruesome was the usage of Auster G-AGXT in the disposal of a corpse, in 1949!

The story goes…A local farm worker discovered a male torso wrapped in a blanket, near Tillingham in the Essex marshes. The body showed signs of death by stab wounds, however the autopsy revealed other injuries consistent with having fallen from a great height. The victim was eventually identified as one Stanley Setty…could he have been dropped from a plane?

Police investigations eventually led to the arrest of Donald Hume, a business associate of Setty. Both best described as ‘dodgy geezers’, allegedly involved in various black market activities during WW2. Selling of bootleg gin made from medical alcohol, forged petrol coupons etc. Also having purchased an RAF officers uniform, Hume turned up at various RAF depots with forged requistion papers, making off with engine spares etc.

The subsequent court case revealed how Hulme had murdered Setty and dismembered his body. Thence hiring the Auster from Elstree, making a series of flights to dispose of the evidence over the English Channel.

The full gory details are out there on internet land for those with a morbid disposition!

G-AGXT also still out there spme place I think?

..Please dont have nightmares etc!!

Somebody took a number of airliners from Cosford …

The Hawkinge museum has had artifacts taken hence their attitude and I think the tangmere museum also has had problems

There was an New Aircraft engine in France that was on or near a Museum? premises, the resistance decided to steal it and deny the Luftwaffe an engine, they would push it every day a few feet towards the building so as not to arouse suspicion, on the last day when they were struggling to get it up a ramp I think and into the building, a German squad came around the corner and the Officer in charge stopped and instructed his men to help the Frenchmen with their engine…. 🙂
Still there I believe.

All true, Musee de l’Air at Meudon. It was a Junkers Jumo and it was moved from the front door down to the loading bay over a period of a couple of weeks. The Germans did help them push it in. It is still on inventory.

but there was a problem with a Shackleton cockpit being stripped out recently.

I agree with Webpilot about the once Duxford based Shackleton cockpit getting most of its equipment hacked out and nicked – disgraceful act.

This did spring to mind, breathtaking vandalism with an equal mix of greed 🙁

I guess there are only so many dH twins you can stuff up your jumper at any one time?

Sadly so.

There was an New Aircraft engine in France that was on or near a Museum? premises, the resistance decided to steal it and deny the Luftwaffe an engine, they would push it every day a few feet towards the building so as not to arouse suspicion, on the last day when they were struggling to get it up a ramp I think and into the building, a German squad came around the corner and the Officer in charge stopped and instructed his men to help the Frenchmen with their engine…. 🙂
Still there I believe..

The FAA incidently believe there are a a few aircraft carrying false registrations around the world, simple really paint a duplicate on one in some parts of Africa and go into business hauling freight, legite registration would show it as airworthy.

On 20 Sqn we had a starfighter wing that was ermm aquired, the Germans on detachment aquired the other, ours was in the crewroom at Bruggen, the German one arrived and was mounted as an outside barbeque table in Decimmamanu.

We “stole” and transported a Sparrow to Germany, does that count?, opened the door on landind at RAF Wildenrath from Odiham and it appeared out of the Puma tailboom and departed out the now open door, often wondered how it got on chirping a different lanquage and deaf.

Whilst we’re all grateful that it survives, I wonder what the decision would be these days.

Save the first Mosquito, or the last Hornet?

Interestingly, Eric Brown says that the Hornet was his favourite piston-engine aeroplane, and he is deeply saddened that one doesn’t survive.

Full marks to him for doing that, but didnt a Hornet get burned at the time?

I guess there are only so many dH twins you can stuff up your jumper at any one time?

Moggy

And there was the Israeli major found guilty of stealing a Mustang and selling it abroad…

Regarding Australia, readers of “Flight” in the mid-60’s might recall the tale of the Cessna Pilot reporting being formated upon by a Spitfire on the coast , which then disappeared off towards the interior.
In the same article a Civil Aviation official expressed little surprise, IIRC commenting that he knew of three unregistered Mustangs and a Dakota still then flying around out in the “outback”.

Lots of museums have lost, one I remember was Parham loosing A2 jackets back in the 80s, I visited the day after and it was very distressing for all concerned. I think some propeller blades were cut off by some BIG FATs at north weald a similar time.

On the subject of aircraft being ‘liberated’, I am sure we are all well aware of how ‘protective’ the Australian authorities are regarding the export of historic aircraft, I recall a certain British warbird enthusiast dismantled a certain Spitfire in Australia and exported it back to the UK described as ‘farm machine parts’. It was in so many pieces that they would never have recognised it at a Spitfire. Once back in the UK, it was rebuilt and is now flying today. Whether you regard this as a ‘crime’ or a ‘liberation back where it belongs’ is a matter of opinion.

They did catch the Me109 that is in the AWM on the way…Dodgy businesses are to do with anything with large amounts of money.It is same with fine art and rare cars and bikes..I have a feeling this threads on a Titanic mission.

Bill was the reprobate who on being told to burn the prototype Mosquito, hid it instead.

Full marks to him for doing that, but didnt a Hornet get burned at the time?

On the subject of aircraft being ‘liberated’, I am sure we are all well aware of how ‘protective’ the Australian authorities are regarding the export of historic aircraft, I recall a certain British warbird enthusiast dismantled a certain Spitfire in Australia and exported it back to the UK described as ‘farm machine parts’. It was in so many pieces that they would never have recognised it at a Spitfire. Once back in the UK, it was rebuilt and is now flying today. Whether you regard this as a ‘crime’ or a ‘liberation back where it belongs’ is a matter of opinion.

I also suspect a lot of items are stolen to order for private collectors, it happens in most collectable categories so why not aviation?

Now ,at the risk of being accused of starting another “Sopwith Camel in a barn” fantasy, there is a tale regarding the exhibition of captured German aircraft held in London at the end of the First World War.
The story goes that one of the aircraft ( I honestly cannot remember the type although I was told -this was in the early 70’s) subsequently disappeared and remained unaccounted for. The version that I was told involved it being shown to a visitor some years later ( who was known to me), stored in the cellars of a large country house.
Anybody else ever heard this story , or can shine some light on the possible origin of the legend.?

Not to mention the most famous and worthwhile of these aviation crimes.

And I’m not afraid to name names.

Stand up W.J.S. (Bill) Baird

Moggy

Bill was the reprobate who on being told to burn the prototype Mosquito, hid it instead.