Perhaps the most interesting aspect of 6 MU’s work at this time however, was the storage of captured German aircraft after their evaluation at Farnborough, or use as “hacks” by the occupying forces. The first to arrive was a Junkers Ju. 188 on the 10th May, and between then and 1947, when the last new arrivals were received, around 70 aircraft were handled, the most numerous being the Junkers Ju. 52/3M and the Messerschmitt Me. 163B, with about 20 examples of each.
In addition to storage, the German aircraft were also sent out to various exhibitions, including Hyde Park in September 1945 (Me 163, He 162, Me 108, Me 110, Fw 190, Ju 88 and Fi 156) and Brize Norton’s own Battle “At Home” Day on the same day (15th September) when the following were displayed: Ju 52/3M, Ar 234B, Fw 190, Fw 189, Ju 188, Ju 88, Me 262, He 162, He 219, Si 204. In addition, another He 162 plus an Me 163 were despatched to Little Rissington on loan for their open day.
Although some aircraft were passed to 47 MU at Sealand, 76 MU at Wroughton and various other RAF stations in ones and twos, the vast majority lingered on at Brize, with the larger aircraft open to the elements until the bad winter of 1946/47 took its toll. Many of the aircraft were overturned in the gales, and others suffered from falling trees, and shortly after this, the wholesale scrapping began. The aircraft were taken to the south side of the airfield where 6 MU were already scrapping Spitfires, Spitefuls and Liberators. After all useful pieces and large metal areas had been removed, the mortal
remains were buried in twenty feet deep holes where they remain to this day. This burial process was quite common with another pit being sited out beyond Brize Norton village in farmland, to accommodate the remains of aircraft that had been stored in dispersed sites.
By: Steve Bond - 16th August 2017 at 17:32
During research for the book, I interviewed several locals who were there at the time of the mass scrapping, which followed severe storm damage to the aircraft in early 1947. It became clear from our discussions that nothing of any significant size survived to be buried. Yes, there at well be some interesting bits and pieces down there somewhere, but the on-airfield site is covered in later dumped material as I mentioned and the precise location of the suggested off-airfield site near Brize Norton village could not be confirmed with any confidence.
By: DaveF68 - 16th August 2017 at 10:50
So someone might be putting in an extension and dig up a Ju88 wing!
By: Rocketeer - 16th August 2017 at 02:52
Remember that Jules. We found a Spiteful longeron…..dunno who has it now….not me
By: thedawnpatrol - 15th August 2017 at 22:34
We found this site in the 1980’s near the village of Minster Lovell, there was a pit of various aircraft remains, all sorts of stuff, sadly we were working against the clock as the area was due to be built on, it has since been developed and built over sadly.
Jules
By: TonyT - 15th August 2017 at 22:03
I understand that Steve, that was the result of the USA offering all the items in the quarters to the RAF for free when they left, but the treasury demanding the tax paid on it if they did, so the RAF dipped out and the USAF bulldozed and flattened it.
Rumour has it, the same went for the electric heated all weather runway, the USAF installed it and wanted to sell it to the UK I believe, UK PLC thinking when we get the field handed back we will get it for nothing so refused to pay anything for it. The USAF had other ideas however and put the hook down on a caterpillar and drove it down the side of the runway and tore all the wiring out…
But if you read the quote, part of it was buried off airfield, was that investigated?
By: me109g4 - 15th August 2017 at 16:23
well nobody dug them back up right?? so they are still there.
By: Steve Bond - 15th August 2017 at 11:46
Now, before anyone gets too excited and starts suggesting Brize Norton digs up these sites, it has already been tried, way back in the 1970s. I was stationed at Brize at that time and wrote the station history, during which these stories came to light. A couple of trial mechanical digs were made, which only found domestic goods such as washing machines, which the USAF had dumped in the same holes when they left in 1965.
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August 15, 2017 at 11:38 am