An expensive way to make a toast rack.

Glad no-one was hurt.

Don’t, arsenic is highly toxic to most mammal life…………..

Arsenic (except in trace amounts) is highly toxic to all known life except some extremophile bacteria that can just about tolerate big quantities of it.

Sometimes, some harm has to be done for the greater good !

People will care more about fluffy animals that some old planes and it would be bad publicity for the museum -and very probably illegal- if that harm befalls some rare species or someone’s pet cat.

Chilli sauce won’t work I’m afraid, birds have no taste receptors for chilli! I reckon the raptor option might work. Also, anti pigeon spikes might be worth a go? They’re pretty unsightly but I’m sure I’ve seen them on Vulcans etc in the UK to stop the whitewash effect.

How would those spikes be securely attached without damaging the airframes?. Also they are unsightly.
I didn’t know that about birds and chilli, but bitternss seems to be a pretty universal taste to be avoided. A stab in the dark but would a bitter compound mixed with vaseline – which would be more durable to rain – be a good deterant?

A day we all knew would come but never wanted to face.

A legend passes. But what a life to have lead.

I’d like to see it the right way up at least!

I would third that. Would be great to see the Do17 upright with a recontructed canopy and nose glazing

But I expect the structural support a badly corroded shoulder winged plane would need to have to be shown the right way up would be much more than upside down in some sort of ‘as found’ diorama.

Duggy. There is a heck of a lot that should have been preserved. But war hardens attitudes and hindsight is always far too late.

The Japanese museum may be the one described in ‘veteran&Vintage aircraft’ by L.Hunt 1967

‘JOKOROZAZA Army Air Base. In the air education hall are exhibited
Fiat BR20
Fairchild FC22C-7b
Kellett K-19 autogyro
Pou de Ciel
Maurice Farman 1-15
Henri Farman
Farman F-60 Goliath
Nieuport 18E2
hanriot HD-14
Hanriot 15
Hanriot 19
Spad 20
Spad 54
Salmson 2A2
Nieuport 39
Junkers G38
JU87
Heinkel 118
Spartan Executive’

That is some collection! I have googled and not found anything confirmed on fates. Back in the 60’s traveling to japan was not very common so this must have been from a correspondant and could have been very out of date?

Strangely enough small numbers of the bomber version of the Junkers G.38 were licence built as the Mitsubishi Ki-20 (Army type 97 heavy bomber).
One was a museum exhibit up until the end of the war. Probably burnt and scrapped and the pieces bulldozed into a hole.

Japan had is museum aircraft up to WWII. Allied bombing probably (this is an assumption) took its toll, but I did read somewhere that the survivirs were scrapped as part of the post-war disarmament process. Where I read that I can’t remember. Its stuck in my mind but none of my books or even Google seems to have any information on this.

It really doesn’t matter whoes side those soldiers were fighting for their remains deserved better treatment. Those old battlefields deserved more than the damage done for such little gain in knowledge. And those that do responsibly excavate recent military sites, recover and protect artifacts and help repatriate the missing dead deserve more than to have their reputations tarnished by that lot.

Blimey I hope too many people don’t complain or we will be back to watching ‘Take me out’. Rightly or wrongly I’m just grateful for a history fix.

I bet all the complainers watch episode 3 if shown though!!

Have you two got anything to say in defense of Battlefield Recovery or are you just going to make disparaging remarks on those who disagree with you?

For my part I saw part of the first one. Couldn’t really take any more of that and switched off befiore the end. Turns out it was just a bunch of amatuers kicking about a woodland looking for Nazi trinkets to gloat over.

Time Time team has done WWII archaeology with respect and made engaging television that told the history of that particular site and gave an insight on those that fought and died there. It can be done. However I shouldn’t be too surprised that Channel 5 has chosen to scrape the bottom of a barrel instead.