Know all the rumours…
6AD Oakey was a major satellite repair depot during the latter stages of WW2.The locality is full of old mine shafts,caves and various holes in the ground.After the war about 500 odd planes sat around until about 1947 when the decision came down to get rid of it all.The planes were systematically cut up and dropped into mobile smelters,the aluminium ingots being sent down to Adelaide by rail IIRC.Five Spitfires I think were bought into Toowoomba and were scrapped at Martins Spare parts,the aluminium bits going down to Adelaide as well.There were substantial remains kept by the Junk yard until they were eventually all sold off etc to the countless restorers who have picked through the area over the years.
Out at the base countless Government Auctions were held with complete planes and parts going for next to nothing.Far as I know only a handfull of complete planes were sold off.The ones that did get sold were the Boomerangs as the endless supply of tube members kept the farmers tractors and farm machinery going.The wheels and tyres off the planes went to farms and one enterprising individual used them to go onto hay carts that he made.Oleos went onto Headers and other farm machines,hydraulic presses and the sort.One shed I have heard rumour of has its complete roof framework built from P40 engine mounts.
The parts that didn,t sell went down any available hole in the area.Coal shafts,quarries,rivers were fair game and guys on the job say that the trucks were loaded up each morning and they came back empty later and later each day.1100 Allison engines were unpacked,pulled apart then smashed with sledgehammers.The remains burnt.Spare parts had the same thing happen.
A lot of guys who were “on the job” have been asked countless times over the years and the stories get passed on from year to year.We have dug around the area.The dirt is hard and rocky down about a foot and a half down.No way other than heavy machinery can any decent hole be dug.There was reportedly a spur line off the main railway at Oakey that was filled with “crates” and eventually sealed due to safety concerns but it has never resurfaced.We will still keep looking as we are still fairly young in regards to the volunteer group.Well we are not dead yet.:rolleyes:
At the moment we are trying to get a written history down of the area with the rumours answered best we can.Mark 12 knows more I expect as he knows nearly everything about Spitfires and their histories than us.Good thread and hopefully something will come to the surface in our lifetime.Knowing the condition of the parts that we have recovered it will be a lottery in what condition a full Spit is in.
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