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Hi Wade, and thanks

Posted by Tony on Mon Nov 19, 2001 04:14:37 PM

In reply top Here's what I know... posted by Wade Meyers author of said article on Mon Nov 19, 2001 02:09:52 PM

Face lift in Army terms, means one of 2 things.

Either, 1. Modernisation, in other words, better accomodation, and extra buildings to accomodate the heavy equipment the Engineers currently based there use. This would include dedicated "task areas" such as Bridge building, Runway battle damage repair facilities, extra spots for AAC helicopters, even on some cases, the building of mock facilities, to enchance training.

or 2. The land is sold, and Barratts knock a housing estate up in a weekend on it. Bear in mind where Debden is, and housing, will fetch a LOT of money for any developer.

It would be just as well, to find out if MOD have plans to sell off Debden, either parts thereof or the whole thing.

I think, that as a photo-recce is planned of the area, then it would imply , that any change, will be very very serious, and very very permanent, and not necessairily, with the historical value in mind.

Tony




: Gentile's P-51B-7-NA (43-6913) was completely and totally
: stripped for parts after the Apr 13 crash, and sat in fron
: t of one of the heavy maintenance hangars just south of El
: der Street for about 3 weeks. That's the series of photos
: of her with her nose in the air, and the tarps over the e
: ngine compartment - and the tail laying off to the side.
: She was stripped even further than those photos show. In
: fact, Gentile himself was given several instruments out of
: Shangri-La: those I saw and held, and are in his box at
: the USAF Museum now.
:
: I talked to three guys (both of whom looked at the carcass
: every day for 3 weeks as she was slowly dismantled) - who
: said the Sarge in charge of heavy maintenance - those bli
: ster hangars in photos - was a pack rat and saved every co
: nceivable piece of any wrecked airplane. I talked to thes
: e two men and other witnesses and maintenance types at the
: recent 4th FG reunion in Savannah, Georgia, and they all
: confirmed this. They didn't know exactly where the remain
: s were dumped, but you're not going to find a complete Mus
: tang by any means . . .
:
: HOWEVER, any _confirmed_ piece(s) would be priceless treas
: ures, to be sure! Good Luck in your hunting . . .!!
:
: By the way, I've significantly updated the article, and it
: 'll be available with prints of my painting early next yea
: r.
:
: Also, as an aside, I have it on _very_ reliable authority
: that Debden is about to undergo a significant facelift, so
: you'd better start digging soon! Also, through my contac
: t, a RAF photo flight has been arranged on this November 3
: 0th to document the way the field looks now - because of s
: aid facelift. Look up in the sky over DB November 30th if
: the WX is good, and you'll see my photos being taken that
: are promised to me by Christmas.
:
: Get those shovels out NOW! Let's hear back from you lucky
: bastards that have this opportunity to be over there, eve
: n if you don't find anything . . . all I have is a Mason J
: ar soil sample taken from the runway intersection, and a s
: mall piece of one of the runways.
:
: Wade Meyers
:
:
: : He didn't have to
: :
: : Spent a lot of time this weekend, working out the most l
: og
: : ical place for it to be, and the answer, was staring me
: in
: : the face,actually laughed out loud when I realised it.M
: ad
: : e a phone call,Bob's your uncle, it really is easy when
: yo
: : u know how.
: :
: : So Tom and Mick, get your waders ready, we have us a Mus
: ta
: : ng, or at least the fractured remains of one to recover
: :
: : Tony
: :
: : : where Blakeslee or the Engineering Officer told the gr
: ou
: : nd
: : : crew to chuck it after they wrote it off as "missing
: in
: : a
: : : ction"!
: : :
: : :
: : : Oh well.....have to go rooting round Debden in our wel
: li
: : es
: : : and disposable gloves......still up for it aren't we
: bo
: : ys
: : : ?
: : :
: : : TTFN
: : : Mick

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