WIX Archives

Re: Here's what I know...

Posted by Tom on Mon Nov 19, 2001 05:50:48 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

Thanks Wade, shame that's dashed my hopes of finding a perfectly intact warbird....lol. Joking aside at least we know what we're looking for and hopefully thanks to our friend Tony we know roughly where to look.

Tom ;)

(waders and digging tools ready, SIR!)

: 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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