WIX Archives

Re: Spit in sea off Cyprus...

Posted by Elliott on Fri Dec 21, 2001 06:07:20 AM

In reply top Re: Spit in sea off Cyprus... posted by Tony on Thu Dec 20, 2001 01:25:36 PM

Who knows... The MoD is not well motivated when it comes to this sort of thing. I suspect nothing will be done about it unless the family want the remains looked into - and as far as I know the ID is unknown, then nothing will happen.


: 15 miles NW of Cyprus Elliott, and first reported as a bom
: ber.
:
: The guy involved, is the owner of one of Turkey's biggest
: diving schools, and is quite militant, about wrecks being
: left where they are, as there is relatively little in that
: part of the world, that hasn't been blitzed by turkish sc
: rappies!
:
: As regards not alowing the RAF to recover the body, well,
: that's just balls. They could get the Turks to lean on him
: . I imagine loss of diving permits, would soon bring him r
: ound.
:
: Have they approached him, about recovering the body? That
: way, we get a hero returned, the aircraft is secondary
:
: Tony
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
: : Copies & pasted from a diver forum....
: : ********************************************************
: **
: : **
: :
: : Hi All,
: : I might be going over old ground here, but have you guys
: r
: : ead/heard about the Spitfire (complete with Pilot's rema
: in
: : s) that has been 'claimed' by a Turkish DM off the North
: o
: : f Cyprus?
: :
: : He's refusing to give the MOD the exact co-ords as, and
: I
: : quote, "It is my wreck and I want it left here as there
: ar
: : e not many wrecks to dive in the area". This Turk obviou
: sl
: : y showing all the sensitivity of his Paratrooping brethe
: re
: : n that wandered in univited in 1974.
: :
: : The wreck is about 80ft down and well covered in silt: w
: hi
: : ch has allowed the wreck to be rather well preserved. Th
: e
: : MOD are stating that there are formal channels in which
: su
: : ch a claim can be registered which include engaging with
: t
: : he Island's authorities; although given that the authori
: ti
: : es in this case mean the Cypriot Gov't and not the showe
: r
: : of bandits that currently occupy the North of the Island
: m
: : ight figure in his reasoning not to.
: :
: : The MOD state that because he will not even give them th
: e
: : plane's identification number, they are not in a postion
: t
: : o identify the plane and consequently the name of the fl
: ye
: : r who still rests in its cockpit. Once this has been est
: ab
: : lished, the MOD state that it would then provide an MOD
: di
: : ving team to examine the wreck and take any appropriate
: ac
: : tion: ranging from retrieving the body to leaving it the
: re
: : (should any extant relatives or the RAF Assocation deci
: de
: : on such a course) and designating it a War Grave.
: :
: : Yet another example of the MOD displaying the splinters
: in
: : its arse from all that fence-sitting what? On being off
: er
: : ed a gift such as this (and moving heaven and earth at t
: he
: : opportunity of recovery of the remains of one who died
: fi
: : ghting for his country) you might hope that they might g
: ra
: : b that gift with both hands........or rather (and to par
: ap
: : hrase), as in this case, beware of Turks bearing gifts.
: :
: : I don't want to get all "If I should die in a foreign fi
: el
: : d...." etc. and invoke Flanders-type sentiments, but you
: 'd
: : like to think that if you'd done your bit in the world'
: s
: : largest conflagration and bought the farm doing same, th
: en
: : your gov't would be stand-up enough to bring you home.
: Mi
: : nd you, we are dealing with the Whitehall Wallahs of the
: M
: : OD and, let's be honest, you wouldn't vote for them, wou
: ld
: : you?
: :
: : Let's hope that this flyer can one day be laid to rest w
: it
: : h the all the requisite honours and tributes of a very g
: ra
: : teful nation.
: :
: : Cheers
: : Bren.
: :

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