WIX Archives
Re: Spit in sea off Cyprus...
Posted by Tony on Fri Dec 21, 2001 09:35:57 AM
In reply top Re: Spit in sea off Cyprus... posted by Tony on Thu Dec 20, 2001 01:25:36 PM
Mind you.
One of the famous Atcherley twins went missing on a ferry flight post war between Egypt and Cyprus, in a Spitfire 22 or Meteor 8, can't remember which one it was..
You can be bloody sure, if an Atcherleys' in that cockpit, the MOD will be raising hell to get him out..
Tony
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: : Copies & pasted from a diver forum....
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: : Hi All,
: : I might be going over old ground here, but have you guys
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: : ead/heard about the Spitfire (complete with Pilot's rema
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: : s) that has been 'claimed' by a Turkish DM off the North
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: : f Cyprus?
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: : He's refusing to give the MOD the exact co-ords as, and
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: : quote, "It is my wreck and I want it left here as there
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: : e not many wrecks to dive in the area". This Turk obviou
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: : y showing all the sensitivity of his Paratrooping brethe
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: : n that wandered in univited in 1974.
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: : The wreck is about 80ft down and well covered in silt: w
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: : ch has allowed the wreck to be rather well preserved. Th
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: : MOD are stating that there are formal channels in which
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: : ch a claim can be registered which include engaging with
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: : he Island's authorities; although given that the authori
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: : es in this case mean the Cypriot Gov't and not the showe
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: : of bandits that currently occupy the North of the Island
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: : ight figure in his reasoning not to.
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: : The MOD state that because he will not even give them th
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: : plane's identification number, they are not in a postion
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: : o identify the plane and consequently the name of the fl
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: : r who still rests in its cockpit. Once this has been est
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: : lished, the MOD state that it would then provide an MOD
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: : ving team to examine the wreck and take any appropriate
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: : tion: ranging from retrieving the body to leaving it the
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: : (should any extant relatives or the RAF Assocation deci
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: : on such a course) and designating it a War Grave.
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: : Yet another example of the MOD displaying the splinters
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: : its arse from all that fence-sitting what? On being off
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: : ed a gift such as this (and moving heaven and earth at t
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: : opportunity of recovery of the remains of one who died
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: : ghting for his country) you might hope that they might g
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: : b that gift with both hands........or rather (and to par
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: : hrase), as in this case, beware of Turks bearing gifts.
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: : I don't want to get all "If I should die in a foreign fi
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: : d...." etc. and invoke Flanders-type sentiments, but you
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: : like to think that if you'd done your bit in the world'
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: : largest conflagration and bought the farm doing same, th
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: : your gov't would be stand-up enough to bring you home.
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: : nd you, we are dealing with the Whitehall Wallahs of the
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: : OD and, let's be honest, you wouldn't vote for them, wou
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: : you?
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: : Let's hope that this flyer can one day be laid to rest w
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: : h the all the requisite honours and tributes of a very g
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: : teful nation.
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: : Cheers
: : Bren.
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