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Burma Spitfires mission begins

Work is to begin on unearthing dozens of missing British Spitfires thought to have been buried in the Burmese jungle at the end of the Second World War.

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A team of experts will fly to Burma today to search for unused aircraft, which they believe were packed into crates and buried by the RAF in 1945.

Some 36 planes are thought to be lying undiscovered in Mingaladon – one of three potential sites in the country – with as many 124 planes buried in total.

Farmer and aviation enthusiast David Cundall, from Lincolnshire, is spearheading the dig, having spent 17 years and thousands of pounds on the project.

Speaking at Heathrow Airport, he described plans to return the Spitfires to Britain for restoration to fly again.

Mr Cundall said: "I think this is on the same level as the Tutankhamun find in Egypt.

"There's lot of rumours about why they were buried, but the common theory is that they were buried after the war in 1945 because they were surplus to requirements.

"They will be restored and hopefully they'll be flying in about three years at air shows."

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