Calibre44
Member
Summary of story:
In 1941, Roland "Bud" Wolfe, an American pilot flying a British RAF Spitfire, paid for by a wealthy Canadian industrialist, had experienced engine failure while flying over Ireland.
After flying a sortie over the Atlantic, Wolfe was on his way back to his base in Northern Ireland when he was forced to bail out. He parachuted safely to the ground - his plane smashed into the boggy hillside.
Despite hitting the ground at well over 300mph the Spitfire’s 6 .303 Browning Machine Gnn were incredibly well-preserved with belts containing hundreds of gleaming .303 rounds. After some cleaning and repairs the machine guns looked as good as new and fired without a hitch.
Soil conditions were perfect for preservation. Beneath the peat there had been a layer of clay. Clay is anaerobic, it forms an airtight seal around all the parts, so there is no oxygen, which limits corrosion. Every part of the gun, to the tiniest pin, had been under a peat bog for 70 years.
This Spitfire had seen service during Britain's darkest days and is reliably credited with shooting down a German bomber off the Norfolk coast in early 1941. The Irish had found large amounts of carbon inside the weapon, evidence of heavy use.
During the course of the war, one firm, Birmingham Small Arms (BSA), produced nearly 500,000 Browning guns. All this was despite being targeted by the Luftwaffe. In November 1940, 53 employees were killed and 89 injured.
‘Least we forget’
Full story and pictures here:
In 1941, Roland "Bud" Wolfe, an American pilot flying a British RAF Spitfire, paid for by a wealthy Canadian industrialist, had experienced engine failure while flying over Ireland.
After flying a sortie over the Atlantic, Wolfe was on his way back to his base in Northern Ireland when he was forced to bail out. He parachuted safely to the ground - his plane smashed into the boggy hillside.
Despite hitting the ground at well over 300mph the Spitfire’s 6 .303 Browning Machine Gnn were incredibly well-preserved with belts containing hundreds of gleaming .303 rounds. After some cleaning and repairs the machine guns looked as good as new and fired without a hitch.
Soil conditions were perfect for preservation. Beneath the peat there had been a layer of clay. Clay is anaerobic, it forms an airtight seal around all the parts, so there is no oxygen, which limits corrosion. Every part of the gun, to the tiniest pin, had been under a peat bog for 70 years.
This Spitfire had seen service during Britain's darkest days and is reliably credited with shooting down a German bomber off the Norfolk coast in early 1941. The Irish had found large amounts of carbon inside the weapon, evidence of heavy use.
During the course of the war, one firm, Birmingham Small Arms (BSA), produced nearly 500,000 Browning guns. All this was despite being targeted by the Luftwaffe. In November 1940, 53 employees were killed and 89 injured.
‘Least we forget’
Full story and pictures here:
