# Digging for Buried Luftwaffe Aircraft and Parts in Indiana



## Indiana Luftwaffe (Jan 10, 2010)

The Freeman Field Recovery Team is in the process of locating and recovering aviation artifacts that were buried there during the period 1946-47. Freeman Field is located near Seymour, Indiana and was used to store and evaluate captured Axis aircraft during and after WWII. The team is currently in communication with former base personnel, local eyewitnesses, and historians in order to get a comprehensive picture of where the pits are located and what items were put in them. 

Examples of aircraft that have no record of leaving Freeman Field are a Do-335, He-219, Arado 234, two Me-163's, two Fw-190's, Ju-88, etc.... 

Although late in the season, we have located with magnetometers and Ground Penetrating Radar large metal objects. Our plan is to dig within the next two weeks to confirm our find.

Digital Ranch Studios ("Dogfights"), headed by Rob Kirk has agreed to follow and film the crew in order to produce a documentary of the project.

More posts to come

David Gray, Executive Director, Freeman Field Recovery Team

Freeman Field Recovery Team


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## piet (Jan 10, 2010)

Nice one!8)

Keep us posted

piet


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## Njaco (Jan 10, 2010)

Yes, please keep us posted. This sounds interesting!


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## vikingBerserker (Jan 10, 2010)

Very cool Dave.


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## Lucky13 (Jan 10, 2010)

Great stuff! Please do keep us posted!


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## Glider (Jan 10, 2010)

They were buried!! it makes me want to cry


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## Crimea_River (Jan 10, 2010)

Can't imagine they were buried whole.

Intruiging thread. Looking forward to more!


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## mudpuppy (Jan 10, 2010)

This is the most intriguing story I have heard so far this year. I'm interested in seeing how this develops; so thanks in advance for some updates. 
Derek


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## zpd307 (Jan 10, 2010)

x2!


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jan 10, 2010)

Yes I am very interested in this. Please keep us posted.


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## Wurger (Jan 10, 2010)

I'm joining all. Nice info.


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## A4K (Jan 10, 2010)

Great to hear Dave, I wish you all the best of success!

The US marines training for Guadalcanal in New Zealand buried everything intact when they left, and the local park (the former training base at Mackay's crossing) is still full of Willys MB jeeps and M3 Stuart light tanks, not to mention piles of ammunition... the reason supposedly being to prevent it falling into enemy hands should the Japanese take NZ. 
For whatever reason they would have buried stuff on US soil, I hope it is there, and can be preserved!


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## Gnomey (Jan 10, 2010)

Interesting, keep us posted.


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## wheelsup_cavu (Jan 11, 2010)

Indiana Luftwaffe said:


> The Freeman Field Recovery Team is in the process of locating and recovering aviation artifacts that were buried there during the period 1946-47. Freeman Field is located near Seymour, Indiana and was used to store and evaluate captured Axis aircraft during and after WWII. The team is currently in communication with former base personnel, local eyewitnesses, and historians in order to get a comprehensive picture of where the pits are located and what items were put in them.
> 
> Examples of aircraft that have no record of leaving Freeman Field are a Do-335, He-219, Arado 234, two Me-163's, two Fw-190's, Ju-88, etc....
> 
> ...


Looking forward to hearing more on this project. 


Wheels


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## Wayne Little (Jan 11, 2010)

Does sound real interesting....


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## rodmountie (Jan 20, 2010)

Hi as an Hhistorical Archaeologist am interested how it went, Cheers Rod


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## Aramis (Jan 21, 2010)

Wonderful, Dave! God bless your work.


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## diddyriddick (Jan 21, 2010)

Very cool indeed! I'm with everybody else. Please keep us updated!


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## diddyriddick (Jan 21, 2010)

Here is their website.

Freeman Field Recovery Team


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## DBII (Jan 21, 2010)

have shovel, will travel. 

DBII


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## comiso90 (Jan 21, 2010)

Funny... i read recently that a D0 335 was flown to Indiana but there is no record of it leaving. i was wondering if anyone was looking for it.

I think if they were in the mindset to bury them, they would have ran them over with bulldozers first.

I would think that very few pilots would be rated to fly those aircraft... maybe the pilots, or their records, could be tracked down.


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## Messy1 (Jan 21, 2010)

Very interested! Keep us posted!


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## r2800doublewasp (Jan 21, 2010)

Google Image Result for http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2207/2486873184_c3de7f33ce.jpg?v=0
I wonder if the arado still there??


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## beaupower32 (Jan 25, 2010)

Very nice. Please keep us up to date.


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## dirkpitt289 (Jan 27, 2010)

That would be as cool to see as it was when they pulled the P-38 from under the ice in... Greenland I think? Or when that crew tried to bring back that B-29 from the Artic.


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## buffnut453 (Jan 27, 2010)

While I'm watching this with interest, I can't help feeling it's something of a wild goose chase. There are stories all over the world (UK, Australia, India) of aircraft being buried after the war but not one of them has proved correct. Aluminium (or aluminum if you prefer) was, and is, a vital commodity so I don't see any commander, anywhere, simply dumping tons of it into the ground. A far more likely reason for no record of the Do335 and others leaving is because they didn't leave as complete airframes - they were reduced to components. Now normally, this would be recorded on a form somewhere ('cos someone had to sign for the aircraft - it's a military thing!) but this wasn't always done. Records were lost/destroyed etc. 

I appreciate that some artifacts have been found but these are relatively small pieces consistent with an airfield dump but this is very different from whole aircraft being buried. Sorry for being a gloom-monger but I'm going to remain skeptical of this story until something definitive is discovered.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jan 27, 2010)

buffnut453 said:


> While I'm watching this with interest, I can't help feeling it's something of a wild goose chase. There are stories all over the world (UK, Australia, India) of aircraft being buried after the war but not one of them has proved correct. Aluminium (or aluminum if you prefer) was, and is, a vital commodity so I don't see any commander, anywhere, simply dumping tons of it into the ground. A far more likely reason for no record of the Do335 and others leaving is because they didn't leave as complete airframes - they were reduced to components. Now normally, this would be recorded on a form somewhere ('cos someone had to sign for the aircraft - it's a military thing!) but this wasn't always done. Records were lost/destroyed etc.
> 
> I appreciate that some artifacts have been found but these are relatively small pieces consistent with an airfield dump but this is very different from whole aircraft being buried. Sorry for being a gloom-monger but I'm going to remain skeptical of this story until something definitive is discovered.



Believe it or not they find things like this buried here in Germany from time to time. The Germans had hidden bunkers and **** all over the place. Many bunkers were just flooded or detonated shut because of the possibility of mines or explosives being tripped. From time to time these things are being uncovered. I am trying to find some information on it, but I believe they uncovered a few German tanks here near our area. Hopefully I can get some more information. I have not found anything about it in the press yet or anything, and it was last year I believe.


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## buffnut453 (Jan 27, 2010)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> Believe it or not they find things like this buried here in Germany from time to time. The Germans had hidden bunkers and **** all over the place. Many bunkers were just flooded or detonated shut because of the possibility of mines or explosives being tripped. From time to time these things are being uncovered. I am trying to find some information on it, but I believe they uncovered a few German tanks here near our area. Hopefully I can get some more information. I have not found anything about it in the press yet or anything, and it was last year I believe.



Absolutely agree - I did some training in Garmisch-Partenkirchen a number of years ago and there were Me262 engine factories installed in hand-hewn caves. However, that's a very different situation from the ones I'm talking about bulldozing holes in an airfield and deliberately burying whole aircraft - it just seems a highly impractical scenario rather than reducing them to components, smelting them and re-using (recycling in modern parlance) the raw materials.


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## Messy1 (Jan 27, 2010)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> Believe it or not they find things like this buried here in Germany from time to time. The Germans had hidden bunkers and **** all over the place. Many bunkers were just flooded or detonated shut because of the possibility of mines or explosives being tripped. From time to time these things are being uncovered. I am trying to find some information on it, but I believe they uncovered a few German tanks here near our area. Hopefully I can get some more information. I have not found anything about it in the press yet or anything, and it was last year I believe.



That would be cool Chris. Post anything you find.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jan 27, 2010)

Messy1 said:


> That would be cool Chris. Post anything you find.



I will try, but I can not promise anything. I have not been able to find anything, and therefor it is not confirmed.


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## Messy1 (Jan 27, 2010)

In my home town, there is a large John Deere plant that during WW2 made military ordnance, and I have also heard it might have made parts or pieces of tanks. I know the ordnance part is true, not so sure about any tanks, parts or pieces being produced here. But I have heard rumors for years that after the WW2, tons and tons of unused ordnance was buried on the property. Not sure about the truth to that either. For most of the time between the war and now, the land was used as a test field for John Deere and Pioneer seeds, and now the vast bulk of the fields has been sold and has been turned into residential property. I do believe the land had to be examined and surveyed to locate any large buried stores of ordnance, but did not hear of anything news worthy being found. I can understand how legends and stories like these can grow and become fable.


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## ww2nut (May 27, 2010)

i live in Kenfig in south wales, the huge dunes were used by the Americans to pracise with their tanks, after a few months some of the tanks started to develop problems while out on the range, the Americans choose to bury these tanks in the side of a large dune for collection later, the reason being was to prevent them falling into enemy or indeed local hands, they were forgotten about! no when you walk the sea shore one tank turret stands out of the water at low tide the other 2 tanks have never been found, this is not folk law this is real.


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## Messy1 (May 27, 2010)

I did read in a local paper that some buried items had been found and removed on the property of the old plant for the new housing. Nothing live I am sure.


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## Junkers88A1 (May 27, 2010)

its places like this all over.. just 10 minutes from my place on a former luftwaffe field one can still find tonns of material.. here is some pics of what is laying on the surface.. its lots more buried in the ground ( its inside a active AF base so its left untouched by souvenirhunters )

this is just after 5 minures search.. Bf 110 G engine bearer.. part of a DB 601.. Bf 110 parts.. Ju 88 exshaustparts.. and lots more.. i did a small kick in the ground and found several mint cowlflaps from a Ju 88

in this area over 200 luftwaffe planes was buried after the war.. we are considering doing some digging here. The AF has given us approval and the museums curator are postivie.. now just for the fundings to do the digging.. so will see what we will do with this area

the quality of the engine picture is bad ( taken with my cellphone another day i was there looking )


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## Junkers88A1 (May 27, 2010)

here is one of the cowlflaps i found from a Ju 88 ( after 2 minutes digging with my foot..kicking the top soil away )
still with original hellblau paint


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## Airframes (May 27, 2010)

Oooh Guttorm! You are such a lucky.............!!!


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## vikingBerserker (May 27, 2010)

Gees, Guttorm - just when I don't think you can get any more lucky you get more lucky!

Can I just be you for a day???????????


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## Junkers88A1 (May 27, 2010)

hehe..i wouldent mind having a clone..so i can get time to do all the things i need to do..and want to do..and thinking about doing.. "#¤% several places to see and search.. digging..restoring.. tracking parts.. visit museums.. and on and on and on..sometimes it get a little to much.. so yes.. you can be me for one day..so i can get one day of.. 

by the way..there is also a huge steel"wagon" laying on the side in there with a luftwaffe datatag on it.. no idea what it is..maybe a crate for shipping engines.. i dont know.. will take a picture of it the next time i am there.. kinda forgot to take a picture of it.. and its fueldrums all over the place..badely rusted so no need in saving those..but one can wonder what is in the ground.. i know it was buried over 100 Ju 88`s..several Bf 410.. Fw 200 Condors.. Bf 109..Bf 110.. and so on.. 

and another airfield has over 40 Fw 190 and 109` s buried..been thinking about takeing a look there ( for the last 10 years..but finding the time is not easy.. so please be me for one day..hehe..so i can do some more of the stuff i want to do..


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## vikingBerserker (May 27, 2010)

Cripes, I REALLY need to move there!


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## Airframes (May 27, 2010)

I'll do you a real favour Mr.G. I'll be you for a week, how's that?!!


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## Junkers88A1 (May 27, 2010)

one week..now that would give me some time to do some more i want to do..  and perhaps i will join you beeing me so we can double the effort end get twice as much done.. or trippel it..  hehe


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## vikingBerserker (May 27, 2010)

Um, ok with triplets??????


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## Crimea_River (May 27, 2010)

I found a bottlecap in my yard once. That's about as exciting as it gets here.


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## Junkers88A1 (May 27, 2010)

Crimea.. you just made me laugh so much i almost peed in my pants.. you need to get som R&R over here in Norway 

and trippel will do just fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine  bring some showels and lets have some fun  or..we have showels at the museum..just show up


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## Crimea_River (May 27, 2010)

You name the time!


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## RabidAlien (May 27, 2010)

Dude, I think you're going to have an army roughly the size of some smaller countries, if it were even remotely possible for everyone who wanted to come help! I've got several shovels, myself...

Any word on the original post? How'd that all turn out?


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## Messy1 (May 28, 2010)

That would be so awesome. To be able to find artifacts like that laying around. Thanks for sharing Junkers!


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## Junkers88A1 (May 28, 2010)

happy to share them 

i wrote to the guys doing the digging in USA about 6 months ago identifing a whole bunch of parts on the picture they have on the website where they wonder what several parts are but i never got any replies and it seems that the website has been standing still for a long time

and we would need a whole army to dig out that entiry area .. here is a huge steel crate with wheels laying in the forrest togheter with all the debris..does anybody have any clue on what it might be ??
what it was used for.. ??


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## Frantish (Jul 8, 2010)

vikingBerserker said:


> Gees, Guttorm - just when I don't think you can get any more lucky you get more lucky!
> 
> Can I just be you for a day???????????



You will only make yourself feel sorry.

You need a MONTH!


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## Frantish (Jul 8, 2010)

Guttorm buddy,

It will be easier to identify if it is was on its wheels and you standing next to it.

So hop to it!


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## mandoman (Jul 31, 2010)

FANTASTIC!!!! Welcome aboard, and keep us posted (preferably with pics).


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## WOhaonine1 (Nov 20, 2010)

I enjoy wearing frilly underwear and drinking wine while rubbing my nipples.


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## mudpuppy (Nov 20, 2010)

Aw crap; I just blew some beer up my nose laughing at that little spanking. Thanks Matt. 
Derek


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