Buried B-25 Tools and Test Equipment

[detectit]

Does anyone know the law concerning recovering, abandoned B-25 plane tools, and test equipment? Full sets of tools buried, way back when. The 50's, 60's? Several complete sets for each plane. They were cosmolined, and tarped. If I own the property, remove, and sell 'em, does anyone know the implications?

 

[TheHarleyMan2]

Does anyone know the law concerning recovering, abandoned B-25 plane tools, and test equipment? Full sets of tools buried, way back when. The 40's? Several complete sets for each plane. They were coated and tarped. If I own the property, remove, and sell 'em, does anyone know the implications?

Well, the way I would see it is, If you bought the property and the tools, etc were there, then that would and should make it legally yours. Being they are and were used for B-25's I don't think Uncle Sam is going to want them back being they don't have much less use for B-25's for B-25 tools and test equipment anymore for that fact. Are all the tools buried, in a shed, how do you know they are for B-25's? Are there any manuals as well? Show us some pictures, we like pictures, Give us some more info please?

If you want to sell them, I am not sure what the worth of the tools would be, but some of the WW 2 plane restorers would most likely be interested in purchasing them from you being that some of them do have B-25's.

 

[Lowbatts]

Why not contact DOD and ask them their disposition on lost/abandoned property? I wouldn't suggest stating you have access to anything in particular just yet. There may an old Army Air Corp or Air Force museum that might like them though.

 

[detectit]

Thanks for the responses guys. I truly appreciate it.

So selling them shouldn't be a big a problem, legally? They surely can't be classified, or that big of a deal. Private parties/civilians, own them. but also, if they have been abandoned for so long, that will weight on the situation also, surely? Nothing to see, they are underground. A ground scanner could see it. .The fellow/serviceman, that was there when they were buried, KNOWS they are still there. Will a twin box easily hit 10' deep, without any problem? That's how far it is to the top of the stack. Naturally, I cannnot reveal the location, sorry.

 

[TheHarleyMan2]

I wasn't asking about location. I was just inquiring if you found it on your property in a shed or in the ground, etc. I thought maybe you have recovered it already. If they are just tools and test equipment as I had said before Uncle Sam has no use for them. Sometimes the government will keep tools for long periods of time even after the aircraft has long been out of service or decomissioned and no longer used, but usually will get them for scrap metal being they are of "NO USE" to them any more. I can pretty much tell you that if it IS on your property Uncle Sam will not arrest you much less want them back. You can call DOD if you like, but talking with 1 person may direct you to another person and then another, and then another, so on, and so on. They may direct you to call and end up calling 20 different numbers and not really give you the right answers to "WHOM" you would need to talk to. I do know that in some cases the military had buried MANY supplies to get rid of them. I know, Iraq, and Kuwait has MANY buried Humvees and other trucks and equipment from 1991 that cost too much money to ship it back to the states, so they wrote it off as a loss and dug big holes and buried them. I know I seen it.

I don't know if you live here in the states, but if the location used to be a military base and the tools, etc, and you bought the property and the tools IS buried, then the military most likely wrote it off as a loss to get rid of it.

 

[Siegfried Schlagrule]

Biggest source for a sales outlet would be the confederate Air force which recently changed their name due to some PC crap. A google search will find them. They used to be headquartered in Harlingen, Texas. siegfried schlagrule

 

[jeff of pa]

Could have Been a Government cover-up
of Over spending.
In which case no records of their Existance may exist.

"Personal property of the finder"

Pics when you dig them

 

[grumpy968]

The military will destroy or bury equipment it no longer needs, or deems that replacement would be cheaper than transporting.

Earl

 

[detectit]

Earl is correct. According to what the gentleman told me, they scraped out a long trench, with bulldozer's. He said it is 10' to top of the stack, 10x10x10. When I was working for him, the gentleman told me about it, HE WAS THERE! So speculation is out the window. After asking him to tell me, many times during the course of my work. He finally did! I still have not checked it out yet. This fellow is a smart individual, living a real nice home, in a nice subdivision. He said it was there, without doubt. That he had checked it out, from year to year. I'll have to acquire a TWIN BOX DEEPSEEKER. Can I assume that a mass of metal that big, could be read easliy from 10'? Thanks for the good responses and help!

 

[sasnz]

Earl is correct. According to what the gentleman told me, they scraped out a long trench, with bulldozer's. The top of the stack, he said, is 10' to top of the stack. When I was working for him, the gentleman told about it, HE WAS THERE! So speculation is out the window. After asking him to tell me, many times during the course of my work. He finally did! I still have not checked it out yet. This fellow is a smart individual, living a real nice home, in a nice subdivision. He said it was there, without doubt. That he had checked it out, from year to year. I'll have to acquire a TWIN BOX DEEPSEEKER. Can I assume that a mass of metal that big, could be read easliy from 10'? Thanks for the good responses and help!

You should be able to hire some form of ground radar, do you know the exact location or a general area I am not sure wether a twin box would work as i have never used one but i would imagaine that with that amount of metal in the ground i would imagaine that it would give some sort of signal from what i have read. Please keep this post running as i would love to see this through till the find and pics.

Cheers Sasnz

 

[detectit]

It is 10', from ground, to the top of the huge stack. MAybe 10x10x10. Does ANYONE know if a Garrett or Fisher twinbox, would have a problem signaling with a huge mass of tools? The ad's show that they will fo 20 feet for big objects. If the KELLYCOCHIC, or anyone, from Kelleyco sees this, would ya mind givin' your opinion? Thanks, in advance! Detectit

 

[Goodyguy]

I assume that the tools were not buried because of radioactive contamination.

 

[Lowbatts]

Some of the local old TH'er Gurus (Wis & Il.) hit a farm in Brookfield, Wi. The two sisters living there were selling the farm, they remembered dad having them sort coins back in the 60's and making comments that he would bury them were no one would find them. So they asked these guys to look for them. I know they found 1,000 lbs of silver coins there, I believe they were buried in 5 milk cans 8 feet deep. Talking to one he told me one of the 2 box units found the cache. Gotta think they were using a Fisher. (Fisher dealership involved)

The story was also in W&ET around that time, maybe ten years ago. The silver went to the sisters, the guys did it free, to their credit.

 

[jeff of pa]

the Whole Country was Mapped from the air several times
from the 30's up

See if you can find Arials of the area.
from the 40's
Maybe you can get lucky & see the
Disturbed spot.

 

[detectit]

Jeff of PA, THANKS!, That is an excellent venue to try! It will prove it was buried there for sure. Have any good site to access. Google Earth the best?

 

[jeff of pa]

You could try Google Earth but their Arials Arn't that old.

not sure sometimes ground anomalies show anyway

You'll need to do a google search of your area

For Old Arials

 

[boogeyman]

Not sure about the 40s. But in the 60s & 70s perfectly good equipment was in fact buried. If there was no documentation or it would cause someone grief for an IG inspection, it would be stashed or buried in a "dump". If tools were originally in grease or cosmoline that's the way they went in the ground.

A Fisher two box should be able to find a patch that big. If you have a dealer close you might be able to rent one for a day or two after you get it narrowed down. Jeff had the best least expensive way of starting to narrow it down.

Be sure to post some pictures! Sounds like it'd be a great story I'm sure we'd all like to see / hear! Good Luck!

 

[detectit]

Yes, the fellow said they were cosmolined and tarped. He helped place 'em in the ground. Thanks for your input.

 

[rgecy]

I would suggest a magnetometer. Not quite as easy to get your hands on, but certainly would do the trick. Such a large mass should easily be detected. Depending on where you are located, there are a number of members here who either own them or have access. Dinky Dick has several land mags and you can certainly rent them from the manufacturers.

You did say that you own the property, right?

 

[Goodyguy]

If you get a satellite map of the area you could procure a map dowser to find the general location for you.
Then you can zoom in on that location for the dowser to give you a more precise spot to dig.
Accuracy will vary depending on how close the map is zoomed in for the final pinpoint.