Here's a little more info straight out of an "informant report", take it as we have, as an unverifiable claim...
It is but one tiny piece of the puzzle we have been solving.
"I visited the Bundaberg site in 1998 (XXX-X). Now the D.O.D/D.E.O didn’t know where the entry location (That goes for most locations), So It was up to me to find the location. I spent 3 months searching the Bundaberg airport grounds for an entry point, The only hints I had was that an airport worker in 1977 had found a way in through a drain when his Jack Russell chased a rat in there and in 1996 or 1997 two men found there way through a air vent in a paddock near XXXXXXXXX. The men were arrested for trespassing on commonwealth land and the air vent was blown in.
So I spent a good 3 months looking for a way in. Finally I found a storage drop-off report from 1980 saying that on the 15-06-1980 32 crates of SLR & Ammunition were to placed in to storage at site XXX-X via end Runway run off Entry and the last report from site XXX-X was it closure on 01-11-1980. So I looked over & over the end run way (with planes zooming 10 feet over head). Then one day while exploring the XXXXXXX I came a sixer (tripped) in to a depression in the ground. I thought “This is odd” this depression was a perfect 1.5 X 1 meter rectangle and I thought to myself “About bloody time”.
So I rang my supervisor and said “I found it but I need dig it out” he replied “well go down to the local hardware store and buy yourself a shovel”. I said “What really” he replied “Yep I'll get you a van for cover and someone to help you”.
So 2 days later this old fella turns up with a council van and we get to work, took us 7 hours to dig this thing clear. We walked in and it was like a blast from the past. The first thing I saw was a old jeep, then I turned to my left in amazement an whole ww2 war bird just sitting there. I was like kid in a candy store, I walked past the plane and pointed my flashlight to the right and there was two planes with there wings folded and no tails, there was a clipboard on the wall referring to the planes.
Then my eyes peeled open it said A6M-52 (ZERO). The clipboard detailed the runs and specs like max speed, weights, ceiling and weapons. I was in shock what were ww2 Japanese zeros painted in U.S colors. I asked the old fella about the planes. He said he had "helped in removing Japanese aircraft painted in u.s colors from a place called eagle field or something like that".
So we walked down more and found a pair of wings to my left, to my right and further up just aircraft parts. I walked back down turned right and there’s this corridor with 7 rooms.
Room 1 was full of ammo, same for rooms 2&3, Room 4 had 20-25 50 Cal. Browning Heavy Machine guns lined up across the wall and then 60 crates of 303 lee Enfield 10 to a box, Room 5 40 creates of bren guns 5 to a box and 50 crates of 303 L-E, Room 6 had 100 crates 8 to a box and a heap of ammo, Room 7 same as rm 6.
So walked out and to our left to see what past the jeep and there’s a row of old hospital privacy screens so we pushed open these screens and there’s a wall of bombs stacked all the way up to the ceiling. The old fella said “better not light up then ah” so we walked down this wall of bombs (They were fat as 44 gal drums) to the end and there’s these huge crates. I said “what do think is in there” he said “Planes”. OK then. When we were about to leave he said “wait I forgot something” he runs back with 2 ammo boxes and I said “come on put them back” he said “when are they gonna use them”.
So we fill in the hole and he drives me back to the hotel, just as I get out he said “Oi here use as a doorstop” He hands me this 6 pound solid shot I said “thanks & goodbye”. I never saw that old fella again. So the next day I faxed my report and flew home."
For more information on the Bundaberg saga, see our old Australian Bunker Project page on Bundaberg:
http://www.australianbunkermilitarym.../Bundaberg.htmFrom
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008 ... 150692.htmSearch on for Bundaberg WWII bunkers
The Defence Department will use the latest technology to try and confirm if there are any
World War II bunkers under Bundaberg city airport.
The Bundaberg City Council says the military will use a ground penetration radar and magnetic
sub-surface equipment to look for bunkers in airport land.
It has long been local legend that there are underground bunkers left from the war at the
airport.
Mayor Kay McDuff says they should know by the end of the year if there is anything there.
"These are very advanced technologies and no doubt will come at quite a cost," she said.
"All I can say is that the council is very appreciative of their response and we hope that we
will have some results from their work by the middle of the year."