Claridon Group Is Backing Project Led By David Cundall

A U.K.-based global logistics company Claridon Group Ltd has stepped in to save the effort led by aviation enthusiast David Cundall's project to locate buried Spitfires in Burma.

After 16 years of dedicating his life to the project as well as his life savings, David is heading back to Burma to resume excavating in hopes of finding the Spitfires he says were buried by Allied forces as Japanese troops advanced on the nation.

The project had been backed by Belarussian video game company Wargaming.net, which dropped out of the project after Cundall failed to locate the airplanes he says are buried in Burma last year. After hearing about David's situation, Claridon, decided to provide the funding to allow the project to continue. The company, which is headquartered in Stanford-Le-Hope, Essex also has an office in Burma, and was the first privately owned British company to be established there.

"After meeting David and listening to how he has devoted a large part of his life as well as his life savings trying to find these iconic aircraft which played such a pivotal role in WWII, and seeing his deep rooted passion for preserving part of our history & heritage for generations to come, we just had to get involved," said Chris Scott, Claridon Group's Managing Director. "David's "never give up attitude" along with his incredible drive and devoting his life to the project deserves to be applauded & supported throughout the country. Claridon Group is proud to partner [with] David and provide the funding to enable him and his team to find the Spitfires. We will be supporting David every step of the way and look forward to bringing the Spitfires back home for him."

"I am extremely grateful to Claridon for saving the project and providing the funding for the project to continue," Cundall said. "Without their support, I wouldn't be heading back to Burma to finish the work I started all those years ago. Being experts in Global Logistics as well their 20+ years experience in military logistics, the Spitfires could not be in better hands when they are eventually shipped back to the UK."

David Cundall estimates that restoring the Spitfires ... if they actually exist and are found ... back to original will create 400 jobs over a 5 year period after which many of the aircraft will find homes in Museums up and down the country.

(Spitfire image from file)

FMI: www.claridon.com