Gunner wrote:

Cant speak for the Harleys..but when I was in North Africa..I bought a
very nice M-20 (BSA 500 military messenger bike) still in the crate.
Found it in the back of a camel shed under a pile of Stuff. Had 7
miles on the odometer. Back checking...it came over with Monty in
1940..and disappeared. My Dad rides it in parades and what not
occasionally.
This in 1974
Gunner

Gee, Gunner, - thats AMAZING!!!! - you must be bloody good, nearly 30
years in the desert and you go it running......reminds me of the time
when I was in far north Queensland in the 1970's (strange time frame,
that - many weird things a happening...) - I stumbled across the wreck
of an American B24 Bomber. - as was not unusual in the WW2 days, it
had got lost coming back from New Guinea and run out of fuel. It was
empty, the crew had bailed out before it crashed.

It was in a state of near perfect preservation - later on. a biologist
told me that it had landed in a swamp full of rare jellyfish who had a
natural affinity for aluminium - they had wrapped themselves around it
and then died. The swamp drained in later years, which is how I found
it. (Early global warming..) By another amazing co-incidence, it had
done a near perfect wheels down landing - the pilot must have lowered
the undercarriage just before he bailed out.

Being a radio nut, I checked out the radio gear. I jury rigged a 24v dc
supply from my Landrover main and auxillary batteries, and powered it
up, not expecting much. American quality to the rescue - it fired up,
in near perfect working order. I managed to have a few CW contacts on
a length of wire I had in the truck thrown into the trees....
Amazing!!!!!!!.........

I knew this was the find of the century, so I shot a roll of film to
get some proof, and marked the map position by dead reckoning - alas,
it was not to be...

On the way back to Cairns, my dog (a Blue Heeler cattle dog, best dog I
ever had) got the munchies and ate the roll of film (*******...) - he
also ate most of my supplies as well. Things were getting grim - I had
to survive off the land. A creek crossing flooded the Landrover - they
always had lousy electrics - and I lost the map - reduced to a sodden
mass.....

I was now on foot, nothing but my "man purse" full of survivalist gear
to see me through. By another AMAZING coincidence, I was picked up by
this Hippy Chick who though I was Gods Gift as I reeked of gun oil -
she said it reminded her of her old man. We had a great time for a few
weeks.....

Now, I am middle aged with nothing but memories - married, with
kids/grandkids - always meant to go back, try to find the crash site
again , do some recovery. Alas, tis not to be - instead, I just wax
lyrical on the internet groups, sure that people have had similar
experiences and want to share them.......

Andrew VK3BFA.