Flight Lieutenant Bill Goldfinch RIP

Discussion in 'Memorials & Cemeteries' started by Kyt, Oct 11, 2007.

  1. Kyt

    Kyt Άρης

    Another sad loss. I remember reading about him and the glider when I was very young - it was one of the things that got me interested in the war

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1&xml=/news/2007/10/12/db1201.xml

     
  2. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    And a Sunderland man on top of the glider. What a man. He wil be missed.

    On April 25 1941 52 RAF men were rescued and flown to Kalamata, where a further 20 were picked up. The grossly overloaded Sunderland failed to get airborne on its first attempt, but after a five-mile run on its second attempt, it staggered into the air and headed for Suda Bay, Crete.

    Stirring stuff!
     
  3. spidge

    spidge Active Member

    The feats are heroic, the stories great.

    If you said you put that many bodies in a Sunderland without proof, they would lock you up.
     
  4. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    Sounds like something uni students would do, doesn't it?!
     
  5. Kyt

    Kyt Άρης

    I would love to try that on a Friday night - beats a Mini anyday.
     
  6. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    Hell yeah, even the five mile take off run would be "fun".
     
  7. Kyt

    Kyt Άρης

    Very true.......but, err, you go first
     
  8. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    Me, go first in an airworthy, if slightly overloaded Sunderland? Okie dokie...
     
  9. spidge

    spidge Active Member

    Slightly seems a gentle description?
     
  10. Kyt

    Kyt Άρης

    How much would 72 men weigh? Approx 11 stone a man? 792 st = 11088 lb. Capacity of a Sunderland - 24000 lb, including fuel, crew and weapons etc. Approx allowance for more than that - probably 5000lb (id weapons and some of the fuel is dumped).

    Ergo - we'll have to throw Andy out.
     
  11. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    RAF/RAAF understatement, Spidgeman (says Andy with great pretence to knowing the culture!).
     

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