WW2 veteran 'emotional' at fallen friend Flimby memorial find

Douglas Newham was on the same mission that killed his RAF navigator friend Bill Gorley in 1946

A World War Two veteran has pledged to leave a wreath at a newly found memorial to a fallen comrade.

Douglas Newham, 98, wrote a letter asking for help to find the memorial of Flt Lt Bill Gorley, an RAF navigator who died on a mission in Asia in 1946.

BBC Radio Cumbria found Flt Lt Gorley's name on a memorial in Flimby.

Mr Newham, who had been on the same mission in another plane, said knowing his friend's name was "engraved in his homeland" means "a lot to me".

After the war, Flt Lt Gorley then aged 27 went on a mission to air-drop food supplies to starving villagers in Burma, now Myanmar, on 29 March 1946.

It is believed his Dakota transport plane crashed into a hillside killing him and his seven crewmates.

BBC Radio Cumbria found Flt Lt Bill Gorley's name on a memorial in Flimby

Mr Newham, who was a navigator on another plane on the same mission said: "Out of the four aircraft, we were the only one to return to base that night.

"We had lost 14 men, one of whom was this particular friend of mine Bill Gorley.

"He was lost somewhere in the last half an hour before reaching that village and we can only presume he had perhaps engine failure and had crashed into one of the ravines."

He said he had never been able to find Flt Lt Gorley's name on a memorial where the airman had lived.

Having been told a memorial had been found about 26 miles away from his home in Caldbeck, Mr Newham said: "Perhaps I'm being a bit sentimental but it means a lot to me, it's a bit emotional.

"I will very happily go over there as soon as I can with my own poppy wreath."