Sunderland 'Golden Horn' crashed Lisbon 1943
It is surprising how often casual trial/test etc events that come to grief turn out to have unexpected passengers on them. The French high-speed train crash at Strasbourg, and the German Maglev train crash both had this. The Russian Sukhoi Superject in Indonesia 10 years ago likewise, and there have been others in the past.
Maybe the photo wasn't taken in Lisbon? There's at least part of a letter 'V' painted on the large piece of what looks like a wing (although it could be part of an 'A' upside down, the reg being G-AFCK painted on camouflage) and at least 3 guys near the bobby are wearing ties, hardly the sort of garb for the Portuguese but common in the UK.
Last edited by chevvron; 27th Jun 2023 at 05:14.
That's what I thought too, but the best I can do is this cropped bit from the second photo. I can see 'LISBOA' in the second line, although it's a stretch, which would support the photos having been taken in that country, or next to a barge that hailed from that country. If they shipped parts over to the UK, I would have expected a vessel that was a bit more substantial though.
That's what I thought too, but the best I can do is this cropped bit from the second photo. I can see 'LISBOA' in the second line, although it's a stretch, which would support the photos having been taken in that country, or next to a barge that hailed from that country. If they shipped parts over to the UK, I would have expected a vessel that was a bit more substantial though.
I don't think that happened; what I'm suggesting is this third photo is of an entirely different crash somewhere around the UK (unlless they wore that type of police uniform in Malta)
I believe the Maltese stopped using the British "Bobby" type of uniform well before the second war.
Embassies generally are "guarded" and I wouldn't have thought that we could spare or need a platoon or whatever of armed servicemen.
As Portugal was neutral, and our oldest ally, I wouldn't be surprised if UK policemen were part of the embassy staff.
As Portugal was neutral, and our oldest ally, I wouldn't be surprised if UK policemen were part of the embassy staff.
what I'm suggesting is this third photo is of an entirely different crash somewhere around the UK
Now if we could only identify the policeman!
My wife's father spent 2 years as an army corporal in WW2 'guarding' the embassy (or maybe it was the High Commision) in Jamaica so at least in some cases, it did happen.
Maybe the photo wasn't taken in Lisbon? There's at least part of a letter 'V' painted on the large piece of what looks like a wing (although it could be part of an 'A' upside down, the reg being G-AFCK painted on camouflage) and at least 3 guys near the bobby are wearing ties, hardly the sort of garb for the Portuguese but common in the UK.
I can't offer a sensible explanation for the bobby. Possibly from the embassy, because it seems unlikely that they would send one all the way from the UK to guard a piece of aircraft wreckage. One random thought - could he have been sent from Gibraltar?