[Chris Goss]

I have been asked to pass this on:

"We have received news from Berlin that Alfred Staffa has died, aged 94.


You may remember that Alfred was Bordfunker/Gunner with Otto-Heinrich "Heiner" Fries and were some of the first - if not THE first - aircrew to save themselves in combat by the use of an ejector-seat while flying the He-219.


Alfred and Heiner were friends before, during and after the war and until recently met every week for a session of bridge. If we were to receive this sort of news, I was expecting it to say that dear old Heiner had gone because he has been suffering from the dreaded dementia for some time but the Old Reaper is rather unpredictable in how he works.


The pair of them were perfect gentlemen and I am proud to have known them as friends"