MISSING . . . and FOUND!
THE DAILY MAIL offers readers a unique opportunity to re-establish contact with long-lost relatives and friends. Each week, MONICA PORTER features the story of someone trying to find a missing loved one, as well as a tale of people reunited. This column is produced in conjunction with the voluntary tracing service, Searching For A Memory, run by Gill and John Whitley. ‘I’VE been searching for a former Army comrade for 11 years,’ writes Simon Maylor of Hereford.
‘Billy Jones and I served in D Troop, Royal Signals in the Seventies and Eighties. I have not seen him for 30 years or so.
‘Apart from inquiring about his welfare, I have something for him.
‘Our unit held a reunion in 2006 at which every serving and former member was presented with a memento inscribed with their name.
‘As he was missing, I volunteered to try to trace him and give him this item. But I have had no luck, despite searching all the obvious sources.
‘Billy served with the Airborne Signal Squadron before coming to our troop. After leaving, he is known to have served with 7 Signal Regiment in BAOR in 1987.
‘After leaving the Army (I’m not sure when), I heard he became a PADI diving instructor. Regretfully, despite working with Billy for a number of years, I know surprisingly little about him, other than he was from Liverpool, his wife was called Jean and he sported a Frank Zappastyle moustache.
‘Our troop was based in the UK, but we were deployed overseas to provide radio communications from wherever we were in the world back to the UK, in the days before computers.
‘After the Army, I retrained as a plumber and worked for firms in the West Midlands before starting my own business in 2000, which I ran until retiring aged 65 in 2015.’ IN MAY, Gordon Smith told him, but don’t know where to us: ‘As teenagers in the start. We also hope to find Sixties, my friends and I our manager Mike Lewis. In were in Remainz, a five-piece my photo from 1966, Tony is covers band playing in on the left. What a shame the South- East and Central name of the band is spelt London. We were a favourite incorrectly on the drum.’ with students. Sadly, we learnt from Mike’s
‘A year ago, four of us met sister Pauline that he has for a reunion dinner in died, but she asked to be put Chislehurst, South- East in touch with the group. London, and had a great time Contact has also been reminiscing — and we had re-established with drummer this crazy idea to put the Tony in Melbourne. band back together. Gordon says: ‘The band will
‘But we’ve lost contact with play at my 70th birthday on drummer Tony Moulton, who August Bank Holiday and we moved to Australia a long plan to Skype Tony during time ago. We’d love to find the event.’
IF there is someone you would like to trace, write to Gill Whitley, 1 Newbrook house, New hall Lane, Preston Pr1 5Pe, enclosing an SAe, or send an email to monica.porter@dailymail. co.uk — including a contact phone number. All communications will be answered as soon as possible. this column is researched with the aid of Peopletracer (www.peopletracer.co.uk). A small donation will be requested for employing Gill Whitley’s services.