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. Andy KeArney writes: ‘I have been trying for many years to find my friends, brothers Jeremy and Chris Atkins (or Thom(p)son).
‘ We were at junior and senior school together in Coventry, but drifted apart when work and girlfriends came along.
‘I’ve done all I can to find them on the internet and have also tried phoning people I knew back home, but to no avail. Just like me, Chris went
‘We did all our growing up into engineering. Jeremy together, made many served in the navy and then mistakes and had a few went to work at dunlop successes, too. We were in engineering in Coventry. the Scouts and the local ‘I am 72 now and living in rugby team, where we got Cornwall. If my friendship many bruises. can be renewed with Jeremy
‘ When I met Chris and and Chris — the two pals Jeremy, their surname was who helped me through Atkins, but this was changed my formative years so to their stepfather’s name, happily — I will always be in Thompson or possibly Thomson. your debt.’
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. In MAy, we ran an item on david Varey’s search for his fellow royal navy lads.
‘recently I read a book on HMS Ganges, which was the royal navy’s boy training shore base in Suffolk,’ said the 72-year- old from Portsmouth, Hants.
‘To my surprise, the cover photo was of my old mates from Hawke 49 Mess, 195960. I recognised several faces and would love to find out how these lads fared.
‘I served for 12 years on ships including HMS Falmouth, rhyl, Scarborough and Stubbington. I was in the torpedo and antisubmarine branch.
‘After I left the navy in 1971, I retrained in engineering and worked on oil rigs and refineries around the world.
‘I retired at the age of 59 and, with help from my partner Sue, set up a horsedrawn funeral business, which we ran for ten years until retiring this year.
‘I believe this photo was taken on the Ganges foreshore during a sports afternoon. I am in the back row, third from the right.
‘It would be a pleasure to meet up with any of the lads to remember old times.’
Former Ganges lad Mike Warden emails: ‘I can’t identify myself in the photo, but I was in that mess at that time, having transferred from another boy training ship, HMS St Vincent, in March 1960, until we all left Ganges that October.
‘We used to have rowing races on the Stour.’
The two Ganges lads are now in contact.