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. ‘IN FEBRUARY 1963, Trevor and Ivor from Birmingham emigrated to Australia under the assisted passage scheme and I ended up sharing a cabin with them aboard the P&O ship Himalaya, arriving in Adelaide in March,’ writes Colin Rogers, of Gwynedd.
‘We struck up a friendship and the three of us worked at the Woomera weapons testing range for three years.
‘Ivor and Trevor were in logistics, while I worked at Island Lagoon, the Nasa satellite tracking facility.
‘During holidays, we toured Australia in Trevor’s Volkswagen Beetle.
‘ We visited the Snowy Mountains, drove all through Victoria and New South Wales, visiting Sydney Harbour, Yass, Goulburn, Gundagai and Broken Hill.
‘We even camped out under the stars at Ayers Rock.
‘In 1966, we left Fremantle, landing at Bombay with the car to drive all the way back to the UK. We travelled through India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. Ivor and Trevor carried on through Europe to return to Birmingham.
‘I caught the Orient Express back to London and went home to Nottingham and a job in accountancy.
‘A year later, I returned to Australia, married and had two children. I lost contact with Trevor and Ivor, and I would love to catch up with them again. I live with my second wife in Tasmania, but spend half the year in Wales.’ SEVERALago, SquadronS. from 1960,K. KhannaYork:the14 excitedretired months‘In Leader wroteJuly and Fleet officer nervous cadetsAir young cameArm together Thunderer,at HMSthe Royal Naval Engineering College in Plymouth, for basic training before their commission.
‘We were the last intake to train at that establishment. My photo shows the motley crew, with me (known as Jim) sitting second from the right in the front row.
‘After completing the course, we went to RAF Linton- on- Ouse in York to begin flying training.
‘Now, some 55 years later, having retired after a career in the Navy’s Fleet Air Arm and the RAF, I’d like to re-establish contact with my former colleagues. It would be wonderful to reminisce.’ We’d already found former cadets John Nicholls, Ian Dunlop and D. A. L. Sheen, and been informed a few others had sadly passed away. Now, we’ve received this message from Terry Perrin: ‘I was excited to read your article about naval cadets at HMS Thunderer in 1960. ‘I’m pictured far left in the back row. I remember all of the cadets and the great time we had. ‘I would very much like to make contact with Jim and the others, with a view to a reunion. Many thanks to Jim for getting the ball rolling.’