MISSING . . . . . . AND FOUND
THE DAILY MAIL offers the 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 and a tale of people reunited. Produced in conjunction with the voluntary tracing service Searching For A Memory, run by Gill Whitley.
CAN best mates from National Service days be reunited?
Diana Pirrie has written to us about her husband John’s search for Alfie Charles from Aberdeen. They served in the RAF in Aden, building airfields in the port city that is now the capital of Yemen.
‘Over the years as we reminisced and looked at old photos, especially one of John sitting with pals on the barren rocks of Aden, we’ve wondered about Alfie,’ says Diana, of Kilwinning, Ayrshire.
‘Unfortunately, we lost touch in the early 1960s.
‘After his National Service, John returned to the building trade and worked as a bricklayer until 1968.
‘Then he changed jobs and was a plant operator at the ICI Nylon works at Ardeer, North Ayrshire. When the plant shut down in 1980, John went to work for Occidental on the Piper Alpha oil rig. Luckily, he was not on the platform at the time of the explosion that destroyed it in 1988.
‘Afterwards he worked on another oil rig before taking early retirement.
‘We’ve been married since 1962 and have a son and two grandsons. It would be lovely for John to see his old friend Alfie again.’
LOTS of readers have got in contact with fond memories of London wrestler Chick Knight. His great-nephew Andy Scott is writing Chick’s biography and was looking for anecdotes. Terry Maryan says: ‘I grew up in West London, where Chick was a well-known local character and bouncer at the Granada Cinema. He was very good at controlling unruly teenagers, using his big belly to great effect to push troublemakers out the door.’ Chris Rice tells us: ‘I remember Chick from the 1960s, when he was a lifeguard at Acton swimming baths. If anyone misbehaved, he’d keep them behind after the pool closed, give them a bucket, soap and sponge and make them clean the scum marks from the side of the pool.’ Terry O’Sullivan says he knew him well as Chick had been a friend of his father’s, and another reader, coincidentally also called Andy Scott, relates that in the 1950s, Chick wrestled his father, Charlie Scott. So, a few more colourful vignettes for the biography.
IF there is someone you’d 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 phone number. All communications answered as soon as possible. A small donation is requested for employing Gill Whitley’s services. Column researched with aid of 192.com.