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.
ANNA THOMAS began her nursing training at St John’s Hospital in Lewisham, SouthEast London, 60 years ago. She is keen to find her fellow student nurses for a long overdue reunion.
Now 80 and living in nearby Eltham, Anna has kept in touch with Ann Coe and Elaine Symons.
But there were 12 students in her intake and the missing nine are Pauline Patterson, Maeve Carroll, Mary Ruane, Eileen McFadden, Sally Bristow, Deirdre McHugh, Ghislaine Sudon (who was French), Valerie Horley and Lavinia Watts.
‘We all lived in the nurses’ home, and at the end of the day’s duties converged in the sitting room,’ says Anna.
‘We were lucky to be given complimentary tickets for lots of West End shows and had an enjoyable three years going to dances and enjoying each other’s company.
‘We three enjoy family life with our grown children and wonderful grandchildren and would love to hear from our former friends.’ OLD shipmates are cooking up a reunion after Mike Pratt of Gloucester sent in an appeal.
‘I joined the Royal Navy aged 15 in 1962 as a junior assistant cook at HMS Ganges,’ wrote Mike.
‘After training, I was drafted to HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval supply & secretarial training establishment, for trade training.
‘I was posted to HMS Cambridge as an assistant officers’ cook and to HMS Ark Royal for 28 months.
‘I spent a year on the Far East Station with wonderful ports of call, including spending Christmas 1965 in Fremantle, Australia.
‘I’d like to make contact with as many of my wardroom (officers’ mess) cooks as possible from that time.
‘There were 21 junior rates living in 6W2 mess. The names I recall include Pat Harrington, ‘Chick’ Fowle, Colin Smith, John Bentley, Mike ‘Buck’ Taylor, Dick Welch (who was best man at my 1967 wedding), Ron Findlay, Graham Jones, Jim ‘Bunny’ Begley, Davy Jones, Nigel ‘Donkey’ Bray and Keith Palmer.
‘I left the Navy in 1971 and joined the Prison Service, retiring in 2004.’
Mike has been able to speak to six of his old shipmates since his story appeared in this column: Dick Welch, ‘Bunny’ Begley, Ron Findlay, Keith Palmer, ‘Buck’ Taylor and ‘Donkey’ Bray.