Wartime friends reunited
A GRANDAD has been reunited through Facebook with a war time pal who he befriended when she became a refugee.
David Wright, 74, of Offerton, struck up a friendship with Rosemary Smale during World War II when she escaped Guernsey to live at Hayburn Road.
After the war they stayed in contact but lost touch around 65 years ago.
But David and his wife Carol, 70, took to the internet and tracked Rosemary down to get back in touch.
They and 10 members of the family have just returned from a trip to the Channel Island for a reunion.
David, now of Offerton Lane, said: “She came to live with her brother John and I was brought up with them through the war until they left in 1945.
“We were very friendly but we lost contact after the 1950s. So I had a look on Facebook and she was there.
“We met up and although we hadn’t seen each other for 65 years it was like we had known each other all that time. It was brilliant.”
Rosemary, now 79, and her family came to Stockport when Guernsey was occupied by the Germans.
A dozen members of her family came and met David with his for a meal out to round off the visit.
David, a former engineer, said: “They were so welcoming. We had a reminisce, they used to use our air raid shelter.
“After the war we used to send them a copy of the Stockport Express and they would send us their local paper.
“It was fantastic to meet again after all that time.”