Two veterans reunite in chance meeting 70 years after last serving together

Two veterans shared an emotional reunion after coincidence brought them back together 70 years after they last served in the same regiment.

Arthur Symes, 89, and Joe Ingram, 94, last saw each other while serving as wireless operators in the East Yorkshire Regiment in Malaysia in the 1950s.

When Mr Symes and Mr Ingram decided to book into a Blind Veterans UK’s rehabilitation centre in North Wales for a week’s holiday last month neither knew they would be reuniting with a former comrade.

But they were reunited by chance at the centre in Llandudno when another blind veteran realised that he’d chatted to two different people who served in the same regiment and introduced the pair.

Mr Symes, from Hull, who served between 1953 and 1955, said: “I just couldn’t believe it – I was in shock – I hadn’t seen him in over 70 years and now here we were.

“I joined the company just as Joe was leaving but we crossed over and did some patrols together as signalmen out in Malaya.

“It was very emotional, I’ve never felt anything like it in my life. It was a very nice feeling – I was so happy to see him again.”

The pair had served in Kluang in Malaysia as part of their National Service during the Malayan Emergency – a war fought between the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and British, Federation of Malaya and Commonwealth forces.

The MNLA fought for independence and to establish a communist state.

Mr Symes said the pair hugged each other in shock before reminiscing about their memories of National Service and talked about their families and lives since then.

Mr Ingram, from Newcastle, who served between 1951 and 1953, said: “I never expected to see Arthur or anyone from my company all these years later.

“It was brilliant to see him and great to talk about our time in Malaya and the other men we served with.”

Mr Symes explained they had served in the jungles of Malaysia, which he described as being “quite scary” but said they were “all good pals and had each others’ backs”.

Mr Ingram added: “I enjoyed my time in Malaya but part of that was probably because I didn’t have to go into the jungle where it was a bit hairier.”

Mr Symes, who started to lose his sight around 20 years ago to glaucoma, started to receive support from Blind Veterans UK – a charity which provides vision support for former servicemen and women – last year, thanked the charity for their help.

Mr Ingram started to lose his sight four years ago, due to a retinal vessel occlusion in his right eye and epiretinal membrane in his left.

He says: “It was extremely difficult because around the same time I lost my wife. I couldn’t drive anymore and also couldn’t read.

“Blind Veterans UK have been brilliant though and have given me a magnifying glass which means I can read things like the post by myself.

“It can be lonely living by myself, but when I go to the charity’s centre in North Wales I’m surrounded by people and it’s so nice to have the company.”

Former service personnel with vision issues can find held at blindveterans.org.uk/gethelp.