Herald photo triggers ‘voice from the past’ for Sidmouth war veteran

A VE Day photo published in the Herald led to two World War Two veterans making contact, 75 years after serving on the same battleship.

John Moore was pictured in his Sidmouth garden with a White Ensign flag from his former ship, the George V, which joined the US fleet fighting the Japanese in the Pacific Ocean 1n 1945.

The picture in the online edition was seen by Hywel Davies, who now lives in a care home in West Sussex. He contacted the Herald and we put the two men in touch.

They have now talked on the phone, and Mr Davies sent Mr Moore a 1945 photo of himself and the other young officers in his Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve group.

Mr Moore, now 93, said: “I couldn’t remember any of the faces, including him. The different groups that joined the ship tended to keep themselves together.

“We reminisced a bit about our individual experiences in getting out there and joining the ship.

“It was interesting, and no doubt we’ll stay in touch.”