Veteran is to meet 'dead' comrade

Gerry Solomon believed Harry Finlayson (pictured) had been killed

Two World War II veterans who served with the Eighth Army are to meet for the first time in 67 years.

Harry Finlayson, 93, is due to collect a veterans' medal, but will also see Gerry Solomon from Holbrook, Suffolk, who had believed Mr Finlayson was dead.

Mr Finlayson who lives near Bridgwater in Somerset was listed as missing presumed dead and "buried" in Libya.

His daughter wrote to Tank magazine to contact his old comrades and received a reply from Mr Solomon's daughter.

Mr Solomon said he was "stunned" to hear his friend was alive.

Both Mr Finlayson and Mr Solomon, who reached the rank of sergeant, are due to meet for a private reunion on Wednesday before being presented with HM Armed Forces Veterans Badges in Colchester on Thursday evening.

The driver said we were running out of petrol so I said: 'There's our lines, go like mad' Harry Finlayson

"We had a chat on the phone for about an hour and a half and he said: 'I thought you were dead'," said Mr Finlayson.

Mr Finlayson was born into a military family and enlisted in the Army in 1934.

He served with the Eighth Army in the North Africa Campaign and, during a battle on 24 November 1941, his tank's radio was damaged and he did not hear an order to withdraw.

He carried on fighting until his tank was disabled and he was captured.

He was reported "missing presumed killed in action".

"We were great friends in the desert but on that day we went into battle and my radio was gone off and we were told to retire, but I didn't hear the retirement and I went straight on into the German lines," Mr Finlayson said.

"The driver said we were running out of petrol so I said: 'There's our lines, go like mad'.

Stalag 344

"But one of their tanks hit my tank and blew the engine right out of it and we were surrounded by Germans, so I was taken prisoner."

Following his capture, Mr Finlayson was sent to Greece, then Italy, and later marched to Germany.

He remained a prisoner of war for the rest of the war in Stalag 344.

Gerry Solomon served under Field Marshal Montgomery (centre)

He was finally released by the Americans in 1945. Following liberation and discharge, he returned to civilian life and had no contact with his friend.

Mr Solomon volunteered for the Army in 1939. After training, he joined the 5th Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment in 1940.

He saw action in the North Africa Campaign under Field Marshal Montgomery, including at El Alamein and the relief of Tubruk.

Mr Solomon saw further action in Tunisia, before being returned to the UK in preparation for the D-Day landings.

He served in north-west Europe until August 1944, when his tank was hit and he was injured.

He returned to the UK and finished his service at the end of 1945.

Following discharge, he too settled back into civilian life, always believing his good friend Mr Finlayson to have been killed in action in 1941.