A WAR veteran was incredibly reunited with his senior officer at a memorial service, 70 years after they last saw each other.

Stan Daines, 88, of Stones Green was at a reunion for soldiers in Caen, France before a visit to Villiers wood, now known as Essex wood, where there had been fighting during the Second World War.

The historian introduced Mr Daines, who was in the 2nd battalion, Essex regiment, and then Major Bob Filby as being veterans who had served at the site, arriving on June 10 1944.

“When Bob got up to say a few words, I turned to my table companion Malcolm Firman and said ‘I reckon I know him because he did exactly what I did’”, said Mr Daines.

“Afterwards I approached him to compare some details and it turned out he was who I thought him to be.

“We discussed the evening we first met when I was chosen to do the standing night patrol under his leadership and we were not expecting to fight, just recce the German position.

“Unfortunately the German patrol clashed with us and only three of the 11 men made it back.

“After reminiscing it was like putting parts of a jigsaw back together because his memory helped to fill in the gaps of mine and vice versa.

“He had not changed at all and all his ways and mannerisms were the same.

“In a battalion there could have been 1300 men so for two people who knew each other to meet again after 70 years should be impossible."