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Search is on for an old pal


Published on Friday 26 February 2010 14:27

Madam, I am writing this letter, hopefully for assistance in finding a long-lost friend by the name of Jackie Gilbert. Let me explain.

I went into the Royal Navy as a volunteer in 1943 and was trained at the then HMS Royal Arthur, in Skegness.

We were 17-year-olds then so that puts us all getting on for our 84th birthday.

I have been in touch with two of the class almost from that time, but the one missing in the puzzle is Jackie Gilbert.

Yesterday, for no reason, the word Ilkeston went through my mind, and it was only in a short time that I realised that was where Jackie came from.

I have checked in books to try and find out more about the town, whether it has a Mayor or the like, but came up with zilch.

I decided to see if a letter to the local paper would help.

We started life in the Navy on June 16, 1943, and were boy signalmen, our class was S76.

We trained until December of that year, then we were drafted to various depots and from there to different parts of the world.

I went to the Far East and served aboard a destroyer.

The best years of my life.

On the way home, after the war, we called into Gibraltar and phoning the local signal station I found out I was talking to Jackie Gilbert.

I went to meet him, and that was the last I saw of him.

I have been writing to the other two for years.

I have tried, through various channels, to locate him without success but did not then know where he came from.

I decided not to waste this knowledge, so thought about writing to ask for help.

If anyone knows him, tell him that Eric Palmer is in Bootle and Ray Wiseman is in Swanage, Dorset.

Dennis A Weeks (Bonzo)

C/O Inspector Darren Roberts

Ilkeston Police Station


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