9:09am Tuesday 23rd October 2007
By David Vallis
WORLD War Two veteran John Mallen has paid an emotional visit to the grave of an old comrade he last saw 63 years ago.
John, 88, of Rambridge Crescent, Salisbury, sported his war service medals to stand beside Ken Lovett's final resting place at St George Church in Great Bromley, Essex.
He and Mr Lovett became the best of friends in a prisoner-of-war camp in Italy, where they kept one another's spirits up.
They even escaped together with some other prisoners, but unhappily Mr Lovett was recaptured after they became separated.
And that day in 1944 was the last time John, who served with 3rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, saw his friend.
But he never forgot him and many years later decided to try and find him. He eventually made contact with Mr Lovett's daughter, Irene, who lives in Great Bromley - only for her to break the sad news that her father had died from cancer in 1981. John was put in touch with Mr Lovett's sister, Dorothy Rogers, and they established a friendship - speaking on the telephone every week for 12 years, although they never met.
Sadly, she has now died and it was her funeral that led to John paying his last respects to his Army comrade.
He joined Mrs Rogers' family as they interred her ashes alongside her husband Vincent's at Great Bromley church.
The family then walked to the other side of the churchyard, where John laid poppies and a cross of flowers at Mr Lovett's grave and saluted his pal one last time.
There was even a short ceremony at the grave, ending with the words of the Royal British Legion exhortation: "They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old, age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them."
John said: "It was a very emotional occasion. I am so glad to have finally paid my respects to Ken, which is something I have wanted to do for a long time.
"After our PoW camp escape I felt guilty that I got home and he was recaptured and left to suffer for the last year of the war. I never forgot him."
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