World War II Buddies, One Presumed Dead, Reunited After 70 Years

Published: November 20, 2008 | 7285th good news item since 2003

In 1941 in a fierce firefight in Libya, Harry’s tank was destroyed by a direct hit.

Once the site of the wreckage could be inspected the body was found…

Everybody thought Harry Finlayson was dead; a military funeral was held for the loss of the brave soldier and his wife was awarded a widow’s pension.

Sgt. Gerry Solomon was among the grieving. He was a good friend of Harry.

Gerry was stunned then to read an account written by Harry’s daughter in the military magazine stating that the demise of her father was greatly exaggerated. Her father was very much alive.

Harry and Gary have been put in touch with each other. They hardly recognize each other after all these years.

”’We were great friends in the desert and I had a photograph of him and I by the pyramids. We chatted for one and half hours. Oh yes, he was surprised – he said, “I thought you were dead!”

As it turned out Harry’s radio equipment had broken down in mystical for retreat and kept on fighting until his equipment gave up and he and his three comrades were captured.

”’The driver said we were running out of petrol so I said: “There’s our lines, go like mad’

‘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.”

He spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war.

Published in Reunited
See also: www.dailymail.co.uk