by Nick Lillitos

Boyhood memories of kicking a football about the streets of Sheerness came rushing back when two old friends met by chance – 64 years after last setting eyes on each other.

Ray Harris was 11 when he moved overseas with his military family, leaving behind his mate John Morley.

They hadn’t seen each other since 1946 – a year after the Second World War ended – but an Army reunion last month led to a surprise reunion.

Ray, now 75, and living in St Agnes Gardens, Sheerness, found his boyhood school chum John when they attended a 60-year reunion of the Army Apprentices’ School in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

It was held at the St George Hotel not far from where they did their apprenticeships.

Ray said: “There I was having a drink and a chat with some former members of the school when this man walks up to our group and asks 'is one of you Ray Harris?’”

The man asking the question was John.

Neither of them immediately recognised each other after all those years.

While both had studied at the Harrogate military school, they did so during different years, and therefore had not met there.

Their only memory of each other was as young boys who played football in the streets.

Ray added: “The person who drew the link with us two was one of the organisers at Harrogate who pointed John to the group I was standing with at the reception. When I realised who he was we gave each other a big hug.

“It was quite an emotional moment. Back in 1946 we attended the Central School in Sheerness.

"We lived just a couple of roads apart then – me in Clyde Street and John in Victor Road. We not only kicked footballs, but everything and anything.

“Unfortunately I didn’t have many minutes to talk to John, who now lives in Newcastle, as he had to leave the reception with his wife, who is quite frail.

"But it was a brief moment in time which made the reunion all the more enjoyable.”

The Army Apprentices’ School provided Ray with the skills to become a wireless operator transmitting in morse code at 28 words minute.

Following three years there, he was posted abroad with various army units serving in Germany, Egypt, Cyprus, Northern Ireland and the Far East.