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I thought the Peoples War readers might be interested to know about an unlikely meeting of two WW2 ‘vets’.

Tom Canning

, born Cowdenbeath, Fife, Scotland 1924 (U519668)
and

Ron Goldstein

, born Bethnal Green, London, England 1923 (U520216)

Were it not for WW2, we two completely diverse characters are hardly likely ever to have met and yet through the channels of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Peoples War this unlikely event took place in London on the 7th October 2004 on the occasion of Tom visiting the UK from Canada, where he is now lives in retirement with Veronica.

For the past year, on this website, both Tom and I have been bantering with each other about military matters and in the process have established a remarkable set of coincidences in our respective WW2 service.
Despite the fact that we both served in different Regiments and never (to the best of our knowledge) ever actually met during wartime we equally seem to have been in lots of the same places at the same time (see below).

1. Bury St.Edmunds, Infantry Training Rgt. Oct. 1942
2. Troopship S.S.Franconia en route to North Africa Apr 1943
3. Transit Camp Matifou outside Algiers
4. Caserta, Cassino Feb 1944
5. Rieti, Armoured Corps Training Camp Nov 1944
6. Villach, Austria Aug 1945
7. Barnard Castle, Transit camp Jan 1947
8. York , Demob Centre Mar 1947

Nice meeting up with you Tom !

Best wishes

Ron

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