Pals reunited thanks to E&S

Don Cox, formerly of Kidderminster but now living in Oxford, contacted the paper to try and trace Netherton man Harry Male.

The pair served together in Germany in the 1st Battalion Worcester Regiment during the 1950s when Harry, of Belper Row, Netherton, saved Don's life when a prank went disastrously wrong and he blew himself up.

Now the old friends are planning to meet up after a friend of Harry's spotted the article and prompted the phone call to his old pal.

Mr Cox, aged 73, said: "Apparently Harry has cataracts so he doesn't read the paper anymore, but it appears someone ran round to his house to tell him he had made the headlines." That man, former Netherton soldier John Jarvis, passed on Mr Male's telephone number to Mr Cox.

"We had an hour on the phone, bringing back names and faces from the shadows," Mr Cox went on. He mentioned a Sgt Gregory to which I shot upright, for in the old days I'd run a book on the races.

"He had placed a £4 bet to win on a horse and I asked him for his money, to which he replied 'I'll pay after the race'.

"His horse is still coming in and he never paid! As for me, I was only a corporal and corporals don't argue with sergeants.

"Me and Harry had lots to talk about but an hour doesn't give you 50 years, so we will talk again and maybe even meet up.

"We both agreed they were good old days and Harry said to me it was a shame the youngsters of today couldn't have the same adventures we had."

Mr Cox earlier told of how he was blown "sky high" and temporarily blinded when he set fire to gunpowder because he was "bored beyond belief" during an army exercise.

He says he owes his life to Mr Male, who rescued him and covered up the reason for his injuries to save him from a spell in the army prison.

Mr Cox used to live at The Mount in Hartlebury, which is now called The Stourport Manor Hotel.

He now lives near Oxford, while Mr Male lives with his wife Barbara in a flat in Netherton.