A former German prisoner of war spoke today of his undying gratitude to a family who took him into their Otley home after the Second World War.

Incredibly, Wilhelm Hamel was extended the hand of friendship by John Ingrouille - who was blown up by a German shell in the First World War.

During a return trip to this country, Wilhelm said: "I'll always be very thankful for everything the family did for me."

Mr Hamel, 78, was an electrician with the Luftwaffe when captured near Dusseldorf towards the end of the war. He was held at a PoW camp in Weston Lane, Otley, until 1948.

When peace came, locals were asked to offer some of the camp's 1,000 PoWs a taste of normal life by inviting them into their homes. Despite serious injuries from The Somme, and having had family who lived through the German occupation of Guernsey, Mr Ingrouille and wife, Ruby, agreed to open their home to Wilhelm and another young PoW.

The pair were regular visitors to the Ingrouille's council house at The Oval at weekends and on special occasions such as Christmas and Easter.

They shared meals and played cards with the couple and their two daughters, Joan Ingrouille and Beatrice Davies, who had two young sons of her own.

After the PoWs' return to Germany, they kept in touch through letters and Christmas cards.

Mrs Davies, who is 75 and now lives in Pudsey, and husband David, 81, have enjoyed several exchange visits with Mr Hamel and his wife Maliese, 76.

Mr Hamel, who worked as a labourer on a farm at Askwith while a PoW, said: "I'm very grateful for what they did. I really missed my own family in Germany. They were like a family to me and what they did helped me get through that time. My memories are all good - we enjoyed the English kitchen, including the Yorkshire puddings. We used to go to the Methodist church on Sunday mornings and I remember going rowing on the river with Beatrice's father.''

Mrs Davies said: "My parents were very kind-hearted people and this was one of those things we all thought was a nice idea.

"There were a few people who didn't like the idea because they had been the enemy - but that didn't worry us.

"The two we had were just boys who missed their families and had had to go into the forces. You'd like to think if you had a brother or son in a similar situation the same would be done for them.

"My father was lucky to be alive - he'd been blown up and was about to be buried on the battlefield when someone realised he was still alive.

"The two PoWs couldn't speak English and we didn't know any German so we communicated through sign language and the odd word. But everything worked out."

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