A PAIR of childhood friends who were split up by the Second World War have been reunited after 76 years.
Pearl Watkinson, 90, of Aspen Court, Cleethorpes, welcomed her dear friend, Irene Dunford, 89, into her home for the first time on Monday.
Despite their years, within minutes of meeting, they felt like teenagers as the conversation turned to the mean ways of their old boss at Savages' drapers shop in Top Town's old market.
Pearl said: "We were very good friends and went everywhere together, we loved going to the pictures.
"Seeing Reney again after all this time is wonderful."
Pearl was 15 when she met Irene, then 14, who had just started a job at Savages.
The war had not started and the pair would spend hours chatting and plotting their escape from the stall.
Their friendship blossomed and together, when the war broke out, they signed up for the Women's Land Army and were sent to Brigg.
But Pearl, who was originally from London, found life in the countryside hard and after a year, left to join the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS).
But Irene didn't mind so much and stayed with the Land Army, going as far as Wainfleet, Lincolnshire.
She got married at 21 to Frank Dunford, who was in the Royal Air Force, and fell pregnant with their first of two children shortly afterwards.
Meanwhile, Pearl had met her husband, John, in Cranwell and fell pregnant with her first child. Sadly, John was killed in battle in Berlin.
In a world without mobile phones and the internet, the pair often thought of one another but had no way of getting in touch.
The years rolled by until Pearl spotted the announcement of the death of Irene's brother, Ted Makey, in the Grimsby Telegraph.
She contacted Near and Near Funeral Directors who passed on her number to Irene's nephew, who passed it onto Irene's son, Nigel, who finally gave it to Pearl.
Pearl continued: "She didn't quite remember me because it has been 76 years and our memories aren't what they used to be. But I had always remembered Reney after all these years. When she knew who I was it was great.
"We have spent the day catching up and sharing photographs, but we don't have any of each other because neither of us could afford a camera in those days.
"Although we didn't have much, we were very happy in our own way. It was a happy time even though there was a war on,"
Irene added: "The last I can remember is seeing her at my wedding day. But we are proof friendship can last and I know we will see each other again."
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AMONG HUNDREDSPearl and Irene were among hundreds of women who signed up to 'do their bit' during the Second World War. As thousands – of men from the farms were called up to war, women stepped up to take over. As Lincolnshire is largely agricultural, the Women's Land Army was vital for this county to survive and made sure food production was kept up while the men were away. Many recruits were women from rural areas, but up to a third, like Pearl and Irene, moved to the countryside from towns and cities. A citiy girl, Pearl found it hard. She said: "I held on for about a year but I couldn't take it any longer. I think I went for the excitement more than anything else."