A SECOND World War veteran who escaped from a prisoner of war camp in France, has sent out an urgent SOS.

He wants to join up again with a long lost comrade who was injured at Normandy on D-Day.

Francis Gleeson, who now lives in France, is searching for Private James Ellis of the 13th Lancashire Parachute Battalion (regimental number 14206309) who carried out his parachute training course at Ringway Airport, Manchester, in July 1943 on course number 72.

Private Ellis' family lived at 89 Manchester Road, Prescot, during the war.

Francis, who had a Rugby League trial with St Helens in 1942, trained with Private Ellis and explained: "We both parachuted onto Drop Zone N at Ranville, Normandy, just after midnight on the night of June 5/6, 1944.

"Pte Ellis was badly wounded in the hip and knee and was looked after in the Prisoner of War Hospital in Rennes, Brittany.

"Airborne Forces HQ in Aldershot don't know what happened to him after D-Day. So as I live in France the French Resistance have asked if I can find out what happened him after the hospital was finally liberated."

Francis, whose father was born in Vincent Street, St Helens, adds: "My forward position was destroyed at 11am on D-Day morning and I was taken prisoner. I worked in the prison hospital as a medical orderly until I escaped in August and joined SAS."

Anyone who may be able to help should write to: Francis Gleeson, Moustoir Menec, 29380 Bannalec, France (telephone: 0033 029839 5601).

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.