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Do you know Victor who was evacuated from Deal to Wales during Second World War

A man is hoping to track down the child evacuee who stayed with his family during the Second World War.

Victor, from Deal, would have been a young boy when he was moved from the seaside town and sent to say in Abercanaid, a small mining village near Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales in 1940.

Bill Williams' dad, Ronald, with Victor (on the left). All pictures: Bill Williams
Bill Williams' dad, Ronald, with Victor (on the left). All pictures: Bill Williams

He stayed with Evan William Williams - a miner -, his wife Bessie, and their son Ronald, until the end of the war in 1945.

Now, Ronald's son, Bill Williams, is hoping to find out more about Victor and would like to track him or his family down.

Mr Williams, from Oxfordshire, said: "My grandparents looked after a young boy from Deal for most of the war.

"All I know is that his name was Victor - I don't have a surname - and that he was from Deal.

Bessie and Evan Williams
Bessie and Evan Williams

"My father, Ronald, was nearly six when he arrived and was an only child. I remember my father saying that it was like having a brother!

"They shared a room together and got on very well. By all accounts, Victor had a great time living in the village.

"Unfortunately, for reasons not known to me, they did not keep in touch and never saw each other, or spoke to each other again!

"I would very much like to know more about his time in the village and also what he went on to do in his life.

"If he is still alive, he is likely to be in his late 80s."

Bill Williams and his wife Mandy
Bill Williams and his wife Mandy

Mr Williams, 60, was born in the same village where Victor lived for five years.

In 1979 he left Wales and studied at Worcester College to become a secondary school PE teacher.

He taught at Burford School in Oxfordshire and was Head of PE and Sport from 1987- 2019.

He is married to Mandy and the couple have four children and four grandchildren between them.

His grandfather Evan passed away in 1962, aged just 55, and Bessie died in 2009, aged 101.

His father Ronald died in 2008 from cancer, aged 75.

Mr Williams has uncovered a photo of his father and Victor together, and is hoping someone might recognise the young boy and get in touch.

If you are Victor or know him, please contact mercurynews@thekmgroup.co.uk

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