A PAIR of heroes who selflessly jumped into a lifeboat to rescue drowning Greek sailors have met nearly half a century later.

Ray Pain and Mike Wass were two of only a handful to survive a mission to rescue sailors from a Greek fishing trawler, Iason, in 1955.

They and about 24 others from their passenger liner, Stratheden, volunteered to jump into lifeboats when they got the distress call in the straits between Sicily and Malta.

Mr Wass, a waiter on the ship and then 21, from Grantham Road, Boscombe, said: "The rescue was a really scary experience. I was in shock for two days afterwards.

"It was a raging storm, huge waves.

"I look back now and think we must have been mad. All I was thinking of was rescuing the men and getting back to the parent ship."

About eight Greek sailors were rescued and only two of the three lifeboats that left the Stratheden returned with about 16 men.

Mr Wass and Mr Pain, along with the other rescuers, were given medals by the Greeks but never met each other as they worked in different departments on the liner and went their separate ways after the event.

Then Mr Pain, a ship's steward aged 19 in 1955, spotted a report in the Daily Echo that Mr Wass was finally to get a medal for his RAF service in the Suez Canal from 1950 to 1954.

Mr Wass had mentioned the rescue mission and Mr Pain, now 69, contacted the Echo.

We put them in touch and they finally met on Tuesday (August 10).

The pair are both from outside Dorset and had amazingly moved to within miles of each other.

Mr Pain, originally from Croydon, now of Plantation Road in Canford Heath, said: "My wife saw the report in the paper. I didn't recognise his face, but it was a long time ago. Then I read about the rescue and I thought, 'I must know this person'."

They met and chatted about their shared experience 49 years ago, and how they both served the famous pianist of the time, Winifred Atwell, in different capacities while on the Stratheden.

Mr Wass, now 71, said: "It was great to meet Mike. We have definitely started a new friendship."

The two have already planned a dinner together with their wives and aim to enjoy many more reunions.

First published: August 16