A Weymouth care home pulled out all the stops to reunite Dorset veterans who served in the Burma Campaign.

The team at Gracewell of Weymouth organised the reunion for one of their residents.

Reg Carter, 92, was born and raised in Weymouth, and previously served in the Royal Navy, having been called up in 1943 at the age of 18, where he set sail for Burma (Myanmar), Sri Lanka and Singapore, serving on the Tribal-class destroyer HMS Nubian.

After a visit from a member of the Royal British Legion at the home, Reg shared his story with members of staff.

Following this, home admissions advisor at the Gracewell, Esther Sheppard, made it her goal to reunite Reg with the Burma Star Association in Bridport, a branch Reg had signed up to when he returned from the war.

Speaking at the reunion, Esther said: "I feel emotional, really touched, honoured, really pleased and grateful to everyone that attended.

"I'm pleased Reg is at Gracewell and pleased he can share his story that his moment in Burma can be recognised."

Reg, who commented how thankful he was for staff organising the event, said: "I'm chuffed, I didn't expect to see a lot of these people again.

"I last saw them over three years ago, we've not stopped the group."

The event also saw Reg reunited with one of his friends who served in Burma, who he hadn't seen in nearly four years.

Esther said: "Because we reached out to the Bridport News and Dorset Echo, we were able to get in contact with Dougie Montague, a long-term friend of Reg.

"The two had previously written to each other, but after a while Reg stopped getting replies.

"It turned out that Dougie was in a residential home down the road, The Lawns, and had seen the piece in the Echo, so called here to say who he was."

Speaking about seeing his friend again, Reg said: "I didn't expect to see Dougie.

"When my daughter persuaded me to give the car up, it cramped my style, but it also meant I couldn't see people.

"In my job, I used to see so many people, and I miss it all."

Dougie Montague, the oldest member of the Burma Star Association, said: "It's just tremendous, what Esther and Gracewell have done for us is truly amazing.

"I haven't seen some of those people in more than five years and I was used to seeing them a few times a month, some of them a few times a week. "Today, I have seen some of my oldest friends, and at the age of 97, today has meant the world to me."

Reg commented how surprised he was to see so many old faces, including ex-Bridport Mayor, councillor Geoffrey Ackerman.

Reverend Ann Ayling, speaking on behalf of the Burma Star Association in Bridport, said: "We're here because we thought it was a good idea to get the Burma Star branch, or what was left of it, to have a reunion.

"Only friends and associated family are members.

"We meet socially several times a year for lunch, as well as for events such as armistice day.

"In Bridport, there are only two original members left, Stuart and Bill."

One reason why it has been so hard for members to keep in touch as they have got older is due to the size of the branch.

Although based in Bridport, the branch covers Dorchester and Weymouth, and currently has 21 members.

To get in contact with the Burma Star Association group, email the group secretary on jp.laurence22@gmail.com