ONE-TIME waitress Kathleen Yates struck such a chord with Vietnam War veteran Gale Ratcliff that he wants to track her down more than 40 years later.

Mr Ratcliff of Missouri, USA, struck up a friendship with Roy Yates and his Irish wife Kathleen when he worked as a chef at the Officers' Club in High Wycombe's air base in the mid-1960s.

He managed to track down Mr Yates through a Free Press article but has yet to locate his ex-wife.

"Kathleen was a waitress there but also worked as a waitress and a barmaid at a nearby pub outside High Wycombe," he said.

"She's 100 per cent Irish (with a temper to prove it), is very beautiful with fair skin, coal black hair and between 5ft 8ins and 5ft 10ins height."

He thinks she may be remarried to a British or American military man.

"I have a keen desire to find this lady and with her's and her new husband's permission, would like to renew our friendship, by mail, if possible," he added.

Anyone with information can contact Memories reporter Michelle Fleming on 01494 755151