Some people do different things when they are driving to stop being bored. My little quirk is that when I see a personalised number plate, I put a name to the letters. Yesterday I saw a car with B.O.T. on it; I had an automatic reaction - my brother-in-law's name was Brynly Owen Thomas and this, in turn, triggered off this true story.

Brynly was a very nice lad. All he wanted was to join the R.A.F. When he was fifteen years old he passed the entrance examination, and reported to Acton as an apprentice. The year was 1937.

The Second World War started in '39, with the Japanese joining in alliance with Germany and Italy in '42, and Bryn was sent to Singapore to help maintain the planes that were supposed to defend Singapore Territory.

History tells us now of course that it was a waste of time and lives. Brynly managed to get out of Singapore and eventually reached Java, only to see the last British ships disappear over the horizon. He and 249 of his comrades were captured by the Japanese, and nothing was heard from him or the war office for three years.

In the meantime Brynly's sister Betti and I were married in 1943. In July the following year we had our first child, a boy with fair hair, and since I honestly thought that we would never see Brynly again I suggested we call him Brynly, after his uncle. It was agreed that it was a nice idea.

Eventually the war in Europe came to an end, but fighting the Japanese in Burma carried on. Everyone knows that the Japs surrendered, after the Americans dropped two atomic bombs on their towns with devastating effects.

The Armistice was signed, and they had to agree to bring all prisoners of war from the outlying islands back to Java. Of the 250 R.A.F. lads only 100 returned.

Weeks later my mother-in-law got up one morning and as she came downstairs saw a note on the floor. Thinking it was from a neighbour and as she didn't have her spectacles on, she put the note on the mantlepiece and proceeded to light the fire and make breakfast. She poured herself a cup of tea, duly took the note off the mantelpiece and read the words she and her husband had prayed for.

She read - 'Dear mam and dad. Just to let you know that I'm alive and kicking. Will see you soon. Love Brynly'.

Can anyone imagine what emotions she went through? There was no phone in the house, so she ran down to our house to break the news to his sister Betti. They managed to get through to Cardiff where Dan Thomas worked. He came home early. The excitement was unbelievable.

Doug Stephen