Two Army veterans have seen each other for the first time in almost 50 years after a chance meeting at a poppy stall in Canterbury.

Ex-Royal Engineer Ron King, 78, was about to take over the stall from another volunteer when he recognised 80-year-old former Major Barry Iles, who had stopped for a chat.

As Kent falls silent for two minutes at 11am today to honour the fallen, the pair told how they soon recalled they had both served in Germany in the Sixties - and quickly struck up a rapport.

Now Barry has joined Ron as a backroom volunteer at the Poppy Appeal office in Canterbury, which has been working flat out ahead of Remembrance Day.

Mr King, a former quartermaster from Blean, said: "It was great to meet up and reminisce about the old times and some of the characters."

Mr Iles, from Barham, was officer in command based at Hohne and Osnabruck. He said: "We didn't actually serve together, but I knew of Ron and recognised him.

"Back then it was the Cold War and we were on a state of high readiness. We were quite close to the Russian front and even our families were told to ensure their cars always had half-a-tank of fuel in case they had to get away quickly."

Mr Iles is a volunteer case worker with SSAFA – a charity supporting veterans – but says he read how more help was needed in the Poppy Appeal office.

When he retired from the Army, he became secretary of the Morgan Sports Car Owner's Club and owned two of the iconic cars, which he raced. He later became a financial adviser.

Mr King left the regiment in 1975, but returned three years later as a civilian instructor with the Royal Engineers at Chatham, where he taught welding and sheet metal work until retiring 16 years later.

Stories you might have missed

Outrage as teacher 'cuts off labels' from shoes

Pair quizzed in murder probe after car park attack

Patient's phone call to hospital costs £8

Girl's shyness cured... by pet skunk