A CHANCE encounter on a railway platform almost 60 years ago led to a lifelong friendship between two Yorkshire men.

In 1948, John Allinson, who is originally from York, and Eric Walbank, from Bradford, joined the RAF on the same day.

They set off for duty from Leeds railway station, began to chat and discovered they were on the same training course and on completion were due to be posted to 207 Squadron.

They have been best friends ever since.

Now the former Lancaster bomber engineers, who are both 77, have been back to tell their stories to current pilots of their old squadron, which is now based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, near York.

"We were engaged on a D of PE," said Mr Allinson, who now lives in Scarborough.

"That meant duration of present emergency'. When we asked what it meant, one of the drill sergeants told us you're ours as long as we want you, Charlie'.

"Everyone in the air force seemed to be called Charlie in those days."

The two recalled the strict regime of basic training during which white coal buckets were inspected daily for cleanliness. Even the wood burning stove in their billet had to remain spotless.

Mr Walbank said the sergeant in charge of the hut would don a pair of white gloves to check the stove was not dirty.

He said: "As a result, we never lit the fire, even in winter. It would have been too much trouble cleaning it. Any speck of dust and we would have been put on fatigues, peeling potatoes for the whole station."

The pair said that discipline in the 1940s was more intense than today. But despite having to walk on boxes placed at the end of beds to avoid scuffing the polished floor, they agreed it was the making of them.

"Every night we had shiny hour' where we polished our brass and boots" said Mr Allinson.

"We had two rifles in those days; one to shoot with and one for parades. All we ever did with the second one was clean it."

"One lad turned up thinking he knew best," said Mr Walbank.

"He was a right tearaway but after a few weeks he came out like a lamb. I think a few years of military service should be compulsory. It teaches you where the line is that can't be crossed, something sadly lacking today."