TWO friends who last saw each other moments before jumping from a plane in 1963 have been reunited for the first time in nearly half a century.

John Dawson got the shock of his life when former Army colleague, Tom Brown, phoned his home in Kirby Hill, near Richmond, North Yorkshire.

The pair served in the Third Battalion The Parachute Regiment and forged a close friendship after first meeting in 1961.

Mr Dawson, originally from Gosforth, in Newcastle, said: "Me and Tom became very firm friends - we soldiered together, we skirmished together and we fought together."

Mr Dawson, called "Geordie" by fellow soldiers was on exercise in Greece with Mr Brown, who lived in Cambridgeshire, the last time they met.

They were about to parachute out of a plane with Mr Dawson on the port side and his friend to the starboard.

"We were just about to jump when Tom leant over and said, 'I'll see you in a couple of weeks in Aldershot'," he recalled.

"We didn't see each other when we landed and went off in different companies."

Mr Dawson was forced to remain in Greece longer than Mr Brown, who was one of the last National Servicemen in the British Army.

By the time he returned home, Mr Brown had been demobbed.

"We tried to make contact but never did," said Mr Dawson, who remained in the forces until 1983.

As the years passed, the pair both got married - coincidentally both to women called Maureen.

Their reunion came about after Mr Brown inquired about his old friend at the 3 Para Reunion Club at its annual event in Blackpool.

"I was ill so wasn't able to go to Blackpool but someone pointed him towards a man who knew where I was," said the 69-year-old.

"I got a phone call and the person on the other end said, 'you'll never guess who this is?' - but I knew straight away.

"He insisted he was coming up to North Yorkshire from Blackpool and I was delighted.

"He came with his wife, who I had never met and we talked for about three hours - it was amazing."

The pals are planning to meet up again this summer and both hope to attend the next 3 Para reunion in 2012.