TWO paratroopers who became prisoners of war together have died within a week of one another.

Jimmy Maher and Christopher Lea parachuted into Tatton Park as they trained for combat in the Second World War and remained friends for life.

But last week Knutsford's Harry Pexton was mourning their deaths and is now one of only two surviving members of their squadron in the Parachute Regiment.

On Friday, he said it was sad their numbers had dwindled from the 35 who had kept in touch for more than 60 years.

"You don't want to think about it but you can't help it," said Mr Pexton, 89. "It's just one of those things I suppose.

"But it is so important that the memories of what we all did are kept alive."

The paratroopers have regularly called one another and travelled from across the world to attend an annual reunion in Knutsford.

But there will be two fewer faces next time the regiment meet.

Mr Maher, who lived in Dorset, died two weeks ago.

Mr Pexton, of Manor Crescent, described him as a good man - who liked a drink.

"It was always obvious that before he'd even got to the reunion he'd had a few drinks," he said. "But I'll always remember him as a good, steady man."

His other friend Christopher Lea, who lived in Reading, died just a week later.

He was a solicitor before the war and a judge and then a vicar afterwards.

"He mellowed out as we got to know him better and we got on really well together," he said. As young men they had spent months living and training together in Knutsford - enjoying many late nights drinking at the Royal George.

After their training sessions at Ringway the regiment headed for Italy where they put their practice sessions to the test.

But it was only when the men were captured and held as prisoners of war for two years in Italy and one year in Germany that they really gelled.

"We learned more about each other during that time than any other," he said. "In the camp we were back to basics and everyone had to survive - it didn't matter what your rank was.

"We were like one big family."

Everyone in the regiment survived the war and eventually went their separate ways.

"I think because we were so close together for about four years by that point we'd had enough and all lost touch for a while," he said. It was only years later when Harry tried to track down one of his comrades that he was reunited with the group.

He knew that one of the boys was a policeman and had lived in the Newcastle area so he decided to write a letter to the Chief Constable of the local police force.

Mr Pexton was then given an address and phone number and finally found him.

The regiment organised their first reunion in Knutsford at the Royal George on February 10 1972 - the same day they had landed in Italy 30 years earlier.

On Friday Mr Pexton, who is a great-granddad, said stories of comradeship should be passed onto future generations - and cherished.

"We've been friends for 60-odd years and you can't buy friendship like that," he said.

"It is sad because it seems like some of the youth of today don't understand the meaning of comradeship. It was so important to us."