Our quirky tale from World War Two about a Huddersfield soldier who, legend has it, met two of the great war leaders from opposing sides ... on the same day turns out to be a bigger tale than we thought.

For there were several soldiers with Meltham mill worker Billy Dickinson when he was stranded in the desert while serving with the Desert Rats in 1943.

And one of them was Charles Purseglove, whose family also lived in Huddersfield.

His niece, Pat Oldham, remembers Charles dropping into the family home in Newsome in 1944 and telling them about his adventure.

There were eight or nine of them in a jeep which ran out of fuel when the Germans appeared and Rommel was with them.

The soldiers feared they would be shot or taken prisoner but Pat – who now lives in Upper Cumberworth – said: “I will always remember Charles saying that Rommel was a “true gent” and they gave them food and water.”

The Germans were in a hurry so did not take them prisoner and a short time later the British arrived and the men met general Montgomery who gave them tea and was anxious to find out more about their meeting with Rommel.

Sadly Charles, who served with the Royal Engineers, returned to the war and was killed on August 18, 1944.

Billy worked in the top floor office in Scarr Bottom Mill in Meltham.

Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery with Prime Minister Winston Churchill during a tour of the Normandy beach head
Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery with Prime Minister Winston Churchill during a tour of the Normandy beach head