‘Anyone remember my rescue hero dad?’

Nov 5 2008 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A MAN orphaned in Australia wants to track down the Huddersfield man who helped his father save two drowning girls.

William Cross’s parents Wilfred and Patricia were killed in a car crash in 1967, 18 months after they emigrated to Melbourne.

William, who was two at the time, survived the crash and eventually returned home.

He said: "After the accident a church paid for me to be sent back to England. My mum’s sister brought me up in Sale, near Manchester.

"She didn’t want to tell me anything about my father.

"I was lied to for 40 years. I was told that my father was an only child.

"Then eight months ago I got a call from Australia telling me my father’s sister Edie was looking for me.

"It turns out my dad had three sisters and two brothers.

"I have all these aunts, uncles and cousins who I’ve never met. I don’t know why all this was covered up."