AN air cadet doing voluntary work at the Hafan y Waun care home in Aberystwyth as part of an ex-services project, has bridged the generation gap with one of the residents.

Carwyn Lloyd-Jones, who has plans to become an engineer in the RAF, regularly visits the home to chat with Derek Bedford about his experiences in the Air Force during the Second World War.

The pair often discuss Derek’s experiences in the Fleet Air Arm, where he served on the aircraft carrier HMS Dasher on the west coast of Scotland.

In 1943, HMS Dasher sank after an aircraft landed badly, igniting petrol which caused a horrific explosion. Derek was one of the few lucky survivors taken ashore at Brodick, on the Isle of Arran.

As part of his A-level studies, Carwyn coincidentally spent a week on the Isle of Arran and was taken to the memorial dedicated to those who died on the very same carrier.

While Carwyn was unable to take photos of the memorial, he took many of the island and was keen to show Derek on his return.

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