Bob reaches for the skies.

Byline: By MARK WELFORD

WE ALWAYS knew the people of Teesside were amazing.

But when Bob Parkinson read his 'TS5' Gazette Communities paper - he knew it too.

For the 87-year-old from Linthorpe read our article on high-flying pensioner Stan Robson and just had to write in.

He said: "I saw Stan's story and thought it was very much like my own.

"I admire the lad, he has the guts and determination to do what he wants to do."

Like Stan, Bob is a keen fan of flying and for his 80th birthday his daughter Barbara bought him a glider lesson.

He said: "I have always loved flying.

"I can't explain why I like the feeling, it's just magic."

He loves it so much, in fact, that he has a flight simulator on his computer.

But for a man who has experienced so much, Bob is incredibly modest.

When he retired in 1975 he started writing the story of his life.

The 60,000 word journal is in two parts - the first from 1920 to 1945 and the second from 1945 onwards - mainly about life with his wife Nancy.

Born in 1920 in West Hartlepool, Bob joined the RAF in 1940 where he worked on aircraft engines.

But during World War Two he was stationed at Seletar RAF base, Singapore, and was chased into Japan and remained as a prisoner of war in 1942.

As prisoner number 664 he was held in Hokkaido and in 1943 moved 80 miles south of Nagasaki in Kyushu.

He said: "I sailed through it, apart from becoming very depressed at one stage."

When Bob returned he found out that his mother had died in May 1945, around the same time that he had become depressed.

Something, he says, is not coincidence.

"I believe I was close enough to feel the loss."

While imprisoned Bob kept five hidden diaries written with pencil on planning paper which he found lying around the camp.

"I kept the diaries right throughout, but when you are starving a lot of it becomes about food."

Bob was accompanied by around 1,200 other prisoners of war, many of whom died.

"I had to carry a few of them (the other prisoners of war) to their final resting place.

"The worst I had was a gun butt to the shoulder for being a bit slow off the mark but I kept my head down.

"I daren't think what would have happened if they (the Japanese) had found the diaries."

CAPTION(S):

READY FOR TAKEOFF: Bob Parkinson in the glider on his 80th birthday, above. Bob is pictured, leftm, with his wartime ID tag and with his beloved wife Nancy, right