WELL-known local World War II veteran Tom Williams was honoured recently when he was introduced to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

Eighty-three-year-old Mr. Williams, of Wynfield, Middlewalls Lane, Penally, was introduced to Prince Philip during His Royal Highness's recent visit to the Eden Camp Museum in Malton, Yorkshire.

A former prisoner of war camp, Eden Camp has been converted into a World War II history museum, and is believed to be the only one of its kind in the world.

The Duke of Edinburgh visited the museum on November 8 to view a new exhibition on the part midget submarines played in the Second World War and to meet with members of the WW2 Escape Lines Memorial Society.

Guests included Admiral Bettini and the Italian Defence Minister; Sir Lewis Hodges, of the RAF Escaping Society; Mm Andree Dumont OBE, of the Comete Escape Line and M. P. Broue, of The Passeurs, as well as Mr. Williams, who is vice-president of the Army POW Escape Club.

As a sergeant in the Welch Regiment, Mr. Williams launched several daring escape attempts after being captured by the Italians in North Africa and his exploits are featured in Hut Nine - The Escape Line and Resistance Display - at Eden Camp.

In addition to meeting with the Duke, Mr. Williams - a well known sportsman in his youth and president of Manorbier Cricket Club for the last 14 years - was also interviewed live on Yorkshire radio when he told of his lucky escape when the Italian ship he was on while being transported from Tripoli to Brindisi was torpedoed by a British submarine.

Of some 500 Allied PoWs on board, Mr. Williams was one of just 18 who survived, being rescued by an Italian destroyer after over three hours floating in shark-infested water.

The interview also included his experiences when, transferred to a prison camp in Poland, he and nearly 3,000 other allied prisoners were force-marched west as the Germans retreated from the Red Army - nearly a third of the prisoners died on what became known as the March of Death.

Mr. Williams was eventually released by units of General Patton's Third Army.