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BRITISH TV actor Colin Waite kept his long-held promise to track down the grave of his best friend from his teenage years and say a prayer beside his headstone.
He flew in from Manchester, courtesy of the Bahrain British Business Forum which also hosted three of Britain’s war heroes over the Remembrance Day weekend, with a cultural tour of the kingdom and the laying of the traditional Remembrance Day poppy wreath.
As reported in GulfWeekly, Colin Waite, now aged 74, was ‘inseparable’ from Brian Holroyd during their teenage years growing up in the north of England and after 55 years of searching he finally managed to track down his pal’s grave with the assistance of The Very Reverend Chris Butt, Dean of St Christopher’s Cathedral.
“Of course it was incredibly emotional, especially when I first saw his grave,” said Colin. “I visited the cemetery almost every day and each day seemed that little bit easier. But I am so thankful for the kindness shown to me in Bahrain by everyone I have met and the opportunity to finally say my goodbyes to a true friend and a remarkable young man.”
Brian was in the last round-up of men to be compulsorily conscripted into the British armed forces. He was electrocuted in 1959 after touching a faulty record player at the age of 20 and was buried far from home in the Old Christian Cemetery in Bahrain. Colin, for many years, thought his friend had died whilst serving in Aden, a former British crown colony from 1937 to 1963 located in the south of contemporary Yemen, and having the incorrect name of his regiment made the task of finding his last resting place even harder.
Colin, a father-of-six, said: “I never forgot Brian and this trip even helped me recall many memories of our friendship that I had forgotten over time. I can remember once walking into town with him and witnessing a road accident. Without a second’s thought he stepped into the middle of a busy road to comfort a dog that had been struck by a passing car. That was the sort of man he was, he had such a big heart.
“The shock of his sudden passing and the thought of never being able to say goodbye stayed with me. All my children got to know about Brian and I always hoped they would be fortunate enough to find as good a friend themselves. Coming to Bahrain and locating his grave has been such a comfort.
“The Remembrance Day Service was so special and being able to lay a wreath for him meant so much. When I said my goodbye to him on Thursday I felt I had completed the journey. I have difficulty in the word closure in this situation, acceptance describes it better.”
Colin flew back to the UK last Thursday evening where he lives with his wife, Mandy, who runs a photography business. He is a well-known face on British TV having played the role of Charley Woods in the popular ITV series Heartbeat and Don Giles in the Granada TV production of Fighting for Gemma.
An acclaimed former professional club and stage singer, his theatre work included Nicely, Nicely Johnson in Guys & Dolls at the Carnegie Theatre, Judus in a LAMP’s tour of Jesus Christ Superstar and Paul Hargreaves in Not Forgetting Mrs Gersavitch at the Rosehill Theatre.
So taken by the friendliness of Bahrain, if circumstances allow, he hopes to return one day to the kingdom with Mandy.
The Armistice Day service last Tuesday in the Old Christian Cemetery was a major civic event attracting ambassadors, senior military from the US and the British Royal Navy and community leaders.
