As prisoner-of-war Edward Booth was forced to toil in a Japanese shipyard, a teenage girl he had never met prayed for his safety with her church in Bradford.

Neither imagined then that they would be celebrating their diamond wedding today.

Mr Booth, known as Ted, 89, was a member of the Royal Artillery when he was captured on Christmas Day 1941 in Hong Kong.

A loyal member of St Colomba Church in Great Horton, he was desperately missed by the congregation who prayed for his safe return.

One faithful member of the congregation, Kathleen, then aged 18, had heard about his plight and, though they had never met, she prayed for four years that her fellow church member would return.

The couple’s daughter Patricia Howland, who now lives in Australia, said: “My dad had a horrific time. He was transferred to Japan where he worked in the shipyards.

“He was so emaciated when he was released they took them all around the world to try to fatten them up again before they came home.”

She said her father was the only member of his unit to have survived the imprisonment, She said: “He got diphtheria and was hospitalised so the rest went to Japan before him.

“They were all killed when their ship was sunk by an American submarine.

“He lost all his friends.”

Mr Booth was freed at the end of the war and was invited to attend the birthday party of a friend of his future wife.

Mrs Booth, now 83, said: “It was absolutely amazing to see him after all that time.

“We were married two years later.”

After the war Mr Booth worked for British Telecom until he retired aged 60.

Mrs Booth became head teacher of Whetley Primary School in Whetley Lane, Bradford, and served as a magistrate in the city.

The couple enjoyed travel after their retirement and spent three months of each year in Australia for more than 20 years.

The couple, who now live in Bradford Road, Clayton, have two daughters, Patricia and Penny, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

They celebrated their anniversary with a family lunch in Kettlewell.