Family spent decades searching for 104-year-old U.S. vet, until one day they turned on the TV — and saw him standing with King Charles
After World War II ended, James Fenton spent the rest of his days nestled in the Isle of Man
Imagine thinking a family member was dead, only to see them alive on TV. It may sound too dramatic to be true, but that's how Kathleen Dearden found her cousin brother, James Fenton, a 104-year-old World War II veteran, after she spotted him standing next to King Charles III on a certain news program. On a special episode of ITV News Granada Reports (@granadareports), Dearden, the sister, opened up about how she tracked her brother down to his home on the Isle of Man, two decades after he first left for the war. A snippet from the show, shared on April 22, has received 361,000 views on Instagram.
'The news was on, and I heard his name'
Dearden was very young when Fenton, her cousin, left home to fight World War II. Over the years, the duo lost contact and continued their lives without any expectation of a reunion. But that changed on August 15 last year, when Fenton, the Burma veteran, traveled over 200 miles to the United Kingdom to attend the 80th anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day). The WWII veteran had an unforgettable experience interacting with King Charles III, but that was only a part of the story. For his sister — who was watching the broadcast from Ulverston in Cumbria — that moment changed her life forever. "The news was on, and I heard his name... James Fenton, on the news, and I thought... that's my cousin," she recalled.
'Like I've got my father back'
When Dearden found out her brother was still alive, she immediately tracked his residence and decided to visit him. One of her biggest regrets was not finding him sooner, but she is ready to make the most of the time left. "I've almost felt like I've got my father back, if you will, even though James is a cousin, and when I saw him for the first time, that was a real thrill, and it's been a thrill ever since," Dearden added.
Ever since their reunion, Dearden traveled back and forth to meet her cousin several times. Interestingly, James has also met his cousin's extended family. He also reconnected with his second cousins, Tracy Gillet and Paul Dearden. "We all felt very sorry that we hadn't met him. So then, when we did finally find him, it was just magical," Gillet shared. For Paul, the reunion felt like a time travel. "...We had names on paper, but James was able to bring those people alive and not just tell us dates and names but their personalities. It really was like going back in time," he added.
James Fenton after the war
Fenton was a part of the 'Forgotten Army,' which comprised British soldiers who fought in Burma against Japan over the course of several years, achieving a crucial victory point in Imphal in World War II. The term 'forgotten' hints at how the press largely ignored this troop in favor of more sensational, fast-escalating coverage elsewhere in Europe. After the war ended, Fenton lived in Port Erin, from where he finally shifted to Douglas. He kept in touch with family during his service through letters, photographs, and paintings, which he rediscovered while cleaning his parents' house after they passed. These are now kept in the 'The Forgotten Army' book.
Meanwhile, the comment section was a mix of sadness and admiration. Many were heartbroken about how much time James and his family had lost, while others praised his family members for making the reunion happen. @inkd.fl wrote, "It’s so sad knowing how much distance has been since they saw each other last." @douglasandbert saw their own grandfather in James and wrote, "Bless him. Sitting in a shirt and trousers in his house, just like my grandad. What a wonderful generation."
You can follow ITV Granada Reports (@granadareports) on Instagram for more news content
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