John Gibson: Soldier was holding out as a Hiroo

WE used to blether about this at length when we sat next to each other in the editorial department long before we moved here.

Aidan Smith and yours truly, not without a giggle, I have to confess, about the one guy who was still fighting in the Second World War.

Japenese soldier Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda was still holding out in the Philippines oblivious to the fact that hostilities had ended more than 25 years ago.

Poor sod. We were convinced he would have run out of ammunition by then.

He eventually capitulated, one hopes hands high above his head.

He died in January 2014 and was presumably given a full military funeral.

The war was over nearly 30 years when he succumbed in 1974.

Incidentally, I see that the aforementioned Aidan Smith is up for a journalistic honour in the imminent press awards. Have to hope that he picks 
one up as the top features writer.

Taught him all he knows. I feel obliged to add that I’m only joking.

Good luck, son. You’ve worked for it. All the same very nice if you won the same year as the Hibees won the elusive Scottish Cup.

Up in the clouds

I’m still trying to fathom how the pilot, best I know, survived that horrendous Hawker Hunter crash last year, in a ball of fire at Shoreham.

Trying to recall when I last attended an air show. One I desperately had to see because it involved an aeroplane to which I’d become attached.

Air shows are no good thing these days.