Alfred was serving in the Navy on board HMS Argus during World War Two with Hilda's newly-wed brother, Bernard Thompsett, when Bernard showed his friend some of his wedding pictures.

"I asked who the bridesmaid was – he said that's my sister.
I said I would like to meet her and so he said next time we go on shore leave come to dinner and you'll meet her then,"Alfred said.

But he nearly missed his big chance when the Argus was heavily bombed off Algiers, limping back to Gibraltar for repairs.

Newspapers reported the Argus had been sunk and all her crew lost.

"My family went into mourning and I was never much of one to write home so, when I arrived home two or three months later, my sister nearly fainted at the door – I was supposed to be dead," said Alfred.

Then Londoner Alfred finally got to meet Hilda after all.

"I met her and we fell in love but we decided not to get married during the war in case anything happened to me."

Soon after, Alfred was off to the Far East serving on HMS London, while Bernard was posted on The Boxer, a radar ship.

Alfred was present for the surrender of the Japanese at Sabang, in Sumatra, and returned from the war to marry Hilda in Chingford, Kent – with Bernard as best man.

Over the years, Hilda worked as a nurse, spending a large part of her career at a burns unit at a hospital in Billericay, while Alfred spent 12 years as a bus driver before working for a brewery.

He retired at 62 to look after his wife, who suffered from severe arthritis and had to have a leg amputated.

They moved to Barningham to be closer to Bernard, who lived at Brandon before moving to Mablethorpe.

The couple, who have two sons and two grandsons, were planning to celebrate their anniversary with neighbours and friends.