In 1944, KT Robbins was stationed with his regiment in Briey, eastern France, where he fell in love with an 18-year-old French girl, Jeannine Pierson née Ganaye.

Two months later, he had to leave the village in a hurry for the eastern front, leaving them both wondering whether they would ever meet again.

He kept a picture of her and showed it to journalists from the French broadcaster, France 2, while they were filming a report on veterans in the United States. A few weeks later, he went to France for the commemorative ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

To his surprise, journalists had managed to track her down.