A brother and sister have met each other for the first time – thanks to Navy News.

Clarie Davies, a former civil servant, separated from his wife Jessie when his son Allister was six years old, and had not seen Allister since a boating holiday when Allister was 11.

Allister continued to live with his mother in Plymouth, taking the surname Woodward, while Clarie remarried and settled down in Aultbea in the north of Scotland. Allister had been trying to track him down in recent years, with no luck.

Clarie and his second wife Ann had a daughter Miranda, but neither Allister nor Miranda knew of the other’s existence – until an article appeared in the January edition of Navy News on the new role of Executive Warrant Officer, focusing on Allister (45), who is the EWO on board HMS Chatham.

By chance, Miranda (20) had also joined the Navy, and was due home on Christmas leave, so Clarie bought a copy of Navy News. It was the unusual spelling of Allister that caught his eye.

“When Dad told me he thought that Allister was his son I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know I had a brother.

“But he wasn’t one hundred per cent sure. I just had to call the ship to find out if he was my brother.

“As soon as I got back to Portsmouth from leave I rang the ship, which was alongside in Plymouth.

“As I dialled the number I had very mixed feelings. I was excited but felt very nervous at the same time.”

Allister said: “I was piped to take a phone call on the flight deck. This voice said to me ‘I am Wren Writer Davies – recognise anything about that?’

“And I said well, no, but I know the name Davies – it used to be my surname.

“She said ‘I think I am your sister.’ I nearly fell on to the flight deck and was completely stuck for words.”

They established that they were indeed brother and sister, but as HMS Chatham was about to deploy to the Arabian Gulf, they would not be able to meet for at least six months.

But then fate took a hand. Miranda was working with the UK Maritime Battle Staff in HMS Excellent, on Whale Island in Portsmouth, and she was told she would be deploying to Bahrain as part of Operation Telic.

Once in the Gulf, it was a question of waiting for the ship to call in, which happened when the frigate hosted a visit by Secretary of State Geoff Hoon.

Miranda said: “I just had to get down to the ship. I thought I ‘d go at lunchtime. I took the shuttle bus from the HQ to the Pier and as we were approaching the ship saw him walking up the jetty.

“I shouted at the driver to stop and jumped off the bus. It was a good job I recognised him from the photo in Navy News.”

After an emotional reunion on the jetty the two said they were “chuffed to bits.”

Allister said: “To find I’ve got a gorgeous sister is fantastic. My kids, Samantha (20) and Ashley (17), are so excited to meet their new family. They can’t wait to meet their Grandad, Aunt and all the others.”

Allister said he had always wanted to trace his father, sitting down with his wife years ago to go through a phone book and call all the Davies’ without any luck.

“I plan to meet up with my Dad when the ship returns to the UK and when we get home Miranda and I will definitely keep in touch.”

Miranda said: “It’s so amazing how we got together. If I hadn’t gone home for Christmas leave I doubt that my Dad would have bought Navy News and seen Allister’s story. I’m on a real high right now.”