One of the dwindling band of World War II veterans who took part in the pursuit of the Bismarck has met the man who most recently visited the wreck.

Still flying more than 60 years after the bloody skirmishes which saw the pride of the British and German fleets sunk within days of each other, Fleet Air Arm veteran John Moffat flew down from Scotland in his Piper Colt aircraft to Midhurst, where he was based during the war, to meet local deep-sea explorer David Mearns.

David, of Blue Water Recoveries, led an expedition in 2001 to find the wreck of HMS Hood, sunk by Bismarck in May 1941 with the loss of all but three hands, and re-visit the remains of Hitler’s flagship, previously located by legendary oceanographer Bob Ballard – the man who found the Titanic.

Having sunk the Hood, Bismarck made for the safety of Brest in France as it was losing fuel. But it never made it. Waves of British Swordfish torpedo bomber attacks finally scored a hit on the battleship’s rudder which jammed, leaving Bismarck circling helplessly.

It was finally sent to the bottom on May 27 by an overwhelming British force under the command of Admiral Sir John Tovey, Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet.

Ballard never publicised Bismarck’s final resting place, so the information former Swordfish pilot Mr Moffat provided was invaluable.

He was ordered to deliver the coup de grâce to the German warship, but arrived to find the ship in its – Bismarck’s captain decreed his ship was male, not female – death throes.

“When we got about 1,000 yards from the ship, it suddenly turned on its side. I flew over it, maybe 50 feet off its deck, and all those poor people in the water, hundreds of them. Terrible,” Mr Moffat recalled.

The two men had never met face-to-face before getting together at the Angel Hotel in Midhurst, in West Sussex.

“John was a great help in the discovery of the Bismarck wreckage,” said David.

“ We spoke often in the making of a TV documentary on our expedition, but we never met.

“He really helped fill in the gaps on miscellaneous details of the attack. I’m pleased to have finally met him – he’s a great inspiration.”

The Fleet Air Arm veteran added his name to that of fellow veterans of the pursuit in a signed copy of David’s book on the 2001 expedition and the battle, Hood and Bismarck.