A NORTH Yorkshire woman is hoping to trace a nurse who treated her husband, in the hope she can help clinch an appeal against a decision to deny her a war widow's pension.

Pat Lynch has been told by the Ministry of Defence that she is not entitled to any money as there is no proof that her husband was wounded in action.

Many war records kept in Whitehall were lost when offices were damaged by a German bomb.

Former SAS soldier Ben Lynch was treated by a nurse for his wounds following a reconnaissance patrol in France soon after D-Day.

In 2001, purely by chance, he was sitting in the waiting room at his doctor's surgery, in Whitby, when the same nurse approached him and asked if he recognised her.

Mr Lynch remembered their meeting and she explained she had worked in a hospital in Belgium during the Second World War.

However, as they were both called to doctor's appointments, he never found out anymore about her.

Mr Lynch died last year, aged 79, and his war pension was stopped soon afterwards.

The Royal British Legion is supporting Mrs Lynch's fight for a war widow's pension which, if successful, could open to the doors to claims from hundreds of others.

"Servicemen who were wounded during the war were issued with green employment cards which they could show when they applied for a job, but the cards tended to put potential employers off," said Mrs Lynch, at her home in Whitby, yesterday.

"As a result, Ben applied for an ordinary one and, as so many records are incomplete, had no trouble getting it. Of course, that meant he didn't get the disability allowance he was entitled to when he retired, until I persuaded him to apply for it.

"After a tribunal in Leeds, he was awarded 70 per cent of the money he was owed."

Despite the decision, Mrs Lynch was told in September she was not entitled to a war widow's pension. But, with the Royal British Legion's help, she intends to appeal - and the testimony of the former nurse could prove crucial.

"All I can do now is wait for my appeal date - and keep my fingers crossed that someone comes forward," said Mrs Lynch.

Anyone who can help is asked to contact (01947) 604893.