MEMORIES came flooding back for Second World War Royal Navy veteran John "Jack" Sloan on a surprise trip to the coast at the weekend.

Jack, 86, from Darlington, thought he was going to visit a new shopping development when daughter Maureen and her partner, Colin Bolton, took him to Seaham Harbour, County Durham, on Saturday.

But as Colin drove down to the dockside a visiting Royal Navy minesweeper, berthed in the harbour, came into view.

Jack, who joined up in 1938 and saw most of his seven-year service on minesweepers, said: "My eyes lit up. I just said: 'Look, it's a sweeper'."

Unknown to Jack, Colin had arranged for him to go on board the vessel, HMS Chiddingfold, during her four-day visit.

"It was out of the blue, the last thing I was expecting, but it was marvellous. I was treated like a visiting dignitary."

Sub-Lieutenant Mark Headley and Petty Officer Terry "Basher" Briggs gave their VIP guest a guided tour, and Jack was suitably impressed at the advances since his wartime days.

"A lot has changed, yet it still took me back. This has all mod cons now though, with all sorts of computers, and it can even run on auto-pilot."

To cap off his unforgettable day, Jack had lunch with the Chiddingfold's captain, Commander Craig Fulton.

"That was a hell of an honour. When I finished I was a first class stoker, but I was just used to eating down on the ratings' mess deck," said Jack.

During his years at sea Jack saw all parts of the world, and was involved in the invasion of Sicily, plus minesweeping waters around Malta and the Adriatic.

HMS Chiddingfold has just returned from duty in the Adriatic as part of a ten-nation UN force clearing mines.

Jack, who earned several campaign medals and the Maltese Cross for his wartime efforts, worked as a stoker on the railways on his return to civvy street