THEY were sworn enemies during the Second World War a f t e r submarine HMS Saracen was hit by a depth charge from Italian warship Minerva.

But this is the unlikely tale of an enemy seaman who took a British Navy seaman as prisoner of war — then sent him a Christmas card AND a cake 67 years later.

Arthur Melling, aged 87, from Breightmet, was sh o c k ed an d delighted when he received the festive gift f rom Seaman D e i Rossi.

T he po s t m a n delivered a traditional Italian Christmas cake and a card which read: “From one old seaman t o another, Mer ry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”

F o r m e r N a v a l Seaman Melling said: “There was a knock on the door and it was the postman with a huge box.

“I wondered what the heck it was.

“It was the last thing I expected.”

Mr Melling met the Italian a few years ago in Italy at a reunion event.

The pair had kept in touch. But it had been several years since he had heard from the former seaman.

Mr Melling added: “I’ve had the odd letter before but nothing like this — I was amazed.”

THE former navy man was taken prisoner of war twice in the space of nine months.

But August 14, 1943, was his darkest day.

HMS Saracen was forced to the surface north-east of Bastia on the north-east coast of the island of Corsica, France, by depth charges from the Italian corvettes Minerva and Euterpe.

Four close pals lost their lives that day on board HMS Saracen which had a crew of around 30.

A further two seamen from HMS Saracen were killed in the Second World War — one in a prisoner of war camp and one while trying to escape from one of the camps.

Mr Melling survived though and was taken on board the Minerva and dispatched to a prisoner of war camp in Italy.

He later escaped but was recaptured and sent on a train to Germany.

On board, he and his comrades became victims of friendly fire when an American plane bombed the PoW carriages.

Mr Melling, who lives with his wife Doris in Breightmet, and fellow prisoners had been previously warned that anyone attempting to escape would be shot dead.

But when their train was hit, Mr Melling spied his chance.

“I got up to get through the roof but other Brits were pulling me back saying I’d be shot, but we’d just been bombed — I said I’d take my chances.When I got off the train I ran and ran.

“I didn’t have any boots because they’d been taken off us. I crossed over a river and got to a farmyard.

“There were women there and they bandaged me up and gave me something to drink.”

The seaman was later rescued by British troops and returned home. He had to sign the Official Secrets Act when he got back to Britain.