A STOURPORT family who grew up with "hatred" for the Japanese after two relatives died while serving as prisoners of war in the Far East have told of their heart-rending voyage of reconciliation.

Les Dutfield's uncle and his mother-in-law's twin brother both died in Japanese custody when they were captured during the Second World War.

As a result, some family members had grown up with a deep hatred of all Japanese, particularly older relatives most directly affected by the deaths, said Mr Dutfield.

Then suddenly, two years ago, a Japanese woman called Keiko Holmes contacted the family and asked to meet them.

"She had become aware of the hurt, grief and resentment of the ex Far East Prisoners of War and their families and set about trying to bring about some reconciliation," he said.

She had set up her own charity, Agape Reconciliation, backed by funding from Japanese individuals and companies and, as a result, Mr Dutfield, his wife and her mother were flown to Japan last year.

"We visited two memorial parks and held short services of remembrance, were invited into schools to talk to Japanese children about the war and were entertained by the Japanese Foreign Office," he said.

"My mother-in-law still grieves at the loss of her twin brother but now the hatred has gone for the Japanese. We often see her wearing the kimono she purchased while in Japan."

Mrs Holmes has been awarded the OBE for her work and has been urged to extend her work into Australia, America and around the Pacific Basin.

Mr Dutfield was moved to write after reading a Shuttle/Times&News article last month about a Bewdley woman's calls for cash support for a memorial to remember prisoners of war.

Jayne Greene, 31, is the youngest member of the charity Children and Families of the Far East Prisoners of War. Her father, Ray Arnold, survived but was psychologically scarred for life by what he experienced.