British, German WW 1 soldiers embrace

DORTMUND, Germany, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Britain's and Germany's oldest living veterans of World War I with ages totaling 219 years have reconciled with a hug, 90 years after fighting one another.

At an informal ceremony in Witten, near Dortmund, Germany, 110-year-old Henry Allingham from England met with 109-year-old Robert Meier, The Guardian reported Tuesday. It was the first time Allingham had been to Germany since 1919.

Supported by Royal Air Force soldiers, Allingham laid a wreath of poppies at the foot of the town's war memorial and then walked over to Meier.

Although the men fought against one another in the same sector of the Western Front in 1917 and can't speak one another's language, they maintained their handshake for a long time before hugging, the newspaper said.

"I'm very happy to be here and remember how good the German people were to me when I was last here in 1919," Allingham said.

The men cited either whisky or a glass of schnapps as an element to their longevity and both will participate in Armistice Day events marking the end of the war on Nov. 11, 1918, the report said.