| Danny Church (26), a sergeant in the Scots Guards, and his Japanese wife Julia were expected to arrive in Phuket two hours before the full impact of the earthquake.
Unable to make any contact since with the couple, Danny’s family back in River Street in Brechin have been frantic.
They never received the promised call to say the couple had arrived safely.
His father Danny snr and younger brother Darren (23) travelled south to the Chelsea barracks to meet army representatives.
They also visited the married quarters flat occupied by Danny and Julia to search for some indication of the couple’s itinerary.
They were posted missing on the British Red Cross website and family and friends were also posting messages on the Internet urging the couple to get in touch.
Meanwhile, his mother Shirley and sister Jennifer (22) were keeping vigil by the telephone desperately waiting for news.
They had virtually lost all hope of the couple surviving when a call came through from London from Danny.
The couple had boarded a flight from the UK on Christmas Day to return to the island they had fallen in love with while on honeymoon a year ago.
However, it has transpired they were just one flight from disaster.
In the luckiest break of their lives, their holiday destination was changed at the last minute and their plane diverted to Koh Samui, a remote resort on the southern tip of Thailand.
It was only when they returned from their holiday and landed back in London that they realised the scale of the tsunami terror and phoned home immediately.
Speaking today from Windsor Castle where he is on guard duty, Danny said, “We knew nothing at all about the disaster.
“There was no hint at all of anything wrong at Koh Samui which is at the other side of Thailand from where it happened.
“I was in the sea swimming and kayaking. I had left my mobile phone at home and saw no reason to make contact.
“The first we knew of anything wrong was when we arrived at Bangkok on the way home.
“There were TV screens in the arrival lounge, and we realised what had happened. I phoned home as soon as we got back to London.”
His mother today still tearful after hearing her son’s voice, said, “Danny and Julia were completely unaware of the disaster.
“Even on their way back at Bangkok airport, when they saw all these people battered and bruised, they just wondered what kind of holiday they had been having.
“They asked what had happened and were told there had been some kind of disaster.
“But it was only when they got back to London that they realised the full extent of what had happened.
“When we received their call, we all burst into tears.
“It was highly emotional.
“We had given up all hope for them. We thought we would never see them again.
“I still burst into tears when I think about it. I am still trying to get myself together.
“Of course Julia’s parents have been going through the same agony, and she has been in touch with them.
“It’s all been heart wrenching.” |
