WORLD War Two veteran Sam Soady, who will be celebrating his 103rd birthday next month, has waited for 68 years for a dream to come true.

In 1944 Sam was in Northern France attached to a company involved in the push to get the Germans out of the region.

At Port-en-Bessen several houses were demolished to make the roads wider for the advancing British forces, and among the ruins Sam found the model body of a French Crabber. He visualised how it would look in his house back home in Looe and dreamt that one day it would be restored to its former beauty.

It was cleaned up, packed into his tent bag and brought home from the war.

Now after all this time, thanks to a labour of love from Sam's good friend Harry Southern, the French Crabber is fully restored and takes pride of place in Sam's sitting room.

Harry, who is renowned for his outstanding model making, is a member of the Looe Model Boat Society, and has been working on the restoration since March.

Sam is thrilled to finally have the model on display in his home.