A PENARTH couple were involved in a bizarre case of mistaken identity on holiday last week - ending up on the front page of a Norwegian newspaper as part of the ceremonial return of a great war hero!

David and Deborah Wilson, of Sully Road, had planned to pay a quiet visit to the war museum in the north Norwegian city of Tromsø.

But when they arrived they were shocked, and confused, to be ambushed by waiting reporters and press - and the highest powers in the city, the mayor and leader of the council!

The pair had gone to the museum to find out more about David’s grandmother's brother, Wing Commander Paddy Gingles D.F.M.

One of the 'dam busters', he was also one of the pilots who bombed the German battleship Tirpitz, which was lying just outside Tromsø, in 1944.

But having rung ahead to arrange a tour David, 47, was mistaken as being the late war veteran himself and ended up – very embarrasingly he said – on the front page of iTromsø newspaper with the headline, ‘Tourist treated as war hero!’, and a full page spread inside.

Salesman David, originally from Northern Ireland, said: “We went to Norway for some down time and decided it would be nice to find out more about my great uncle.

"But when I rang ahead to arrange a tour, I said I was Captain Gingles' great-nephew, and they completely misunderstood. They thought I was bringing the captain with me!

“When we got to the museum we were greeted by two men who had been alive at the time of the war. One was a soldier in the Norwegian army.

"So when the press suddenly arrived, they thought our 90-year-old tour guide was Paddy, and I was his son. When we explained that was wrong, they thought I was Paddy!

"The next thing we knew we were being ushered to a meeting with the mayor and leader of the council!"

Deborah, who had arranged the trip through Penarth company The Polar People - specialists in arctic and antarctic holidays - added: “The men looked far too important to be sitting down with us for tea. It was all very embarrassing!

"But they were very welcoming and we all had a good laugh about it in the end.”

Journalist Eskil Wie wrote the story for iTromsø newspaper.

He said: “David and his wife Deborah were greeted as war heroes by the local government, because everybody thought Captain Paddy Gingles came to the city. The City Mayor and the highest administrator of the city invited them to the City Council.

“The Wilsons did not understand why two random tourists were invited to meet the two men with highest power in the little city of northern Norway.

“On the other hand, the mayor and leader of the city council did not understand why the pilot from World War II was looking so young.

“It was a big misunderstanding but very funny!”

And he said the mayor had told the Penarth pair they would be ‘welcome back any time’.

“Mayor Jens Johan Hjort said ‘This has been fun and misunderstandings happen'," added Eskil.

"They were sorry for the mix up, but it's not their fault. And I've said that they go back to Wales as great ambassadors for Tromsø!"

David, who has lived in Penarth for 18 years since moving from County Antrim in Northern Ireland - also the home of Captain Gingles - said: “We were in the country for five days and ended up international celebrities!

“It’s one to tell the friends about for sure!"