Sorry I missed replying to this.
Stranger things have happened. Some years ago I worked on a book about coincidences, and some of them are completely amazing. I think these things have a way of working themselves out, especially if you have a strong desire to meet.
Here is an interesting one:
Stoker first escaped with two other naval officers on 23 March 1916 from the Afion-Kara-Hissard camp in the middle of Turkey, with the aim of reaching the coast, just under 200 kilometres distant. Steering by the stars, they headed due south, walking sometimes above the snow line and struggling to stay warm. After some nights, Stoker poisoned himself when a purifying tablet reacted with the colouring material used in his water bottle and he became delirious. It took some days for the effects to wear off.
On the eleventh night, in an effort to avoid guards, they had to make a forced night march through a pass in the Taurus Mountains, which lay between them and the sea. They were exhausted and dispirited, yet their nerves were taut. They saw the guards’ fires and stealthily crept past them. Signals lamps flashed in the dark and gale-force winds whistled through the peaks. Stoker says the effect was one of unreality, like a weird sort of dream bordering on a nightmare.
Then, in the middle of the night, he felt they were not three men struggling along in line but four. A Fourth Man was following at the end of the line. Stoker goes on:
When we stopped for a few minutes’ rest he did not join us, but remained in the darkness out of sight; yet as soon as we rose and resumed our march he dropped into his place forth¬with. He never spoke, nor did he go ahead and lead us; his attitude seemed just that of the true and loyal friend who says, ‘I cannot help, but when danger is at hand remember always that I am here to stand — or fall — with you. ‘
Stoker had at first thought he was again delirious and did not mention the ‘presence’ to the other two. Some hours later, they had made it safely through the pass and were resting in a safe hiding place. Then one of his companions mentioned that he had seen the Fourth Man and the other officer also admitted seeing him. All three had seen the man during the moments of greatest danger that night.
We were agreed as to the effect his presence had on each of us individually — the sense of friendliness and comfort; we were agreed that the moment he left us was when we felt we had put the danger behind.
Tony