While the world was at war, two lovers found peace and comfort in letters and each other.
And now these love letters have been discovered under the floorboards of the Esplanade Hotel in Scarborough.
The collection was found under the floor of a utility room while the property was undergoing renovations.
The couple’s names are unknown, but the woman signed one of her letters ‘Yours For Ever, M’. Her male companion is believed to have been a soldier.
Items such as ticket stubs, cigarette packets and chocolate wrappers from the WWII era were also uncovered.
Both the letters and other items were found by workers at the hotel who then handed them over to the Scarborough Archaeological and Historical Society.
Scarborough Archaeological and Historical Society say the letters were written between 1941 and 1944.
During this period, the Esplanade Hotel accommodated soldiers who were either still in training or between postings.
In one of the letters, ‘M’ wrote: ‘You are always in my thoughts night and day.
‘Wherever you may go my darling don’t ever forget that I love you more than anything else on earth. I am longing for your leave.’
In another, believed to have been written by the man, he told his love: ‘Time doesn’t seem to go so quickly up here & the days drag & I suppose they’ll fly when I get home again. Oh darling I’m so lonely without you.’
Marie Woods, from the society, told the BBC that one significant clue is a return address in the top right-hand corner: 50 Dellburn Street in Motherwell, Lanarkshire.
She now hopes to trace family member and put the ‘pieces of the jigsaw together.’
‘When I first started going through the material and realised exactly what it contained I thought ‘Oh my life these are stories about real people’. It’s a real treasure trove find’, she said.
‘The letters are extremely evocative and bring home the personal emotions of people who experienced the traumas brought about as a result of war.
‘It would be truly wonderful, if by some miracle, we were able to find out more about these wartime sweethearts and their lives after the war.’
Marie added that it was hoped the material would be put on display in the hotel for the public to enjoy.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2021/03/12/wwii-love-letters-found-under-the-floorboards-of-seaside-hotel-14231268/
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