A lost letter from a Second World War soldier has been returned after 76 years.
The letter was written by a lance corporal, known only as John, to thank schoolgirl Pat Moore for knitting mittens for troops.
He wrote it in Italy on a winter’s day in February 1944.
Incredibly, his letter was discovered 76 years later, tucked away inside a book being prepared for resale.
The discovery was made at World Of Books in Worthing, which teamed up with the British Red Cross in an attempt to reunite the letter with its rightful owner.
Remarkably, with the help of an amateur historian, the letter was returned to Pat’s daughter and only surviving child, Lynn Cook.
Lynn, who lives in Surrey, said she was “delighted” to be reunited with a piece of family history.
Pat never received a thank you for her kindness and died aged just 36 in 1964.
Lynn said: “It’s incredibly moving to know how much my mum’s contribution to the war effort meant on a personal level.
“I have early memories of watching my mother knit at home – it’s something she always enjoyed.
We stumbled across a piece of #HiddenHistory inside one of our books. A letter from a #WWII soldier to a little girl who knitted him some mittens. Listen to the letter below and read more about it in our blog https://t.co/Yc79vTtz9w@BritishRedCross #ArmisticeDay #RemembranceDay pic.twitter.com/ERG3YrAz45
— World of Books (@WorldofBooksltd) November 11, 2020
“And I remember her telling me stories of her writing to pen pals during the war. I suspect she snuck a little note in with the package in the hope a soldier would eventually reply.
“She would have been overjoyed with this and I’ll treasure it for ever.”
Lynn managed to track down the family of the soldier who wrote the kind letter to her mother to find out more about his life.
John Wheldon-Williams survived the war and returned to London, where he remained until he died in 1970.
His son, Brian Wheldon-Williams, became a successful stage actor, starring in a number of successful West End Shows including the original production of Cabaret alongside Dame Judi Dench.
Graham Bell, chief executive of World Of Books Group, said he was thrilled his business played a small part in reconnecting the two families.
He said: “Over 75 million used books come through our business each year, and we occasionally come across forgotten personal items tucked away inside them.
“It’s surprisingly common for people to place memories inside books for safe keeping, whether it be family photographs or letters from loved ones.
“But this find was particularly poignant and we knew we had to do something to return it to its rightful owner.
“We’re delighted to have found Lynn and learn more about the letter.”
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