Postcard arrives... 94 years after it was sent

[TrueBlueTerrier]

by Krissy Storrar, Daily Mirror 21/02/2011

A POSTCARD from a soldier about to go off to fight in the First World War has arrived – 94 years late.

Alfred Arthur, 19, wrote the card to his sister Ellen, or Nell, in January 1916, the day before he was shipped off to the trenches in France.

Posted from his camp in Newhaven, East Sussex, the message read: “Dear Nell, just a postcard to let you know I have not forgotten you. On the other side you will see our orders for next week. Poor me, I shall need your pity. Drop me a line, from brother Alfred.”

But the postcard was never delivered and Alfred died two years later at the Hindenburg Line at Grecourt.

Nell died in 1964 but the postcard was pushed through the door of Lauren Bleach’s home in Norwich last November. Lauren, 61, who lives opposite the house where Alfred and his family used to live, said: “It came with the rest of the post. We couldn’t believe our eyes.

“At first we found it amusing that it had taken 94 years for Royal Mail to deliver it, and even then they delivered it to the wrong door. But then as we started to read what the postcard said we were so emotionally taken by it. His sister might never have known that her brother had written to her, and he might never have known why his sister didn’t write back like he’d asked.”

With the help of a local genealogist, Lauren tracked down one of Alfred’s great-nephews, Brian Buxton, and his great-niece, Angela Finch, and yesterday handed over the postcard.

Brian, 68, from Norwich, said: “It’s unbelievable and also very sad. He tragically died yet he didn’t know that she hadn’t received it. I feel sorry for Nellie – they were close yet she never heard from him. But I’m glad that this has finally been delivered to her family.”

3 The Story of Alfred’s Postcard, BBC Inside Out East, BBC One, tonight at 7.30pm.

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-storie ... z1EbUAoWY3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TrueBlueTerrier]

by Krissy Storrar, Daily Mirror 21/02/2011

A POSTCARD from a soldier about to go off to fight in the First World War has arrived – 94 years late.

“At first we found it amusing that it had taken 94 years for Royal Mail to deliver it, and even then they delivered it to the wrong door.

[fishtank]

"On the other side you will see our orders for next week."

I think that could be "Disclosing information known or believed to be useful to an enemy, without lawful authority".
Dear old Alfred.

[chelseachris]

It makes last years christmas mail not look so bad

[stokes11eg]

better late than never!

[sevenandseven]

How do we know it wasn't delivered 94 years ago? There are currently 165,000 postcards, many used and addressed, for sale on eBay and there are thousands more that are sold at postcard fairs. Someone having a bit of fun on a quiet news day? Already bored with the rubber band story?

[blue1873]

It makes last years christmas mail not look so bad

Are you sure all last Christmas mail has been delivered yet