Facebook post ends long search for WW1 soldier's relatives 'in hours'

Ms Bernardet said the letters were "full of support"

The family of a World War One soldier, whose letters from home were found under floorboards, have been traced, thanks to a historian's online appeal.

The letters, sent to Liverpool-born L/Cpl William Swift in 1916, were found in Noeux-les Mines in northern France.

Mathilde Bernardet said despite months of research, his family proved elusive, so she posted a plea on Facebook.

She said it was "shared a few thousand times" and "in less than four hours", they had found "a few connections".

The historian, who works for Memorial 14-18 museum at Notre Dame De Lorette, said L/Cpl Swift signed up to fight when the war began in 1914 and arrived in France as part of the King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment in 1916.

He fought at the Battle of the Somme and was later billeted to Noeux-les Mines, where the letters from his family were found, along with some World War One ammunition, by a schoolteacher during a building renovation more than a century later.

L/Cpl Swift fought at the Battle of the Somme and was later billeted to Noeux-les Mines

Ms Bernardet said they were "just simple letters, sent by parents who care about their son".

"The letters are full of support," she said.

"The mum says she misses her son - she hopes he is doing well, keeping well and that she trusts in him.

"It's full of love really."

L/Cpl Swift was killed a year later at the Battle of Arras at the age of 19 and is buried at the nearby Tilloy British Cemetery.

Ms Bernardet said she hoped L/Cpl Swift's family could visit his grave in France

Ms Bernardet said her team were so touched by the writings, they wanted to find the soldier's relatives to share the letters with them, but the search proved difficult.

"We had been running research on our own for months and didn't find much, so we decided to go on Facebook, hoping that we may be able to find a lead," she said.

"In less than four hours, the post had been shared a few thousand times and we had [found] a few connections to the family."

She said she now hoped to return the letters to L/Cpl Swift's relatives, who live near Liverpool.

"Hopefully, if they want, they can come to France and see where William is buried and where he fought," she added.