Wartime love letters discovered under Scarborough hotel floorboards
- Published
Archaeologists found this scrunched up letter and believe the man sent another version once he bought some ink
Two wartime sweethearts' love letters have been discovered under the floorboards of a seaside hotel.
The handwritten notes and an array of objects dating back to World War Two were found during renovations at the Esplanade Hotel in Scarborough.
The pair, whose names are unknown, declare their love for one another, with the man writing: "Oh darling I'm so lonely without you".
Historians are asking for help to find out more about the lovers.
Their letters were found underneath a small utility room on the hotel's first floor.
Handwritten poems and other objects including ticket stubs, cigarette packets and chocolate wrappers were also discovered.
The woman's three page reply was among dozens of other objects found under the floorboards
Scarborough Archaeological and Historical Society has been researching the material and said it dated back to between 1941 to 1944.
During that time, the hotel was requisitioned by the military to provide accommodation for soldiers who were training or between postings.
Marie Woods, from the society, said it had evidence that several squadrons and companies stayed at the Esplanade, including the 184th Tunnelling Company of the Royal Engineers, the Royal Signals and the 7th Battalion, Rifle Brigade.
Ms Woods said the only clue to the pair's names was an M where the woman had signed one letter, but the rest had been "nibbled away by mice".
A return address on another note placed the woman at 50 Dellburn Street in Motherwell, Lanarkshire.
Archaeologists said they had no idea whether the man or women survived the war
They are hoping to find out more about their story by tracing family members
Ms Woods is hoping to be able to trace family members and put the "pieces of the jigsaw together".
She said: "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.
The objects were found stuffed underneath the floorboards in a utility room of the hotel
They were discovered during renovation work on the hotel overlooking Scarborough
She added: "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."
Ms Woods said it was hoped the material would be put on display in the hotel after lockdown for the public to enjoy.
The finds included old cigarette packets as well as laundry tickets and chocolate wrappers
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