Stirling station renovation uncovers postcards from World War One
- Published
Many of the postcards and papers date from during World War One
A treasure trove of papers and postcards dating back to World War One has been discovered during renovation work at Stirling station.
The Caledonian Railway postcards were sent to people in the Stirling area, asking them to collect items which had been sent on the train.
Several were dated April 1916 and sent to troops and regiments stationed in the barracks at Cambusbarron.
An appeal has now been launched to trace the soldiers' families.
Network Rail contacted the regimental museums for the Gordon Highlanders, the Cameron Highlanders and the Black Watch in a bid to find out where the soldiers were stationed during the war, and if and when they returned home.
Kirsty Ryder from Network Rail told BBC Scotland's Morning programme: "We've actually made some remarkable progress over the last year, but we're keen to know more. , external
"Our biggest success story so far, is that we have Lieutenant John Neil Campbell, a Glasgow-born man.
"He was educated at Hutcheson's Grammar School, and the archivist there has been so helpful in helping us piece together the stories and details of his life."
Network Rail is keen to trace any living relatives of the soldiers
Ms Ryder said Network Rail had a working theory about why the papers ended up in the station's roof space.
She said: "We think they've received these postcards to go and collect something from the station.
"And we then think that the postcards have just been put in a bundle the way we frequently do with with admin.
"At some point they've been moved up into the office, into the crawl space, then literally just abandoned and unnoticed for over 100 years."
The postcards were discovered in the station's roof space during renovation work.
Ms Ryder said some of the postcards were in good condition, but others had become fragile over time.
It is hoped they will eventually be preserved and put on display or given to the families.
She said: "We'd really be keen to to meet any surviving family and let them have the postcards.
"I think about if I was in that position, and I had this almost random contact about my great grandfather and my grandfather.
"How incredible would that be?"