It was in 1943 when Bill Caldwell, an 18-year-old, wrote a postcard to his uncle Fred, based in Liverpool.
Although in the present, both Bill and Fred have died, the Royal Mail managed to deliver it to the mentioned address after 77 years, where a distant relative, Jack Elomaa, told Bill’s six children of the postcard’s arrival.
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This unexpected surprise caught Bill’s daughter, Joanna Creamer, off guard. “This is the most surreal thing that has happened on a Friday night, where I’m reading my dad’s written postcard from 77 years ago, when he was training to be a sailor in the Navy,” she said.
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The postcard involved Bill describing his excitement about joining the Navy. He wrote as follows:
“Well, I am in blue at last. I did not think it would be like this. You don’t get much time for yourself, do you? But I like it alright. I will write a letter to you all when I get half a chance, so will you hold on a bit? I have 19 weeks here yet. Give my love to everyone.”
A person from Royal Mail revealed that it is unlikely the postcard was lost or stuck somewhere in the network. Rather, it must have been put back into the postal system by someone recently.
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Bill’s daughter believes that the postcard arrived just at the right time when the family needed it most, as they have all been preparing for the funeral of Bill’s granddaughter, Fiona, who died in a 2016 car crash at the age of 17.
Bill surely may have given the family a sign that he’s with them. “It’s been a very emotional and special time for us and has brought lots of things up,” said one of Bill’s daughters, Elizabeth. “It’s hard to believe… to get this little message from my dad felt like a really special thing for us all.”
Just as Bill’s written postcard was waiting to be found after all these years, this 84-year-old woman who lost her engagement ring, finds it on a carrot, 13 years later.
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