A series of sketches that a love-sick soldier sent to his girlfriend back in Britain as he dreamed of the end of the First World War have been unearthed.
From his digs in Greece, France and Egypt, Private Henry Page conjured up drawings on the backs of the envelopes he used to send letters to his Essex-based sweetheart, Edith Pedley, who he would go on to marry.
On one envelope, Private Page depicted him and Edith sitting on an idyllic clifftop. Scrawled on the side of the sketch are the words, ‘what I’m waiting for’.
It was a simple demonstration of his longing for Armistice Day, which finally came on November 11, 1918 – 106 years ago.
Another of the soldier’s sketches showed the couple toasting the New Year with a drink. In a third, Private Page drew himself writing letters to Edith in Bed.
The envelopes were pasted into a scrapbook that also featured dozens of sketches showing the realities of serving in the Great War.
One depicts the struggle to put up a camp bed. Another shows a soldier on guard duty and a third reveals the pyramids and local bazaars in Egypt.
The collection of the soldiers sketches was found among documents in the collection of Southwark Archives and has now been digitised by ancestry website Findmypast.
Unlike nearly 900,000 British soldiers who were killed in the First World War, Henry did survive to be reunited with Edith.
Research carried out by Findmypast discovered that the couple were married by the mid-1930s and living in Luton.
They had been a couple since at least the time Henry signed on in 1915
The records also show how Henry was able to indulge his passion.
The 1939 Register – which was used to produce ration books and ID cards during the Second World War – reveals he was working as a ‘commercial artist’.
Private Page joined the army as a volunteer in October 1915 and spent the first year of his service in the UK.
He was then sent to France with the Walworth TA Unit, 24th London Regiment and spent six months across the Channel.
In early December 1916, the soldier was sent with his regiment to the Greek city of Thessaloniki, which was then known as Salonika.
Private Page was there for another six months before being posted to Alexandria, Egypt in June 1917.
It was while in the Middle East that he caught typhoid fever and spent 16 weeks in hospital.
Records show that Edith was born in Mile End in September 1891. She was the second oldest of John and Hannah Pedley’s five surviving children.
In 1911, Edith was listed in the census as living with her parents and younger siblings and working as a shorthand typist.
The former soldier and his wife lived in Luton until at least the end of the 1950s.
Henry passed away in Ringwood, Hampshire, in December 1976 at the age of 87. Edith kept her husband’s letters for the rest of her life. She died in 1984.
Commenting on the findings, Jen Baldwin, research specialist at Findmypast, said: ‘This is a truly remarkable love story that was able to survive everything the Great War could throw at it.
‘It’s also a fantastic example of the level of detail that our records can provide.
‘Remembrance Day is the perfect opportunity for people to uncover and honour their own ancestors’ sacrifices, and paint a picture of the reality of life (and sometimes love) at war.’
Patricia Dark, archivist at Southwark Archives, said: ‘Southwark Archives holds collections of local people and organisations dating back hundreds of years.
‘Our collections provide a window into what life was like for the people of Southwark from Shakespeare’s day to today.
‘We’re really happy to partner with Findmypast and open up our records and provide access at home to Southwark residents and wider audiences and researchers around the world.’
Findmypast is offering free access to military records during Remembrance Weekend (7-11th November) to enable everyone to uncover their own ancestors’ wartime stories.