Messages in a Bottle: WWI Soldiers' Letters Found After a Century

In a remarkable discovery, two messages in a bottle from World War I soldiers have been found on a remote beach in Western Australia, over a century after they were written. The letters, penned in 1916, offer a glimpse into the lives of two Australian soldiers as they embarked on their journey to the battlefields of France.

One of the letters was written by Private Malcolm Neville, who cheerfully told his mother that the food on board was 'real good' and that they were 'as happy as Larry'. Tragically, Neville was killed in action just months later at the age of 28. The other letter came from Private William Harley, who survived the war and returned home.

The discovery was made by Deb Brown and her family during a beach clean-up. Despite being wet, both letters were still legible. Brown took it upon herself to track down the soldiers' descendants, who were stunned by this unexpected connection to their ancestors. The letters have now been passed on to the families, bringing a piece of history back to life after more than 100 years.