Detective work reveals more about prisoner's postcards

The postcards, almost all written by Private Tom How, were bought at a Market Drayton auction around the late 1970s by Mrs Alma Conboy, who is now 90.

However, a recent feature on Great War prisoners in the Star prompted her to get them out and take a closer look.

The postcards were sent by How to Mrs Min Bentley, at The Pines in Little Drayton, and to her daughter Hilda Bentley at the same address. In both cases he signs them off "your loving cousin." How, serving in the 4th Royal Fusiliers, was held at prisoner of war camps west of Berlin.

Alma, who lives at Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, says that since the postcards were featured in the Star several people have contacted her to say they found them interesting.

"I have a detailed military history of Tom How," she says. "He was born in London and had two children there before being called up as a reservist. He and his company landed at Le Havre in early August 1914 and he was taken prisoner at the Battle of Mons in late August. He did not die in the camp but was repatriated to London in 1919 and died in 1938."

And researcher John Paul Jeffels from north Shropshire has got on the case to find out more about the link between Tom and Min.

"Thomas James How's mother and Minnie's mother were sisters. Sadly all Minnie's line finished with the death of her only child in 1977," he says.

"I'm a family historian/genealogist and a member of the Shropshire Family History Society. I have done a lot of research over the past four years for people who would like some answers regarding their families or other things."

His sleuthing has discovered Min was born Minnie Downes on December 12, 1878, and was baptised at Grinshill. Her mother's maiden name was Newnes.

Min married Horatio Bentley on January 21, 1897. Minnie's father John Downes is recorded as a quarry manager.

The wedded Bentley couple lived at The Pines in Buntingsdale Road, and Horatio was one of the best known figures in parish life in Little Drayton. His father John was parish clerk at Christ Church for 55 years and when he died in 1907 Horatio took over and filled the role for 40 years, before retiring in 1946. His uncle William Bentley also served for two years, making 97 years' of Bentley family service. On his death in March 1952 a newspaper report described Horatio as the last of a family of sextons at Little Drayton.

Horatio and Min had one child, Hilda. Min died on February 4, 1969, aged 90. The obituary said she had lived at The Pines since its construction in 1907 and was a member of the Mothers' Union.

Daughter Hilda became Mrs Hilda Banks and was 79 when she died on March 16, 1977. She and her husband Frank Banks, who died not long afterwards, had no children and as a result the family line died out – and perhaps it was at this time that the postcards came up for auction.

As for Thomas How, the researches have shown he was born in 1884, which means he was an older soldier in his 30s at the time of the Great War. He married in 1908 and at the time he was being held prisoner he was a father of four, with a fifth child born in 1920.

He died aged 54 in the fourth quarter of 1938 in Islington registration district.