During work last year to refurbish the roof of Stirling station in Scotland, a large cache of postcards dating back to the First World War were discovered in the roof crawl space.

Although the work on the roof is now complete, the postcards continue to provide insights into the lives of men who served in local regiments.

Network Rail is endeavouring to find out more about the men to whom the postcards were addressed. They have now made the postcards publicly available and asked for the public’s help in identifying the postcards’ senders.

Since work started on researching the postcards, progress has been made to identify some men and unearth the stories behind them. With the help of regimental museums, information and photos about three of the soldiers have been revealed.

Among the stories uncovered are service and bravery in the Battle of Loos and at the Somme, as well as human interest tales of the men’s lives outside the army in civilian life. As well as stories of marriage and starting families, one case threw up tales of theft and bigamy.

As it is now a year since the discovery of the postcards was revealed, and with the approach of Armistice Day, Network Rail is providing an update on progress with the research, and reiterating its appeal for anyone who has information about the postcards or their senders to get in touch to help complete the soldiers’ stories.

So far, a search for a soldier serving with the 6th Blackwatch whose name could be George, Rankine, Raukine, Ranking or Rankins has drawn a blank during research by both Network Rail and the Blackwatch regimental museum.

Captain and Quartermaster, Arthur James MacDonald

Captain and Quartermaster, Arthur James MacDonald of the 8th Cameron Highlanders rejoined the Army at the outbreak of war in 1914 as a commissioned officer. He was sent with his regiment from Dingwall to Stirling. then in September 1915 sent to fight in the Battle of Loos.

During the battle, the regiment suffered heavy losses, and only 58 of the original 776 men survived the day, with Capt. MacDonald among them. On 28th October 1918, he was wounded, presumably during the final Allied Offensive, and since this was just a few weeks from Armistice, the Regimental Museum believes it likely he survived the war and returned home.

Private and Corporal, Walter Reddiford

It is believed that Private and Corporal, Walter Reddiford, was born on 19th March 1898 in Lancashire. In May 1916 he signed up to B Company, 11th Gordon Highlanders, as a Private then in June 1916 he was promoted to Lance Corporal and to Corporal in August of that same year.

Around that time, he was part of a draft that joined the British Expeditionary Force in France and was posted to the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders. During the Battle of the Somme, July – November 1916, the battalion suffered many losses, and it is likely that Corporal Reddiford was posted as part of reinforcements to make up for the losses sustained. From 1917 until the end of the war the battalion served in Italy.

Corporal Reddiford survived the war and was awarded the Victory Medal and British War Medal. After returning home, he married Mary Ann Heywood in 1918, and after being demobbed in 1919 he went to live with her in Royton. They moved to Wrexham in 1920, but later that year he sent her back home to her parents. It is thought they had two children.

Corporal Reddiford is next heard of again in a newspaper article where he is charged with theft, forgery, and bigamy. He was accused of stealing two cheques belonging to Colonel Gregson of Southport and of forging and uttering one of them for £6 5s. 6d. When he was arrested he was found to have in his possession letters that led to a charge of bigamy against him. Florence N Stanbrooke testified that in March 1922 she had been through a form of marriage with Reddiford.

2nd Lieutenant John Neil Campbell

2nd Lieutenant John Neil Campbell was born in Glasgow in October 1896 and educated at Hutcheson’s Grammar School in Glasgow. In November 1915 he enlisted in the 11th Gordon Highlanders. On 10th September 1916, he joined the British Expedition Force in France and was posted to the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders with the rank of Temporary Lieutenant. When the war ended, he was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. After being demobbed he moved to 20 Queen Mary Avenue, Glasgow.

Research in the archives of Hutcheson’s Grammar school shows that in 1934 he married Ethel May Rodgers. The England and Wales Register of 1939 lists him as a chartered accountant, living in Cuckfield, Sussex. He died on April 20th, 1968, and it is believed that he was survived by his three children.