Message in a bottle
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Christopher
May 11, 2010, 10:58:53 AM5/11/10
to World War One Literature
The other day a stroller on the beaches of Galicia, Spain, came across
a bottle containing a mysterious message, which was washed ashore. The
remarkable discovery received nationwide press coverage in Belgium
last week. The letter was directed to one Helena and contained
languishing words of love (in Dutch): "From a high rock I see the
ocean waves and I'm thinking of you. Sunset with a heaven bright red,
o I'm thinking of you with my heart in my hands." Referring to his
child, the letter-writer proceeds: "I will stay forever your daddy and
will always cherish you with all my heart, which loves you to pieces.
I miss you, but never forget that, whenever you close your eyes, I
will always be with you to stand by you and comfort you."
It now appears that the letter, which was found after an astonishing
ninety years, was meant to be read by Helena Delaey and daughter Marie-
Jeanne, wife and daughter of the writer Pierre Vandommele from
Roeselare, which is near Houthulst Forest and Langemarck-Poelkapelle
(just a few miles north of the Ypres Salient).
The astounding thing about this message in a bottle is that the bottle
was not found until now, by a bather strolling along the beach of San
Pedro de Muro, near Porto do Son in Galicia in Spain. It was Godelieve
Degryse, Pierre Vandommele's niece who succeeded in identifying both
the writer and the addressee.
After inspecting the letter, Godelieve is certain that it was her
uncle Pierre who wrote the letter while on duty as a soldier in the
Belgian forces during the Great War, after his wife and child had fled
to one of her brothers who lived at La Réole near Bordeaux in France.
Helena herself died 34 years ago, Pierre died 32 years ago.
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a bottle containing a mysterious message, which was washed ashore. The
remarkable discovery received nationwide press coverage in Belgium
last week. The letter was directed to one Helena and contained
languishing words of love (in Dutch): "From a high rock I see the
ocean waves and I'm thinking of you. Sunset with a heaven bright red,
o I'm thinking of you with my heart in my hands." Referring to his
child, the letter-writer proceeds: "I will stay forever your daddy and
will always cherish you with all my heart, which loves you to pieces.
I miss you, but never forget that, whenever you close your eyes, I
will always be with you to stand by you and comfort you."
It now appears that the letter, which was found after an astonishing
ninety years, was meant to be read by Helena Delaey and daughter Marie-
Jeanne, wife and daughter of the writer Pierre Vandommele from
Roeselare, which is near Houthulst Forest and Langemarck-Poelkapelle
(just a few miles north of the Ypres Salient).
The astounding thing about this message in a bottle is that the bottle
was not found until now, by a bather strolling along the beach of San
Pedro de Muro, near Porto do Son in Galicia in Spain. It was Godelieve
Degryse, Pierre Vandommele's niece who succeeded in identifying both
the writer and the addressee.
After inspecting the letter, Godelieve is certain that it was her
uncle Pierre who wrote the letter while on duty as a soldier in the
Belgian forces during the Great War, after his wife and child had fled
to one of her brothers who lived at La Réole near Bordeaux in France.
Helena herself died 34 years ago, Pierre died 32 years ago.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "World War One Literature" group.
To post to this group, send email to ww1...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to ww1lit+un...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/ww1lit?hl=en.
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