Fonds consists of correspondence between Private William Stafford and Helena Robertson while William was serving overseas in England, France and Belgium during the First World War. During the time of their correspondence, Helena was living in Lambeth, Ontario.
During the dark days of the First World War, France found itself host to many Belgian refugee women and children while war ravaged their homeland. Anxious to help their men-folk in their battle for freedom, the women, among other things, made beautiful hand embroidered cards to sell to the Allied soldiers. These have since become some of the most desirable nostalgia available to the postcard world. Some of these cards have found their way to the Elgin County Museum and with them come a love story. The cards had been sent from the battlefields of France and Belgium by Gunner Will Stafford to Helena Robertson of Lambeth. They are beautiful cards with touching messages – ‘A kiss from France’ or ‘With loving wishes’ and ‘I don’t forget you’. Both Will and Helena sent other cards of a more common type. Some were in a numbered series, each carrying a verse from a well known poem or hymn. Thus the receiver would know if all the mail was reaching its destination. In this case, as indicated by the messages, they also acted as tracers for the letters which interspersed the cards. It was later learned that Will came home in good health, married Helena and together they had a daughter, Elsie and a son, Arnold. J. Kirby
