IN A POIGNANT coincidence, on Remembrance Sunday, three Petersfield sisters discovered a series of letters sent home from the frontline of the First World War by their grandfather.

Rebecca, Deborah and Sonia Geer were clearing the attic of their former family at Steep when they came across the documents and photographs of their paternal grandfather, Edward Geer, who, after the war, became manager of the Midland Bank’s branch in The Square, Petersfield, now HSBC.

The five previously-unknown letters were sent by Edward, or Ted, to his mother, who was then living in West Sussex. It’s believed he was in a Sussex regiment, although his descendants have little information about his Service career.

He had three sisters and one brother, Albert (Bert), who also enlisted. He was in the Royal Artillery but was killed at Ypres and is buried in Belgium. A page of one letter has been written by Bert to their parents, dated October 20, 1915.

He writes: “We are still resting but have not moved down yet. The weather has turned very cold but it is fine, which is the main thing.”

Bert then writes of a friend who has been wounded and asks after his brother. There’s then a request for some handkerchiefs to be sent to him and he ends: “Don’t worry. Love to all, your affectionate son.”

Ted refers to Bert as having “a pretty warm time of it” but his letters are mostly about the weather, receiving letters and parcels from home and his health. He is anxious that his family should chase up an order of photographs from a firm in Canterbury, Kent, of which some are for his mother and others for his girlfriend, Annie, who later became his wife.

He asks for a small sponge for washing to be sent to him, although “there is very little water to be had for drinking so all we have is tea in the morning and evening. I have got quite in the way of drinking a little now but, at first, it was awful.

“We get a little bacon for breakfast, rice and currants for dinner and soup for tea. I like the biscuits better than I did.”

In an undated letter, Ted writes he shall be very pleased to get a parcel. “I wonder if you sent me any candles in it for we can’t get any out here and it is so rotten never having a light after 6pm, the time it gets dark here now.”

On October 29, 1915, Ted complains of parcels arriving smashed up but he did receive five letters from his family and Annie and says it is better to send things in tins or strong wooden boxes.

Again, he asks for candles, some plain chocolate and cakes. He received cigarettes from Annie in the letter post and adds: “We get plenty of tobacco out here but not too many cigarettes.”

Rations had improved. “We get plenty of meat here but never get any cheese, butter or cake.”

Ted’s letter written on December 7, 1915, is not as neat as the earlier ones and he writes of freezing weather. He ends: “I wish you all a merry Christmas and hope we shall all be together again by the next.”