WW1 soldier’s cartoons depicting life on the front line unearthed a century later

Private Henry Page (L) with a sketchbook, Salonika, Greece, successful 1917. (Image: SWNS)

A archetypal World War soldier’s scrapbook has been discovered – containing cartoons showing beingness connected the beforehand enactment and emotion letters to his partner.

Private Henry Page was a talented cartoonist who, earlier joining the British Army, worked arsenic “a decorator successful drawings” for London printing steadfast AG Reeves.

He volunteered successful October 1915 and aft a twelvemonth was sent to France.

Henry served six months determination earlier being moved to Salonika, Greece and aboriginal to Alexandria, Egypt, wherever helium caught typhoid.

His creation included depictions of the conflict to enactment up a campy bed, a worker keeping defender successful Europe, marching successful the rainfall
and a worker visiting the pyramids and bazaars.

Private Henry Page's never-before-seen cartoons. (Image: SWNS)

Some excerpts from his scrapbook. (Image: SWNS)

Henry’s scrapbook besides features decorated envelopes addressed to his Luton-based person Edith Pedley.

These cartoons depicted his hopes for their beingness post-war, arsenic portrayed successful a drafting of the 2 of them toasting the New Year. Another shows the lovers connected a clifftop – with Henry penning the words “What I’m Waiting For”.

The scrapbook was discovered among documents belonging to Southwark Archives.

Researchers from FindMyPast recovered the mates got joined and lived successful Luton, Beds.

Researcher Jen Baldwin said “This is simply a genuinely singular emotion communicative capable to past everything the Great War could propulsion astatine it.”

FindMyPast is offering escaped entree to subject records until Monday. Visit www.findmypast.co.uk.