Messages from WWI Soldiers Discovered in Bottle After 107 Years

Messages in a bottle written by two Australian soldiers during World War I have been uncovered more than a century later on the coast of Australia. The Brown family discovered the Schweppes-brand bottle while cleaning Wharton Beach near Esperance, Western Australia, on October 9, 2023. The bottle contained letters from Privates Malcolm Neville and William Harley, dated August 15, 1916, just days after their troop ship, the HMAT A70 Ballarat, set sail from Adelaide.

Deb Brown, who found the bottle alongside her husband Peter and daughter Felicity, recounted their regular beach cleanup, stating, “We do a lot of cleaning up on our beaches and so would never go past a piece of rubbish. So this little bottle was lying there waiting to be picked up.” The letters, penned in pencil, reveal a snapshot of life aboard the ship as it made its way to the battlefields of France.

Historical Context of the Soldiers’ Letters

Privates Neville and Harley were part of the 48th Australian Infantry Battalion, which aimed to reinforce troops on the Western Front. The letters illustrate their experiences during the voyage. Neville wrote to his mother, Robertina Neville, expressing his satisfaction with the food and reporting that they were “as happy as Larry,” a colloquial expression meaning very happy. He humorously noted that one meal was “buried at sea.”

Harley, whose mother had passed away by 1916, allowed the finder to keep his note. He wrote, “may the finder be as well as we are at present,” while also mentioning their location as “Somewhere in the Bight,” referring to the Great Australian Bight, which stretches from Adelaide to Esperance.

Tragically, Neville was killed in action just a year later, while Harley survived the war despite being wounded twice, ultimately passing away in Adelaide in 1934 from cancer believed to be caused by exposure to gas in the trenches.

Discovery and Preservation of the Bottle

The Brown family suspects that the bottle had spent much of the past century buried in the sand dunes before being dislodged by recent coastal erosion. “The bottle is in pristine condition. It doesn’t have any growth of barnacles on it,” Deb Brown noted, pointing out that the writing remained legible despite being wet. This clarity allowed her to notify the soldiers’ relatives about the find.

Ann Turner, Harley’s granddaughter, expressed her family’s astonishment at the discovery, stating, “We just can’t believe it. It really does feel like a miracle and we do very much feel like our grandfather has reached out for us from the grave.”

Meanwhile, Neville’s great nephew, Herbie Neville, reflected on the significance of the letters, saying, “It sounds as though he was pretty happy to go to war. It’s just so sad what happened. It’s so sad that he lost his life.” The discovery has not only connected family members to their ancestors but has also sparked interest in the stories of soldiers from the Great War.

This remarkable find highlights the personal narratives of individuals who served in World War I, reminding us of the human experiences behind historical events. The Brown family’s dedication to preserving their local environment led to the recovery of these poignant messages, bridging a century of history and personal connection.