新媒网 · 跨境数据社区

A WW1 Red Cross volunteer. A globe-trotting butler. A selfless servant ❤️ These long-lost postcards, reunited with family decades later, reveal a brave soul with a heart yearning for home ⬇️ Frank William Hills was no ordinary butler. From the halls of British aristocracy to the sun-drenched streets of Egypt, Monte Carlo’s opulence, and the timeless landscapes of Italy, he served members of Parliament, a countess, and even an equerry to King George V. But no matter where his travels took him, he never failed to send postcards home to his beloved wife and young daughter. For years, his family thought these postcards were scattered to time, cherished messages lost forever. Until Jim Rayner bought the postcards at an auction. He runs the Facebook group 'Forgotten Messages Project', which reunites families with old postcards. Through meticulous research, the group traced Frank's great-granddaughter, Laura, and finally returned these lost pieces of their family history. And by delving into his story further, we learned even more about the remarkable man at the centre of this tale. Frank was serving with the British Red Cross when he married Constance Beasley during WW1. By the 1920s, he was a valet to MP John Lawrence Baird, who would later become Governor of Australia. Soon after, Frank found himself in the service of Sir Charles Leopold Cust, an equerry to King George V, journeying with him to Egypt in 1923. As WW2 erupted, Frank was butler to Clare, Countess Cowley. But when tragedy struck in 1949, his courage would define him. As flames engulfed Seagry House, the Countess cried out for help, but the fire had already consumed the stairs. Frank did everything he could, rescuing other staff members from the inferno. Though he couldn’t reach his employer, newspapers of the time hailed him as a hero. Thanks to Jim and his group, this piece of Frank's history is now safely reunited with his family, and his voice speaks again through the very postcards he once sent home. Do you have a quiet hero in your family? We'd love to hear their story ❤️ 📷 PA; Findmypast