A WARTIME museum has launched a mission to reunite a prisoner of war’s letter home with his family - 76 years on.

Malton’s Eden Camp Modern History Theme Museum discovered the correspondence, written by a POW at sister camp ‘No. 172’, the Dog & Duck in Norton-in-Malton.

During the Second World War those captured as prisoners of war by the Allies were able to communicate with loved ones by the prisoner camp’s mail.

Relatives could write to a POW but there were several rules to remember: most POWs in Germany were not allowed to write more than two letters and four postcards a month; letters to POWs could only be two sides of notepaper, any longer and they would be delayed or even stopped; no information to do with the armed forces or the war effort; and no photographs or drawings.

The letter was discovered by Frank Wood, Eden Camp’s site and restorations manager, who said: “We are passionate about preserving heritage and telling the stories of those who lived through the war. There is nothing more personal than a letter home, so we are appealing to the public to try and help this letter find its family once more.

“It comes from a German POW, held at the Dog & Duck Camp No. 172 in Norton-in-Malton, called Hugo Holznagel, who was aiming to reach his mother and son. As you can see the letter has two stamps - a ‘Passed’ stamp, showing it had been through the censorship process, and then a ‘Blue’ stamp indicating the Red Cross postal service once sent this letter across the world.”

A translation of the letter reads: “My dear Mom and Son! I am still healthy, I have not yet received any mail from you, it will also be of little use that I write to you, because I do not know where you are, but everything is being tried. Greetings, Your Daddy.” Contact Eden Camp on 01653 697777.