18 year old Ordinary Seaman Edward Ashton, Royal Navy was injured whilst serving on HMS Patroller in 1943. He was transferred to hospital and nursed in Melbourne, Australia by sister Morrison. Sadly, he died of his injuries on 26th December 1943. Edward’s parents lived in Weaverham, Cheshire. After hearing of his death, Edward’s mother wrote a heartfelt letter of thanks to Sister Morrison. The letter was found in 2019 in Australia following the death of Sister Morrison, her family wanting to return the letter to the Ashton family.

Extract of the Letter written by Sister Morrison.

I am indeed grateful for your kind letter and sympathy and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you did for my poor boy. Will you please thank everyone at the Hospital on my behalf who did anything for him.  You have set my mind at rest for I pictured him suffering great pain so I am truly thankful to know he had none and so peaceful a passing.

I could tell there was something wrong with one of my boys for I felt so depressed and on the 26/12/43 I heard a very weak voice say mother, & yet there was no one near me at the time. It is a great consolation to know he is buried on our own Dominion soil & that he had friendly hands & faces round him to the last.

The senior Chaplain wrote to me & I got his letter a month ago. Once again let me thank you for your kindness & the way you told me of his last hours on earth. I think you must be one of a family & your mother understands how us mothers feel.

Yours Sincerely. Mrs Emily Ashton dated 1/4/1944

Although the search for descendants started in the UK in 2019, a couple of years later Family Finders became aware of the search and we volunteered to undertake the research with no charge.  Our research involved the identification of the wider family living  from the 1900’s, then the identification of all descendants to the present. A number of visits to addresses in the North West and a series of letters to identified family friends/connections following record examination, led to the identification and contact with a grand-daughter of Mrs Ashton. The letter has now been returned.

(All photographs reproduced with the permission of the owners)