WORCESTERSHIRE, ENGLAND — While restoring a family home Kate Berkeley uncovered a bit of history. One piece, in particular, has a local link and Berkeley is hopeful someone can help tie the pieces together. The family home is Spetchley Park in Spetchley.
Kate Berkeley of Worcestershire, England is hopeful someone will recognize the initials left on the wall of Spetchley Park, a home that has been in the Berkeley family for more than 400 years. The home was used as a convalescent home for U.S. airmen during WWII. Submitted photo
“The house was used as an officers’ convalescing home for the 9th Air Force during World War II,” Berkeley wrote in a post on the Livermore Falls Advertiser Facebook page. “In the cellar is some graffiti from the soldiers. Most are just names but one included “Livermore Falls Maine” alongside his initials.”
Berkeley is hopeful someone will connect the initials “P.A.L.” to a relative who was in that regiment.
“The place is covered in names and initials but this is the only one that has any tenuous link to help us track them down,” she said later in an email. “It would be such a romantic story if we could track them, or any others down.”
“We love the graffiti and will be keeping it as a memory of the house’s history,” she wrote. “I would love to track down any of those who were residents, so as to add colour to the story.”
The home, Spetchley Park, has been in the Berkeley family for over 400 years, she said.
Anyone who has information can reach Berkeley by email at prettydaffodil@me.com.
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