A DEVOTED daughter travelled to Bournemouth from her native Canada to retrace her father’s wartime footsteps.

Harry Culley was stationed in the town from 1943 to 1946 with the No 3 Personnel Reception Centre Band of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

It was only after his death in 2009 that Joanne discovered letters he had written during his time in England, describing Bournemouth as ‘the prettiest place in the world’.

A total of 1,000 letters which passed between Harry and Joanne’s mother Helen were discovered.

In one Harry wrote: “We sure had a lucky break being posted here – you couldn’t find a more beautiful spot than Bournemouth.”

Joanne, who has two brothers and lives in Ontario, was intrigued by the letters and visited the Daily Echo during a five-day stay.

She visited some of the places her father stayed, including the former Atherstone Hotel in Tregonwell Road and houses in Withermoor Road, Winton, Meyrick Park Road and Old Christchurch Road.

And she also went to some of the venues in which his band played, including the Pavilion, the town hall and the gardens.

One of the highlights of Harry’s posting to Bournemouth was performing at the Grand Anglo-American Ball at the Pavilion on Thursday, January 6 1944, in front of guest of honour Irving Berlin.

Joanne said: “This is the first time I have been to Bournemouth and it has been quite fascinating to see all the places he wrote about in his letters. “He wrote about finding out about the end of the war when he was in the Norfolk Royale Hotel and I spotted it out of the window when I visited the Echo.

“I received a very warm welcome in Bournemouth.”

Joanne said she was keen to hear from anyone who remembers the Canadian bands stationed in Bournemouth. She can be contacted on <&bh"mailto:joanne.culley@sympatico.ca">joanne.culley@ sympatico.ca<&eh>