A World War One love letter in a bottle was finally delivered yesterday to the tearful daughter of a brave soldier who kissed her goodbye as he left for battle 85 years ago.

Private Thomas Hughes' letter never made it to the beloved wife he addressed it to in England in 1914, but now his daughter Emily Crowhurst of Auckland, New Zealand, has been reunited with it - thanks to Canvey fisherman Steve Gowan.

Steve dredged up the green ginger beer bottle with its screw-on rubber stopper as he fished for cod in the Thames Estuary.

After carefully opening the bottle, Steve, 43, found the letter with a covering note to the finder.

"Would you kindly forward the enclosed letter and earn the blessing of a poor British soldier on his way to the front this ninth day of September 1914. Signed Private T Hughes, Second Durham Light Infantry. Third Army Corp Expeditionary Force."

The simple love letter to Hughes' wife Elizabeth was short.

"Dear Wife, I am writing this note on this boat and dropping it into the sea just to see if it will reach you. If it does, sign this envelope on the right hand bottom corner where it says receipt.

"Put the date and hour of receipt and your name where it says signature and look after it well. Ta ta sweet, for the present. Your hubby."

Tragically, Hughes died 12 days later on the battlefields of France.

Steve and his wife Jan were flown out to Auckland, courtesy of New Zealand Post - the equivalent of Britain's Royal Mail - to personally deliver the precious bottle.

They were met today by 87-year-old Emily Crowhurst, her daughter Elizabeth Kennedy and media from all over the world.

Mrs Crowhurst told This Is Essex she remembered her father as a loving and gentle man.

She said: "It is hard to believe. It has been overwhelming. I think he would be very proud it had been delivered. He was a very caring man."

A copy of the letter has gone on display in Wellington, New Zealand, as the centrepiece of an exhibition of love letters.

Steve tracked down Mrs Crowhurst after worldwide media attention when he originally found the bottle a few weeks ago.

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