A series of postcards connected with Cyril Flint who was born in Bedfordshire in 1898 and lied about his age to join the 2/5th Battalion Notts & Derby in October 1914.
Postcard #1 – 6th August 1915
A postcard sent from Cyril Flint to his mother on 6th August 1915.
Postcard #2 – 27th August 1915
A sweetheart card sent to 3106 Pte. Cyril Flint of “B” Company the 2/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters on 27th August 1915 from Miss Esther Mary Duroe.
Esther Mary Duroe was born in 1898 and in the 1911 Census she was living with her grandparents at Cliffe Lake Cottage in Idridgehay. Her connection to Cyril is not known and there are no further records of her available on line.
Her message to Cyril reads as follows:-
Dear Cyril,
Just a PC & I hope you are feeling better, don’t you think these words are nice on this PC, buck up & come back, yours sincerely, Esther Duroe.
Postcard #3 – 2nd February 1916
Postcard #4 – 20th May 1916
This card was sent by Dora to Cyril, who at this time was serving with “B” Company the 2/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters in Ireland.
Cyril married Dora after the War and they lived on Beaufort Street in Derby.
Cyril’s service in Ireland, France and Flanders
Cyril Flint enlisted into the 2/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters in October 1914 and most likely served with the Battalion during the Easter Rising of 1916. He arrived in France in 1916 (because his 4-digit Regimental Number is recorded on the MIC) to serve with the 1/5th Battalion and was still serving with them in early 1917 during the Territorial Force renumbering.
At some point he was either sick or wounded and was subsequently transferred to the Essex Regiment. Interestingly, he was issued with the Regimental Number 204514, which is consistent with the 4th Territorial Battalion. Perhaps he was then transferred to the 1st Battalion prior to service in France. There is no record of him receiving a Silver War Badge, which suggests that he served to end of the War before being disembodied.
Cyril was born in 1898 and in the 1911 Census he lived with his family at 14 Clinton Street in Derby. 
On his return from France he suffered from the symptoms of being gassed After leaving the Army he returned to Derby and worked with British Rail as a guard, which prevented him serving in WW2 since it was a reserved occupation.
[Cyril’s picture and additional information kindly provide by his family]
Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War 
Esther May was actually born Esther May Conway in 1897, Breconshire, Wales. My wife descends from the Duroe family of Chesterfield and surrounds so I have an interest in this surname. Esther is listed as Duroe on the 1911 Census living with her grandparents in Idridgehay. Unless she was adopted by John Duroe & Mary, nee Conway, no details of this can be found the 1911 is incorrect and Esther is probably a niece of Mary.