A LONG-lost World War I letter in which Winston Churchill brands the German navy as ‘the baby-killers of Scarborough’ has been unearthed during research for a major new exhibition at Scarborough Art Gallery.

On December , 16, 1914, German warships fired hundreds of shells on Scarborough, Whitby and Hartlepool, an offensive which became known as 'The Bombardment'. Hundreds died, and many were injured.

In Scarborough, 18 people died; the youngest, John Shields Ryalls, was just 14 months old. It was the first attack of the war on British soil and caused great public outcry: 'Remember Scarborough!' became the slogan for an impassioned recruitment drive.

On December, 19, 1914, Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, wrote a letter to the Mayor of Scarborough, Christopher Colbourne Graham, usually known as CC Graham, expressing sympathy and condemning the actions of the German Navy.

`’We see a nation of military calculators throwing calculations to the wind, of strategists who have lost their sense of proportion, of schemers who have ceased to balance loss and gain,” he wrote.

“Practically the whole fast cruiser force of the German Navy… has been risked for the passing pleasure of killing as many English people as possible, irrespective of sex, age, or condition…

“Their hate is the measure of their fear. Its senseless expression is a proof of their dishonour. Whatever feats of arms the German Navy may hereafter perform the stigma of the baby-killers of Scarborough will brand its officers and men while sailors sail the sea.”

Copies of the letter were sent to the national press, and the phrase ‘the baby-killers of Scarborough’ hit the headlines of the national press.

Esther Graham (who is no relation to the 1914 Mayor) is Project Officer for Remember Scarborough, a new exhibition at Scarborough Art Gallery commemorating the event and those who died.

Earlier this year, she was discussing her research with a friend, Niall Harrison, who told her that his family in the West Country had a letter from Churchill that might interest her. When Niall brought the letter to Esther, she was astonished to find that it was the original letter from Churchill; CC Graham was Niall’s great-great-grandfather.

The letter will now be one of the centerpieces of the new exhibition.

Debbie Seymour, Chief Executive of Scarborough Museums Trust, said: “You really feel as if you’re holding history when you touch this letter and read Churchill’s words. It’s an extraordinary coincidence that the letter should come to us this way. We’re extremely grateful to the family for allowing us to including it in Remember Scarborough, and hope that many people will come to see this recently re-discovered and very important piece of both Britain’s and Scarborough’s history.”

Remember Scarborough can be seen at Scarborough Art Gallery from until January 4 2015. The Gallery is open from 10am to 5pm every day except Monday, plus bank holidays. For further information, visit the Scarborough Museums Trust website scarboroughmuseumstrust.org.uk