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Date: November 15th 1915
To
Kate
From
Jack
Letter

Nov 15th 1915
Canadian Convalescent Hosp
Bromley Kent

My dearest Kate

I received your letter of Oct 21st yesterday. You will see by the address that I have left the Hospital. I cam here on Friday afternoon & am going to Shorecliff tomorrow Tuesday for the Military Board. I don't know how long they will keep me there but I hope they will give me some furlough right away. If they do that I may spend Christmas in Canada but I don't suppose they will send me right away through to Victoria until I get my new leg. You can bet your life I shall not be satisfied until I do reach Victoria & shall be glad when the trip is over. This is a fine place here & we get looked after alright. I could stay here another week if I cared but now that I am able to get about I am anxious to get back to Canada. This place used to be a hotel & the Canadian Govt are paying £9 a year rent for it to be used as a convalescent home. There are lovely grounds here & it must be fine in the summer time. I went to Catford on Sat afternoon & took in a picture show & had tea there. We are allowed out anywhere except London everyday from 2 to 9pm. Yesterday [Sunday] I went to a lady's house not far from here for the afternoon & evening. This afternoon I am going to have a look around Bromley. The busses pass right by the gate so its not much trouble for us to get anywhere we want. Will you please address my mail

c/o Mrs Core
Withycombe
Crescent Rd
New Barnet. Herts

and Aunt Mag will send it on to me if I am not there. I guess by the time you get this I shall know by what I am sailing also the date. I will let you know as soon as I find out. I was glad to hear dear that the neuralgia was better & I hope you wont be troubled with it again. I am going to pay the dentist another visit before I leave England as they do their work so much cheaper here. Thanks so much dear for the paper cuttings. I hope they will get one a decent job when I get back to Victoria. I guess I shall have to take some inside job as I don't suppose I shall be able to do any hard [?] after this. Yes: I had a letter from Harry King the other day also a picture of him in uniform. I see by the 'Colonist' of Oct 7th that Kelly one of my pals has arrived at Alberni he was wounded in the hand & thigh which has left him with a limp. He was wounded at Festiebert after I was. I am going to write to him today to let him know I am still alive. Richard said the boys all thought I was dead so I guess it will be a surprise to Kelly to know that I am still kicking & worth a few "dead [?]" after I got the letters that she had returned from France I will write again as soon as I know what they are going to do with me. No I never heard anything from Miss Arnoldi about that [?] you sent for me. I have a fine pair of crutches which the Red Cross Society got for me. I never heard from P Chant since leaving Victoria Jack Gibberd used to hear from him when we were on Salisbury Plain. I have only seen him twice since leaving there as he transferred to the cyclist's & left us at Lark Hill. H King asked me if I know what had become of him as they had no news of him. He used to write pretty regularly to his lodge so I guess he's gone West as the Tommies say but I should have thought the Victoria papers would have had news of him. Necia told me Chislett was still loafing about there. I cant understand a fellow like that hanging back. If they want to see some life? They should join the personally conducted party for the continent [?] by J Bull & Co. Well dear this is all news up to date so will close with heaps of love & tons of kisses XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX From XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Your Ever Loving XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Jack XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

P.S Remember one to everyone & tell them it wont be long before I am back. Tell Bee I expect to have my old job back again [?] Summer on the picnics. I guess I wont be any use at anything else. Has Billy left Victoria yet? I hear on good authority that two Zepps were brought down on Oct 13th & we lost some airmen but this hasn't been published Jack

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Original Scans