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Date: August 8th 1917
To
Jessie
From
Rae
Letter

Epswich
Aug 8th

Dear Jessie.

Your turn this week Jess & thank goodness I feel some better than I did on Sunday when I wrote to Mither. I got a good bunch of letters last night one of which one was from you written July 1st. You said Jim would be telling me his plans which he never did so I'm still in the dark but I think I missed a number of his letters but got the one of July 1st. There are a lot somewhere that I haven't got but then that makes the coming of the mails something to look forward to & that helps pass the time away. I had one from Beck this morning & say what you think I got my Sgts certificate this morning from that course I took at camp Hughes. I don't suppose it will be of any use but is a good souvenir.

Well I am progressing very nicely now & expect to have a whole skin again in a few days time but my old ankle & knee are pretty badly swelled up but my knee is going to work some at least.

The Dr here talks of operating to take out that shrapnel but I hope the darned fool leaves it alone for he cant get it all just seven pieces he says thats not half & wheres the use of that I like to know. Then the best authoritys in France said it was best left alone but I suppose this guy here wants some practice. Well let him rip it will only mean another month in bed for me which does not look very good to me. The funny part is he has never seen the leg yet. He just knows the shrapnel is there from my xray plates. He is a darned civilian you know.

So Sports day in Biggar was a grand success eh! well good for them. We have some grand sports days over here to -- Minus the eats. The football games were my only sport though so now I don't care if I never see another sports day over this side the pond.

I am sure I have no Idea as to when I will get a board of Drs to decide my future for me. It won't be until after I leave here & that will be when they conclude they have done all they can for me.

Its to bad about Milt Dunbar poor chap its hard luck to lose the use of the leg & still have it left on. He would be far better with an artificial one but I guess that must be impossible too or they would have
done it long ago. Mine will not be near so bad as his. The way I feel now I guess I will be lucky if I get sent home at all, but of course I am in bed yet &my knee is sure to be weak for at least a year, but they may not look at it that way. They may keep me here in the hope of it getting strong.

Bessie tells me that Harry Hewitt has enlisted & Jim Purdie & Art Harbottle are counting on it. They, the latter two are I think foolish for this is no place for a married man or any other for that matter. Now that the Americans are in it should let us down a bit lighter & Canada has done her bit. I'd sure hate to see Jim Purdy enlist for they seemed so happy when I was there last spring.

Well Jessie this is the second this morning so I am not going to write any more this time so Ta. Ta Love to all.

Lovingly

Rae