Cardiff, Wales,
October 19, 1916.
Dear Sister,
Received your first letter today and glad to hear from you. I have been in this hospital a month now and still on my back. It was no such thing as a sniper that got me - it was a big shell. It lit right alongside of me, killed all my machine gun section, and hurled me up. When I landed I thought I was done for. My leg was twisted around my neck and the blood was dripping down my arm. That was good night for the suicide gang! I wasn't with the tanks very long but I seen 6 at work. They're the only rig! Charlie Wakefield was in our battalion at one time but I missed him when we went to France. Too bad about H. Paul but there is a great many more fellows gone under. This war is not for infantry at all. Don't for God sake let Herb or Neil enlist. If you can't hold them, make them join Artillery or Army Service Corps. Nothing else! But if they join Infantry they will sure get hit. My leg was not hit with the shell. It was the concussion that broke it. The skin isn't broke and will most likely be O.K. again as it is getting on fine and my arm only had 3 holes in it. That ain't much. I was lucky. I'll bet that Jane goes bug-house when she hears I am wounded cause a lady told her it was me when Ron was wounded. These Welsh people are certainly nice people. They get you almost anything and we have had 2 concerts here this week already and they were both good. I expect to get out in wheel-chair or crutches soon. Then I can go out on the street every afternoon from 1:30 to 5:30. I certainly don't want to see France or Belgium no more. I got fed up with it first time in last February. If I hadn't been hit on the Somme I would have been sergeant-major cause the officers all went under and I was the only N.C.O. left. It was hard luck sticking to the last. I was wishing I would get hit so I could get out of it. I will close.
Your affec. Bro. Corp. MacKinnon
P.S. I got a letter from Pa yesterday.