Search The Archive

Search form

Collection Search
Date: July 25th 1944
To
Margaret & Marie Harber – (sisters)
From
Lloyd Harber
Letter

B-134028
Rfn. Harber T.L.
1st Batt. Q.O.R. of Can.
13 Gen. Hos. [W.D.?]
July25/44

Dear Marg and Marie,–

Well girls here I am again and this time writing you from Eng. rather than France, and in a clean hospital rather than a dirty old scuffy muddy slit trench. By the time you have gotten this you already no doubt will have heard that I have been wounded. It isn't a serious wound it is only slight and is a scalp wound about 3 inches long above the left ear. Being wounded on the head it is expected that it may affect your eyesight, isn't it? Well it didn't bother mine at all. The wound was caused by machine gunfire. Some of the doctors tried to tell me that it was mortar but I know it was machine gun because they had been trying to get me for a run of 15 yards and finally did when I was only 5 yards from cover. Of course it is possible that it could have been either one because there was everything from soup to nuts flying around at that time. The wound isn't serious as I said before the round just grazed my scalp. I was wounded at Vaucelles just left of Caen on the 18th during an attack. I am now in 13 General Hospital Eng.  It is a Canadian hospital with and all Canadian staff including nursing sisters. Everybody seems to be treating us with the greatest care and hospitality to no end. The red cross is even giving us cigarettes and practically anything we need, because when most wounded arrive in England all they have are the clothes they wear and that isn't very much in most cases.

In one of your letters Marg, you asked me to get you one. The rule I always followed while in France was “well I'll get enough of you square heads before you get me” I got you more than one Marg, and you to Marie in fact I got quite a few. I may tell you about some of the cases sometime period now don't think then I got that many with one little rifle. I have been handling a Bren Gun rather than a rifle for quite a long time.

When the wound is healed up and I am ready to leave the hospital they will give us a 7 days leave. After that I don't know what happens. They may send me to France again, but there is plenty of time for that after I have had this leave. I intend to make this the one leave that I am really going to enjoy good and proper. Do you blame me.

Now that I am in England I wanted to find [Morgan?[ but I haven't the slightest idea where he might be. Well girls until next time, which will be soon I'll say “so long” for now.

Your big brother
Lots of love
Lloyd
xxx
xxx

1st. Batt. Q.O.R. of Can.
13 Gen. Hospital.
Can. Army Eng.

[note enclosed with address of Harber's friend: “B136565, RFN MORGAN, J.S., QUEEN'S OWN RIFLES OF CANADA, #2 C.B.R.G., CANADIAN ARMY.”]

Original Scans

Original Scans