No 16 Can Military Hosp

Ward. 36

Orpington

Kent. Eng

30/9/18

My own darling Wife.

Just a line to let you know that I am getting on fine, the wound is closing up splendidly & I don’t think it will have to be stitched up after all, I am able to be up all the time now, but I am not able to go out yet, but as the weather is so cold & wet I don’t mind that a bit, I am able to move my right arm in any direction now, but my left arm is still a bit awkward, but it is coming all right. I don’t sleep extra well at nights on account of not being able to lie comfortably, but as my wound gets smaller that will soon be all right. This is a very cold Hospital, the wards are just long narrow buildings, of asbestos sheeting & glass all round, there are no fires, they are supposed to be steam heated & there is a pipe goes all round, but it is up near the ceiling which is not much good, besides there is a great shortage of coal here & all these places are on half rations, which means that there has got to be less heat, of course we get lots of blankets at night, but during the day all up patients are not allowed to go to bed & they are the ones who feel the cold most, talking about rations, everything is rationed now, & I see by the mornings paper that they are even rationing candles now, it is next to impossible to get matches, I paid 6d for a box the other day that could have been bought for 1d before the war, cigarettes can only be got at certain times & then they will only sell a certain number; This brings me to begging again, I want you to send me some Gillette Blades if you can, dear, I hate to have to ask you to send me anything, as I know you need all your money, but I have tried all I know to get them here & have failed, the Red Cross Visitor that comes here tried to get them for me & she brought me some imitation ones she got in London but they were useless, she told me that she tried several places in London but could not get the real thing. There was two convoys of discharged wounded left here for Canada lately, you may guess how my heart yearned to go with them, they were all in such good spirits about getting home again & most of them had only been a short time over here, they are the lucky ones, I dont know yet for certain whether I will make Canada with my wounds or not, the sister thinks I will, but somehow I don’t think my luck is good enough, but I will hope for the best, it will be a month or more before I get healed up yet & then I will probably get a board, & even if they mark me for Canada it would likely be 3 or 4 months before I would get away, however we will hope for the best & my luck may be all right yet. As I am sure you know, dear, time hangs very heavily on ones hands here & it is hard to know what to do sometimes to pass the time away, so you will hardly be surprised to hear that I have taken to sewing, I am making fancy slippers & I have just finished my first pair, they look all right, & I am going to make some more, the Womens Work Guild supply the stuff & they keep one pair for every pair we make, so that I will give them the pair I have finished & the next pair will be my own, I am also doing my regimental badge in coloured silks & it can either be used for a cushion cover, or I can get it framed, so you can see, dear, that I am quite a busy man.

I am anxiously waiting a letter from you dear, to hear how you are all getting on, I would like to hear about George & Eileen, I do hope they are behaving themselves & not giving you too much trouble, I do hope that I will get home so that I will be able to give you a hand with them, I hope dear one, that you are keeping well & strong yourself, take care of yourself dear, for my sake, & don’t get worried about me, as I am all right & the Dr says I have splendid health or my wound would not be so clean, nor would it be healing up so quick, so you see I am all right. I guess this is all the news I have just now, dear, give the children a big love from daddy & heaps of kisses & you know dear one, that you have all the love in the heart of your own devoted Husband

Jack

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lots of kisses for your own dear self, I wish I was at home to give them to you myself, also a big long Hug.

J.