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Moore Barracks Hospital,
October 4^th 1916.

Dear Mother and all,

This has been a pretty good day for me, I have had five letters, your’s, Nert’s, Dad’s and one each from Floss and Hazel McGuire. In addition, to these, I spent about two hours with Leonard Kift. I was lucky as he leaves here, to-morrow or the next day. We don’t know just what is up here, but there is something doing, I would not be surprised if I am out of here in two or three weeks. They seem to be clearing all the Canadians out of Shorncliffe. I will likely know more about it in a few days. Kift is going down near Brighton on the South coast, and I would not be much surprised if No. 10 goes to a hospital there. I have heard some rumors to that effect

I have been moved to another ward, No 31. It is a surgical ward but the ward I was in before, was for the treatment of surgical cases, fractures etc. While 31 is an operating ward (50 beds, and we get the cases a day or two before operation, prepare them and send them in to the tables, then they come from the table to us, right from the table, still under ether. We are some busy too. Yesterday we had fifteen cases off the tables yesterday and seven till noon to-day. Then as soon as the patients are fit, we transfer them to their own wards. It is more interesting than ward 5, and I think I will be able to learn more. The sisters are very nice, and the Captain (Knix) in charge is very good. Willing to teach us anything. I am not very apt to get on night duty for a time now.

Poor Floss did not get very much of my first letter. The censor went after it with scissors, and kept more than half of it. Your letters are not censored. I don’t think they bother the Canadian mail very much.

I have no Observers yet. Leonard Kift says they are most irregular, but I will likely get a bunch some of these days.

Before Dad sends me that rubber stamp, I think he had better take it in to [?] Law and have him stamp up about three dozen wrappers. I think they would come through better, with an address printed with that, than when written.

There is a good deal of truth in that clipping about the “tanks.” I have had no patients from the Somme yet, but Kift told me of a letter from his baby brother and they sure are some machine. The put fear into the Germans. It will be some little time tho before the Germans are in Germany, let alone defeated. Kitchener said three years, and opinion over here seems to be that he had underestimated if anything. They ask here for another million men before next June, so must expect some fighting after that.

There is no doubt that we do spend our money quite freely, but it is chiefly in things to eat, and I think, because we have lived so well in Canada.

The wet weather has I believe set in for good, and it rains every day or night. But the sun shines for a few minutes every day. If we are here much longer, I think I will buy a long waterproof cape. There is not room in the tent to keep my great coat out, so I keep it in my pack, and often gets wet, while a cape would be very handy and would be a waterproof cover at night. I will wait tho, because while I might get away with it here all right, at some camps would not be allowed to wear it, and I don’t want to waste the money.

I guess that is quite true about Folkstone and the Germans Spies. The Belgium Headquarters, are down there, and they say about half and no more of the Belgian Army can be trusted. I believe the King and Queen of B., lived in Folkstone when they came over here.

It was likely because those two boys had not had a bath for so long that they suffocated. Most of the bath houses, in fact all I have seen are open at the top. Here tho, we bath in the wards.

Outside of my Bowels, I still feel fine. The excitement of moving around here so fast and everything makes them, I think worse if anything. I have some good pills tho, but will have a talk with the doctor on our ward and see what he has to say about it. He will likely recommend some treatment. I will look after myself well, don’t worry. My feet are getting pretty sore, but I put rubber heels on them and tried them to-day. They are a little better to-night. If I am not well, I will get the best of attention here, as they treat us well if ill, and put us right to bed. They appreciate the fact that our efficiency depends largely upon our health.

I am enclosing literature on those war savings certificates. I think I will take it up, and mail them as I complete payment. Even if I only take out one, it will be money saved.

Well I have a few cards to send and then to bed.

Lovingly
Worth.