County of Middlesex Hospital

Napsbury, St. Albans

Oct 10th 16

Dear Mother:-

I am afraid it is over a week since my last letter but I seem to have los all track of time. I am up now and feeling fine. I have been into St. Albans several times and am having a pretty decent time of it.

Prescott Row and his little girl Peggy came here to see me on Saturday the 7th. Prescott row is a nice old fellow. He is very English of course and is not as cranky as Dad but he is very thin. He is about the same age as Dad. I did not see him when I was in Blighty before as he was away in Margate. I am enclosing a picture of the house he has just bought in Wadden. Just received a letter from him enclosing a quid, and two tins of tobacco are on the road.

I have also received a letter from W.R. Adams. The Zeppelin raids have kept him so busy he has not had a chance to come down.

I have had three letters from Dad. He was in a deuce of a stew and actually wrote four pages saying he was going to try and get leave and see me.

Syd is back with the battalion or at least the remains as it was practically wiped out as were most of the Canadians. In fact every battalion that goes over the top generally loses ¾ of its men, fortunately 85% are Blightys, the men being able to get out. I was lucky to get only a couple of clean bullet wounds. My arm is still on the splint but I am able to move my fingers and the bone is knitting fine. It's the pieces of shell that make the bad wounds.

We have got the drop on Fritz now though and the prisoners we took were a happy bunch except of course the ones that we stuck with our bayonets for moral effect when they were too slow. One bunch of about twenty put up a fight with grenades but our fellows put about three grenades among them and the ones that were left were glad to come out and carry some of our wounded in. I was with the company machine gunners so I had a good view as we were reserve company and did not go over until last. It was partly my fault that I got hit the first time as I was walking around as if I owned the place, however I got a nice one.

I hear that Bob Stanley has gone west and Maurice Duquette was in this same hospital. There are about a dozen of the 27th around here. One fellow by the name of Walley whose folks live on Sherburn has both hands smashed and has to be fed like a baby as he is absolutely helpless.

Dad is attached to No. 1 Tunneling Company and seems to like it a lot better as he did not get along with that hidebound bunch at the casualty clearing station.

Well I have had no letters from you since I got wounded. I hope you will be able to get the badges as mine are done.

Well I'll have to hurry up and go and get my arm dressed by the nursing sister. We have a lady doctor in this hospital and she's a tartar. She dresses the same as a male officer and wears a Sam Browne belt without the shoulder strap. She is an Australian and claims she has had two arms, one leg and a collar bone broken riding horses. I hate to think what happens to the horses. I wonder if she cuts 'em up with a lancet and then rubs iodine on the cuts.

Well love to all.

Jack