Napsbury

Oct 13th 16

Dear Mother:-

Just received your welcome letter yesterday dated Sept 24th. I have been getting up for about two weeks and am able to go into St. Albans in the afternoons.

I have written two or three letters home so you will know by this time what the extent of my wounds are. I don't know why they put seriously wounded on as they are both clean bullet wounds. My arm is still in the splint but the bone has knit and I am able to use my fingers. I don't think I shall be long in this hospital. I have been here about four weeks. Prescott Row, a sort of uncle of Dad's has been down to see me. He has a little girl about ten years old called Peggy. He sent me a sovereign and some tobacco.

I have not seem Dad for some time as we left the Ypres salient where we had been all summer and went down to the Somme where all the fighting has been going on since July 1st. Syd got wounded the last trip in at St. Eloi when we went in for sixteen days. Syd got wounded about the sixth day in. He did not get back to the battalion till after I got wounded on the 15th Sept. It was lucky for him, he just missed getting back to go over the top when we made the charge. I guess there isn't enough of the battalion left to make a company now according to Syd's letter.

I saw Dad just before we left but that's the last time I saw him. He is attached to No. 1 Tunnelling Company now. I will enclose his last letter. I don't think his casualty clearing station moved as we only went to the Somme for as long as we lasted and that wasn't long.

Bob Stanley got killed and Pete Duquette got wounded. I don't know about any of the other Whitewood boys. The 28th went in with us so I saw all of them before we went into action. I saw Duquette when I got out to the ambulance. Well I guess it will be like going to a strange battalion but it was just the same when I went back to the battalion in the spring. Strange faces everywhere. Just when you get to know the new fellows they get killed or wounded.

Well Frank ought to soon be over here and I'll be able to see him. Do you know if Arthur has gone to France yet? I wish you'll let me know.

I guess there's no chance of being home before the end of the war. I hope to spend Xmas in Blighty. I think Dad's about the same except a little greyer. That's nothing, I expect to be grey headed before I get this war finished.

Well I guess I'll have to go and get my arm dressed so I'll have to quit.

Love to all,

Jack