F. q. Ward.
West Section,
The County of Middlesex War Hospital,
Napsbury, near St. Albans.

May 2., 17

Dear Lulu

As you will see by the address - quite an imposing one by the way - I have arrived safely in England; another danger averted by the mercy of God. I have longed to see England at this season for 13 years, & I can hardly believe it is real. Of course much of the pleasure is imaginary. A bed in a hospital ship does not show the sunlit waters of the English Channel on a May morning. Nor does the bed of the best appointed hospital train show more than little glimpses of the hedge-rows.

However the pleasure is very real just the same. I just wish that you were here now. And yet, I would perhaps be better to wait until the pain is all gone, and I could be up & around. Someday I shall come back to Digby. Will you be ashamed of me if for a year after my return I could not bend my arm freely at the elbow nor ever raise it above my head at all? That, Lulu dear, is the information the doctor gave me in answer to my enquiries. I wish I could see your face as you read this. Write soon & often, wont you? I wonder when I shall get a letter from you, it seems ages since I had any word from you! Four long weeks!

I am about 200 miles from home - like 2000 in Canada; so after a while I shall try to transfer to Manchester.

This building is an immense place, beautifully fitted up; with about 7 ½ miles of corridors.

They took an Xray photo of my arm this afternoon, so I suppose they "know all my bones." I wish I did.

Well, good-night, little girl. Lying in bed so long has made me astonishingly weak. I feel as if I was acting like a baby.

Give my love to your father & mother. Give me any word of Carmen & Ainley.

With fondest love,

Tom

PS: "Write me at my father's in case I move" [?]