To his sister Mary Capell
Tuesday, 6th[7th] Mar. [1916]
6th Lon.Fd.Amb. 47th Div.
My dear Mary:
It is more than good of you to write so often. All the little scraps of
home news are interesting.
On one or two days of late spring has tried to put in an appearance; but
how horrible March is, on the whole! It has been snowing again; yest'y &
today, & is very cold. Good news! – that my teeth are once more in going
order. I have had a three days' doing at a Casualty Station –
managed to get permission to walk over to the nearest one, (we being for
the moment so far back); so that I got it all over without the fuss of
being "evacuated".
These "Casualty Stations" are the link between the Fd Ambulance & the
hospital train, stationary hospital, etc. They are mostly established in
tents, & the goings-on are very much like a Fd Amb. headquarters but on a
bigger scale. Being stationary, they can arrange for more complicated
operations than we; & the patients are supposed to be better fed, –
at all events, better food is allotted them: some-one gets it! Our old
"SM" is Q.M.S. at one of these places not far off. One of the corporals
visited him the other day – found his stores like a going grocery-shop &
himself ensconced among cases of whisky & stout. The corporal came back
loaded up with bottled fruits, sauces, etc. for our mess...
The dentist at No. 18 where I have been has stopped two of my front
teeth, & now I fear nothing in the way of hot or cold or sweet or sour
things. – A very clever fellow, I think, & he was considerate & not
"regimental", so my fears were unfounded.
Our stay here has been shorter than we thought for, & also broken by the
eight days "trek". Also quite a large number of the men, 50 or so, are
detached, – doing forestry work! some miles away.
Yesterday I had another parcel from Auntie L., – I am feeling
quite spoilt. Anyhow we had a tea-party on the strength of it. Most
excellent, everything therein! – I will write to her direct shortly.
I owe thanks to Harold for his letter. – When shall I have a
glimpse of you all again? – How curious it seems to hear of Tony
talking! I can't think of him as anything but a fat & inarticulate baby.
I suppose he will be in knickers if not trousers before I see him!
My dear, to think that this month I shall be 31! In times of peace I
should think this tragic, but after all the youth I have seen extinguished
at one swoop it seems quite a lot to possess even a vital spark approaching
middle-age! – This of course is bosh, as I don't feel in the least
like middle-age. By the way I told the army people, by misadventure, 18
months ago, that I was a year younger than I really am & I have had to
stick to this fiction since!
I have been reading the notice on Henry James in the M.Guardian
– the best thing of its sort I have ever seen. Thought of Mother
reading "The Wings of the Dove"; – & of Auntie A. with "The Golden
Bowl"!
Lord N.1 at Verdun! – I
wonder how much of his message was his own? It was competent, I thought,
if undistinguished. – –
Goodbye, my dear. My love to you all! I am very glad if you manage to
get a little gaiety out of things. Richard
1 Northcliffe, proprietor of the
Daily Mail.