To his mother Charlotte Capell
Aug 31st, 16 [1916]
6th Lon. Fd. Ambulance [Millercourt]
Dearest Mother:
Still at "Ruhleben"! But more or less settled down, & things are a
little mitigated, – notably we have a blanket apiece. It was needed,
as we were flooded out the day before yesterday & the place turned into a
quagmire, & then yesterday it rained persistently all day. The position here is curious
there are parties from two or three F.A.'s here. Not an enormous number
of cases, but what there are are pretty bad. Amputations, etc., every
day. One German had been lying out for eight days. One hears enormous
bombardments, & the other evening we stood watching the enthralling sight of
a great stretch of the landscape being blotted out by heavy German fire
– the earth coughing up great jets of blackness where each "coal-box"
fell, – but nothing falls anywhere near here. – This morning
the sun reappears – joy! – for we were plunged in an
October-like wetness & gloom. Also we have managed to import some
chocolate & tinned fruit into our very meagre diet. It used to be possible
to live on bread & jam in the army, for those who found stew & so forth
intolerable, but both bread & jam are nowadays cut down: bread half lb a
day & jam to 2 1/4 oz.
I have heard from F. Bonavia – who is a lance-corporal in the
30th Middlesex! – Poor F.B.! Tell Mary this. He says hardly
anything about his experiences but I gather that is a moral satisfaction
if a material affliction.
I had a N'pton paper yest'y from Father. Uncommentable upon, those
casualty lists. – – Here you have the fringe of the real thing
– groans from the Serious Ward: – the dead being taken to the
mortuary. The great road [N29 from Amiens] that passes hard by is a fascination – the
incessant pageant of war passing by night & day.
I have not seen a paper later than Sat'y's "M.G." but have heard the
good news about Roumania.1 I am in need of writing paper & vermigelli.
My love to you all, Richard
1 Roumania entered the war on the side of the Allies, 28 August 1916. The German response, led by Falkenhayn and Mackensen, was swift and decisive. Three-quarters of the country was lost by the end of the year.