11 April 1917

Wandsworth
11/4/17

Dearest Mum,

I hope you didn’t worry about me when I appeared in the casualties. I would appear in the “slightly woundeds”, so I don’t think you’d worry. I got a tiny little piece of shell in my right leg about half way between the knee & ankle. It was a piece only about as big as a pea, & I feel almost ashamed that I had to come to hospital with it. I got wounded on the 2nd inst & arrived in England on 7th. The wound is getting along splendidly, & I think I’ll be able to walk within a week. Then they will keep me probably for another week, and then give me a couple of weeks leave, & then I’ll get back to duty.

I got my wound shortly after an attack which we carried out. We had to capture a village and a wood, & we did it alright. Met with a good deal of opposition in the way of machine gun & rifle fire, but our fellows kept on going steadily, & the Bosche didn’t wait for us to come to close quarters, but cleared out, & took up a position on some high ground in rear of the wood, from where he caused us a good deal of trouble by sniping. About a couple of hours after we captured the wood, I was having a look round to see that everything was going O.K. when a 5.9” dumped itself along side me, & though I managed to escape all the larger fragments, this one little piece got me & bowled me over. So I had to quit & make my way back to the dressing station. From there I was sent thro’ other stations, until finally I got to our base hospital, & after putting in a couple of days there, was sent across here.

Viv & Percy came in to see me the day before yesterday. Viv had just returned from his visit to Trentagh, & Percy had got leave to come & see him; I had wired to Mary telling her I was wounded, & the wire arrived while Viv was over there, so when he got back he found out where I was, & came along. I was jolly pleased to see them both. They are both looking very well. It was a good thing that Viv was over at Trentagh when the wire arrived for he was able to cheer Mary up, & not let her imagine all sorts of dreadful things. The poor little girl was pretty badly worried about me, I think. I told her in the wire that I was only slightly wounded & was quite well, but she thought I only said that to reassure her. But Viv told her that I wouldn’t be allowed wire anything but what was right so that cheered her up.

She wants to come across, & I would give anything to have her here, but I don’t think we can afford the expense. It would be fine to have her here, for she’d be able to visit me each afternoon, & then when I can walk, I’d be able to go out from 12 till 7 each day. But I guess I’ll just have to bottle my longing, & wait till I get my leave, & then go across to her. They all liked Viv very much but were sorry he could only spend such a little time with them. He got there on Wednesday morning & left on Saturday afternoon. Mary thought he was very nice indeed.

He came out again yesterday afternoon to see me, & brought the very good news that he has been awarded the Military Cross. Good old Viv! I’m jolly glad, & from what I can hear he has deserved it a dozen times over, though he himself assures me that he doesn’t know what it has been given to him for! I’m so glad he has got it, & I hope he gets his third star quickly.

He is going back to France tonight.
Mrs Morgan is going to call out here to see me this afternoon, so I suppose she will be in at any minute now.

I see by the papers that our “big push” has commenced at last, and that so far it has been gloriously successful. I hope these successes keep up on the present scale, & that the Bosche gets smashed badly. The push is only started, & one cannot guage how far it will go, but at anyrate it has started very successfully & that is a lot. Lets hope it keeps on as it has begun.

Must close now Mum dear. Don’t worry about me. I’m as right as rain, & will very soon be about again. My fondest love to all at home. Tell Dad I’m still going strong.
Your loving son Vernie

 

 

 

 

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