1915 Letter 15
[1915]
No. 1 Can. Stationary Hospital
France. April 24
My own dear Mother,
I am afraid you will think me very careless about writing the last couple
of weeks - but at last I can offer a very good excuse - namely work - and lots
of it.
Of course at first - we all despaired of ever being busy - for the simple
reason that there was no fighting and consequently no patients were coming to
any of the hospitals. However since things began in earnest up at the front
we have been full to overflowing.
I think perhaps of all the nurses we are the most fortunate in many ways.
We are attached to a stationary hospital which contrary to its name, moves up
with the army. We are under canvas, which makes it really seem like active service
- and we are the nearest Canadian nurses to the front with the exception of
five who are at No. 1 Clearing Hospital and we are near Boulogne which is the
main British base and therefore a very busy place. And last of all we have the
most splendid lot of girls.
There are lots of draw backs and I wish with all my heart I could go back
to Le Tréport, but all things considered we are very happy.
As I wrote you we moved up here into our tents a week ago Friday, and have
had a chance to judge how things are going to be, having had regular gales of
wind and some rain, and the coldest weather since we came to France. In spite
of all this we've been as comfortable as can be, so I think we may safely say
the worst is over. I am sitting by the stove now- and all the others Miss Boultbee,
Miss Goodene and Dorothy Winter are talking to beat everything in the other
tent, and it is rather distracting.
We are all feeling blue to-night. Miss Squire had word last night that her
mother had died and we are all so sorry for her. She is a perfectly splendid
girl. And then all the patients to-day have been Canadians and they have had
so much to tell us that we can think of nothing else. I do not know any of the
boys who are here but there must be hundreds in the hospital round about and
we are going around to-morrow to see the lists. I could not find out anything
authentic about the Engineers. The men cannot be sure of anything except what
was done by their own regiment and even then - it is rather uncertain. From
all accounts the Canadians did well and captured the trenches they set out to
take. There is a rumour that the French retreated and let the Germans back two
miles and that is why our men lost so heavily - but you never can tell. The
English Tommies are all full of praise for our boys. We all feel pretty blue
and worried. By the time this reaches you - you'll know more about it all than
I do.
Our ward tents are really very convenient and we certainly are getting great
experience. For a while we were allowed to censor our own letters but lately
that has been changed and I find it so hard to find things to write about.
I had the nicest letter from Uncle Hunter last week, in answer to my letters
to Aunt Hattie who had gone away inland to visit Jack at Ching Chang or whatever
the name of the place is. Scott is in some other outlandish place with the Standard
Oil - Soo Chow - as I see by the letter and Aunt Hattie will visit him and Louise
before going home. Uncle Hunter certainly is a wonderful old man. The letter
was dated March 30th and I received it April 20th and
it had been to London in the meantime so it takes about the same time as from
home.
Sunday
It was fearfully windy last night - and it kept the nightwatch busy tightening
up ropes to prevent our tents from falling. And the rain simply poured. However
we slept peacefully and it had cleared up by morning. It is beastly in wet weather
for there are no sidewalks and the mud gets worse and worse. The field where
we are is very much like the one back of H.M.'s and if you plant it thickly
with tents you'll know exactly how it looks. Our own tent is on the end of the
outside row and we have a lovely view over the hills. We are in a hollow and
cannot see the ocean but have only to walk a short distance to be at the cliffs.
It has been almost too cold to sit out of doors - I think Le Tréport
must have a warmer climate being farther south for it was beautiful there a
month ago.
Mail comes in regularly now and I had a letter from Miss Rowan in answer to
one I wrote from Le Tréport so that wasn't bad.
I have all your pictures here on the table beside me and am thinking about
what you are all doing now. As it is about two now - I suppose you are just
getting ready for church. I wish I could walk in on you for today for there
are such thousands of things to talk about our tongues would never rest for
weeks. It isn't safe to trust much to paper in these days. Our experience with
the censor at Le Tréport has taught us all a good lesson - as we don't
feel at all sure that our letters are read and forgotten and I'm not taking
chances on personalities.
If the I.O.D.E. care to send me more socks I can easily dispose of them, also
cigarettes, pencils, bundles of Canadian papers - as we have heaps of our boys
in just now - old magazines - all those things are in demand constantly. I could
give away pencils by the dozen - and most of all old playing cards and any puzzles
or games that aren't too heavy to send - All these thing are very expensive
or not to be had at all. We have a large stock of other things.
And will you buy me some more heavy underwear - I like the Swiss wool best
- you can get it at Simpson's and pyjamas - pongee, or something of the kind
- unless you have made flannelette ones I won't need them now as I got a pair
and Hutax tooth brushes are not to be had this side of the Atlantic - size -
1 - but none of those things are needed at once - for myself I mean.
I must stop now and get to work. The girls are singing over in the mess tent,
and it is so homelike up here after the hotels - We have splendid meals - and
I guess we are pretty fortunate in every respect.
I have ordered a dozen each of Eric's picture and have directed that they
be sent to you - 9 of each -
I am so glad about his pay - the dear boy. They are only getting a franc a
day over here as they have had to adopt the same standard of payment as the
British so I have been sending him.
The boys are wonderful. Dorothy Winter was going around with bed socks asking
the men if they needed them - as the weather is pretty cool at nights and one
boy got very angry when she asked if he had cold feet. He said "Sister
- you wouldn't ask that if you'd seen us charge." Of course he was easily
pacified but they are all of them wonderful.
Good-bye now - Mother dear - Love to Papa.
Yours lovingly,
Helen
Excuse the paper - I must get more when I go into Boulogne.