1916 Letter 18
[1916]
Dear Mother,
Haven’t written for several days as there has been the usual rush at the last minute getting ready for Christmas.
I got Don a leather cigarette case which will hold about 30 and a service pad & envelopes. Am also sending some food, as I’m afraid he won’t be able to get leave for Christmas.
There is to be no travelling after the 21st , to-day except for wounded in hospital and troops from France. Garrison troops are not to get leave.
I’m terribly disappointed as I had hoped we’d all be together. Eric won’t likely get leave either.
He had to take 10 days leave as soon as he went to the C.C.A.C. and being broke he wasn’t keen about it. Had a warrant to go to [wick] but had a wretched attack of bronchitis and wisely decided to go to Downe instead as Mrs. Sutherland had asked him.
Knowing how comfortable he would be there I didn’t urge him to come to town and so only saw him for one day, when he came up the day before yesterday on his way back to Hastings.
He had had lunch with George and I met him at the Grafton Galleries as he wanted to see the Canadian Pictures. We both enjoyed them.
Afterwards we had tea at the Piccadilly – the first under the new food regulation. It cost 2/ a head but was not a very satisfying meal. We couldn’t even get a second pot of tea.
Anyway we had a long talk and I was more than pleased with the boy. He looked rather tired and his cough was troublesome but he’s all right.
When he went to Hastings the M.O at the Board said "Fowlds? Oh yes – recommended for discharge". It seems his stammer was worse and the M.O. had said it was due to shell shock. Eric said that for one minute he was going to let it pass but instead spoke up and said he wanted to be passed for France again. The M.O. was very decent to him and marked him [A1]. So my dear you needn’t worry about his having been at Lympne so long.
He has been promised his commission if he makes good in the Intelligence Dept., and if he gets in he’ll be on the staff so let us pray. However there’s no use in saying much until he gets it. Heaven I’ll be happy if he does.
Hastings isn’t much of a place. The men dread going there. They are billeted in empty houses with little or no comforts, sometimes no fire or light or water. Eric is hoping to get away as soon as possible. I gave him some more money and will send him some food too.
Poor boys it’s pretty hard to live on a Ł a week when they have to supplement all their meals, as prices are simply soaring in England right now.
Don seems contented and happy at least he writes that way. I shall try very hard to get down to see him next week if he can’t come up.
I don’t worry about Eric for if he has a few shillings to keep him in tobacco and books and something to eat he’s able to put in his time. But Don is new to the game and I imagine he’s lonely, though he may not be.
When my leave was up Miss McD. was sorry about not being able to send me to Hyde Park Place and offered me transport duty. I certainly was in a quandary. I wanted to go home for Christmas – assuming of course I’d be able to stay over, and yet I thought you would rather know that I was near the boys. So I left the choice to my own feelings which were that I couldn’t stick another sea trip at present.
I hope you aren’t disappointed. At that time both the boys expected leave. As it turns out now I might as well have gone. Still it’s something to look forward to. They are sending so many patients home to Canada now it won’t be very hard to get across. But I think I’d enjoy the spring better. It’s so cold just now crossing.
Mrs. Bell who was Sister in charge here is crossing to-morrow. She is going to Peterboro and you’ll probably see her.
She is an incredibly narrow minded woman and has rather a bad tongue and she isn’t a friend of any of my friends so you can do as you like about asking her down. She has acted the fool here. The OC’s wife here isn’t a nurse but she got into the C.[A].[W.]C. by [ ] and was on duty here when Mrs. B. came. She raised a row and in the end Mrs. Casgrain resigned. It has made a lot of bad feeling and Mrs. B. has acted like a sulky child.
Honestly I don’t think you’d enjoy her much. We’re both a bit fed up with selfish sulky women aren’t we? But she’s been very nice to me here.
The cake and underwear arrived and both were just right.
I’ll acknowledge the pound to Papa I am enclosing a menu of the first day of the new food rules. It was pretty skimpy. With heaps of love,
Helen.
27 Bush Park Gardens,
Teddington, Midds[on]
Dec. 21st.
P.S. The other day when I saw Forbes she told me Miss McD. had asked her if she thought I’d like to be in charge here. Forbes said "No". It was very sweet of Miss McD. to offer it but it was nicer still to have Forbes refuse it for me in her off hand way. For certainly I wouldn’t want it. The O.C. is an old French Can. about 70 and a very difficult person to get along with. Probably if I’d had the chance I might have wavered so am just as glad I didn’t – no one else knows it here. It would jar them rather.
H.