Letters From the Front

Dated: September 26, 1918

Clarence House

Priory Lane

Roehampton

London S.W.

26-9-18

Dear Folks at Home:-

Well as you will observe I have changed my place of living again. They evidently had a spite against us Canadians at Norwich because they shipped practically all of us out the other day. I though that the Norfolk Hospital was a pretty good place but this is even better so we can thank the people at Norfolk for sending us out.

This is a Canadian Red Cross Hospital - not a thing English about it. It is not a very large one as there are only about 125 patients in all which is quite a change from the other place which had over 1800 patients.

Being a convalescent Hospital we are allowed much more freedom than in the other place and indeed everything is much better.

Instead of being in a ward, four of us have a cute little room with four beds in it all to ourselves. In fact it seems like a large boarding house only with many more conveniences.

We are just on the outskirts of London - about 10 mile from it in fact. The nearest place of any size is Putney - about 1 ½ miles from here, which is one of the suburbs of London. I was down there yesterday for a walk and it seems to be quite a large place.

You will be surprised to hear that I saw Wes Seaman the day that I came here. I was passing through the headquarters of this Hospital which is several miles from here when I saw him. Perhaps we weren't a surprised pair! I was only there for a few hours before I had to leave for here but I was certainly glad to see a familiar face even for that short time. He expects to leave for Canada soon and I envy him his luck. He looks splendid though and seems to be holding up the Seaman's reputation in the eating line.

I get better attention here than at the other hospital as I have my arm dressed twice a day while it was only once in the other place. The hole is healing up splendidly and beyond a little stiffness I would hardly know there was anything wrong with it. I have dispensed with the sling now as they said I didn't need to wear it any more.

Well I must close for the present and will write again soon.

Love to all

John