France
22-6-18
Dear Mother,
I have just received two letters from you & one from May, also some newspaper cuttings in an envelope. The letters are 48, 49 & 50. Some of my letters have evidently gone astray, but you will probably have got any news out of later letters as I put most of the news in twice. After I was marked Fit about Xmas I took a crook turn before the draft left for the line & I was put into Hosp. at the Con. Camp & as it was easily the worst attack I’d had I was sent on to a big Hosp. & had been in bed for three weeks when I wrote the letter on Feb 2nd that you mention. The letters I wrote during those 3 weeks must have gone down. When I left the line I just had trench feet but as they got alright the trench fever came on. It feels like a bad attack of influenza
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coming on, there are terrible pains in the bones & joints of the legs & usually a bad back ache. As a rule the attacks only last a few days & then for several days it gets easier, but just as it seems to be getting right another attack comes along with the same old aches. I still get them for about 2 days, every week or 10 days but I know what it is & just take things easy until they blow over. The Drs say they can do nothing for it, in fact I don’t think they quite understand it. It just has to take its course & if a man has a good constitution he might shake it off under favourable circumstances. A bad attack affects the heart temporarily & often the legs go numbed & it leaves a man very short winded. My general health has improved a good deal during the last few weeks so perhaps I will get alright now. Anyway I have been classified Active so unless I get bad turn with in a day or two I will be up
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up the line again. Mark left here today. He is looking fairly well but like all the rest of the old hands he is feeling the strain. I had very high hopes of getting leave from here as it is considerably overdue, but have not managed it as there are scores of others who have been waiting longer than I have. I might have better luck when I get back to the old Coy. Am sorry to hear that they have started to call up the married men with families. I never thought they would carry it that far. The scheme is not at all popular with the men out here. It is to be hoped it is all over before they reach here. About the books of views you sent to England I think they have all got through safely. I think I have told you in previous letters that Elsie had received the 1st batch of views, a book of photos & the Gore & St. Is. p.cs, & Dorrie the 1st p.c’s & a book of photos. The papers you mention must have gone
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astray as I have seldom received any, but I think the pcls have all found me. The last one, containing tins of butter & honey arrived a week or two back & was a real treat. I had forgotten what real butter tasted like. We get margarine here & there is not much taste in it, which is about all that can be said in its favour, as the less taste it has the better. I had got so used to it that I thought it was as good as butter – until the real McKay came along. The other things in the pcl also came in handy & made a welcome addition to our bill of fare. I have sort of lost count but fancy there is a pcl still to arrive. The one Mrs White sent arrived some weeks ago along with the duff from Roda. I also got that pcl that Lottie sent, & acknowledged it months ago, so she should have my long before this. Whistler McGregor arrived back in this camp today. I don’t know what the complaint is this time as I have not had a yarn to him yet.
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The name of that chap who knew the Allens at Owaka is White. I always knew him as Snowey but I think his name is Hugh. He came out with the 14th Reinfs. He is related by marriage to the Ross’s at Mandeville. I don’t think there is much more news. Probably next letter I write will be from the trenches, & I might have more to write about. I think I mentioned last letter that Joe Bagrie had passed through here on his way to the trenches. I suppose he will be right into it by now.
Hooray for the present
With Love to All
Len
