Ward 11
Ontario Military Hospital
Orpington, Kent.
Sunday June 25.

This address they will know where I go if I move [?] Perhaps in Mr. Reid's care is better. It takes so long for return letter.

Dear Ma,

To-day is Sunday and a nice warm day. There are quite a number visiting this afternoon, friends of the wounded and people from the town. Allan Jordan and I have been down in the recreation room reading and sitting in nice soft chairs for an hour or so. His good eye us pretty weak, as it naturally would be, using it for both. He'll have to rest it and do very little reading or writing till it grows stronger. The Dr. told him that there was nothing behind the pupil so when the cut heals it may come all right. Stratford is coming along fine, the bullet wound in his shoulder is closing up and mending nicely. I still use the crutches but there is no need to. The Dr. thinks I'll open up the cut if I walk around on it. It is practically better now.

This morning, service was held down in the recreation room. I went but didn't like the minister, enjoyed the Hymns. Just now the choir of boys from the parish are singing down the halls and go into the wards. It sounds very nice.

I have written Tom Yorath to send my mail here but none so far. There should be letters in a few days. The other day a letter came from some Red Cross aid society wanting to know if I wanted anything in particular. I asked them to send Turner's and Wilson's addresses. Capt. Barclay left money with them for the 1st McGill Company, to be there if any of us were wounded or broke while in England. So they would know their addresses as well as mine.

I suppose Mrs. Parker and many other have heard about their sons some way. I've inquired about them but the 43rd Battalion was in Maple Copse when we came out and then they would perhaps go into the firing line from there so there is no knowing who are casualties or who came out O.K. There is a 43rd boy here who was in the same platoon with the Regina boys. He was wounded Sunday night June 4 the night we came out. Smith and Lorne[?] Dowswell were all right when I left. I've just had a talk with this fellow here (Scotty Wilson wpg) and I told him that Godfrey and Russel Cook didn't go up with the Battalion. He thinks they didn't also and is sure they weren't with them in the copse. Godfrey was kind of run down and Cook suffering from shell shock and they would be sent to the casualty Company or given jobs that kept them at the transport lines, and they wouldn't go up to the firing line, so if that happened they would be O.K. I know one morning I was over visiting them and the sergeant called them out to see the officer and they expected some such thing to happen. Scotty Wilson is sure they didn't go up with the Battalion. He says Lieuts. Otton & Hamilton are pretty badly wounded. I saw Otton's name on the casualty list but not Hamilton's. Another 43rd man in the next ward was wounded on the 9th and says that they suffered a bad cutting-up then.

The other day I read a dandy description of life at the front by Lord Northcliffe. Stories written by men like him who have been out there several times are good but others written by the men who are wounded are generally a lot of talk and give an entirely wrong impression. The papers at home will be worse for these far-fetched stories that the English papers and they can stand a good deal of criticism.

This is a very quiet hospital in a small valley in the country although Orpington a very small place is a ½ mile away. There hasn't been a train load of wounded in here since we came, ten days ago, so we haven't had any news right from the front.

The Roses and many other kind of flowers are in full bloom and there is a tumbler with them on nearly every desk. Strawberries and Cream - two days ago had four plates of swell large ones. For tea this afternoon we had ice-cream and jelly. The Sisters (nurses) look after you properly and a fellow from the front appreciated these luxuries but doesn't say very much. Imagine the comfortable feeling while in bed when you think of sleeping in those dirty, wet, bad-smelling dugouts.

The fellows are all in bed now and the oderly is pulling [?] the blinds so that [? Piece missing] light will show in case [?] Tepps. But they could hardly [?] this place hidden in the valley.

Your last letter was dated May 15 so I have a number coming. I hope everyone is well. Many happy returns of the 28th to Reg.

I was just wondering if you had a good summer to-night. Have never forgotten the experience of 4 yrs. ago June 30. Much love to each

Your loving son

Jim.

I was just discussing French with Joseph at Ligault, a French Canadian.