Moore Barracks Hospital

Shorncliffe

England

26/7/16

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My own darling Wife.

Just a few lines to let you know how I am getting on, I am still in the hospital & am doing fine, what with having nothing to do but eat & sleep I am getting quite fat, I spend most of my time sitting around the beach enjoying the sea air & I can feel it doing me good all the time, I dont know how long they are going to keep me here, but I expect I will be some time yet, I was speaking to the doctor this morning & he asked me how I felt, I told him I felt fine, so he felt my pulse & told me I was not right yet & he has ordered me lots of milk & 2 bottles of stout every day, which is a bit of all right, the funny part is that I never felt better in my life, only for a little nervousness & I dont sleep any too well at night, I have had an awful lot of nightmares lately & I start yelling & sobbing in my sleep & when I wake up I am all in a cold perspiration, but that will work off in time, all I want is quietness & I will be all right, the board that examined me before I came here ordered me to Convalescent Home for a month, but I wont get there till they are through with me here, which I hope will be soon, as I am told that they have a fine time at the homes, although we dont do so bad here, we have concerts nearly every day & it is very interesting sitting on the beach watching the people promenade & the boats passing up & down the Channel, the only drawback is that I cant draw any money till I get out of here, & there are lots of things that I want to get, as you know I lost everything I had when I left the line, I arrived here with just my clothes on my back & nothing else, not even a pocket handkerchief, so you may guess how I am fixed. I met a son of Alex McDonnels of the B.X. the other day, he is with the 8th C.M.Rs & expects to go over to France very soon, he recognized me at once & we had quite a chat together, he told me that there was quite a lot of Vernon boys here in the 62nd Battalion, but I have not been able to get over to see them yet as it is too far for me to walk, but I will make it a point to go over before they go away, they are only about a mile from here, Young Mac told me that the 11th CMRs. are on their way here now, I wonder if Edwards is among them, if he is I will be surprised, do you remember that stout young chap that used to drive for Hitchcock, his name was Sid something or other, he also drove for the Hardware for a while, he is here too, he is working in the hospital for infectious diseases, he says he was put in there because he has skin disease & he seems quite glad, because they wont send him to France till he is better & he says he is incurable, I told him he was lucky. I have seen several others whose faces I knew but I have forgotten their names, I have not seen Bagnell around here yet but I think he is about this place somewhere. I have not got any of my mail yet, I am afraid I will have to give up all hope of getting it now, it is too bad, perhaps it will be sent back to you, dear, if it is, you will not be worried as you know that I am all right, how I do wish I could hear from you dear, so that I could know how you are, I am so uneasy, so many things may have happened since I heard from you last, Oh, I do hope I will hear from you soon, my own dear love, I hope you are keeping well & strong & that you have not been worrying about me, you know, dear, it would kill me if any thing was to happen to you & me not there, I am looking forward so much to coming home again to you, to start our lives over again, it will be like another wedding, only we will love each other a whole lot more, it is a true saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it makes it ache too, does’nt it, dear, however I think our troubles will soon be over now, I am hoping that the war will soon be over & that I will be with you again before Xmas, let us pray that this may be so, dear love, what a happy re-union it will be, it will be a never to be forgotten day, wont it. We are having lovely weather here, but it still keeps kind of chilly, I wonder what it is like at home, I suppose it is hot as it usually is in the summer. I would have liked to have written to your people in Glasgow but I have forgotten their addresses so you might send them to me again, dear, did you ever get the photos from Etta? As soon as I get around again, & get some money I will get taken again, in the kilt this time, so you can be prepared for a good laugh, dear, I dont think you will like me in the kilt, I know I prefer the pants, but we shall see. I think this is all I have to say now dear, but I will write soon again & let you know how I am getting on. I have no permanent address yet so you can still write c/o the P.O. Shorncliffe Barracks. Give my little darlings a big love & lots of kisses from daddy, & with all my love to you, my own dear love, & a great big hug for yourself I remain

Your own loving Husband

Jack