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  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in oa_core_visibility_data() (line 607 of /app/profiles/viu/modules/contrib/oa_core/includes/oa_core.access.inc).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in oa_core_visibility_data() (line 607 of /app/profiles/viu/modules/contrib/oa_core/includes/oa_core.access.inc).
Date: August 22nd 1918
To
Mother
From
Gordon DeGear
Letter

Ward 16. Main
Norfolk War Hospital
Thorpe
Norwich
Eng
Aug 22/18

Dear Mother.

It is just over a week since I last wrote but there has been nothing important going on and am feeling better now than I have done for a long time but still feel the trouble that seems to be in my liver once in a while yet and the gastric disturbances do not bother me hardly any now but I only put that down to the grub as it seems far more agreeable to me than the regular army rations and still believe it will not take very much to put me on the blink again. The war bread we get is no bon to my taste but some fellows think it is alright. I expect to be sent to the convalescent camp in Epsom very shortly now and will be going to the hospital convalescent camp any day now as they generally do so before they finally discharge them from hospital altogether. No mail has come from France yet but hope it will come along soon. There is practically nothing to say as this is an awful dead hole and nothing doing. We get up at six for our breakfast and that makes an awful long day and moreso when we do not have anything more to eat till twelve oclock and two meals a day are composed of bread and tea and for breakfast with a small bit of fish or baken thrown in. For dinner no bread to tea, but it is fairly good only the portions are pretty slim. Blighty is no place to live these days and of course it beats France in most ways at present at least. I suppose aunty and uncle have arrived safely long before now as it was about this time last month since she last wrote. I do not know why it is I do not seem to be able to write much of a letter these days and can only put it down to pure laziness and nothing else. Last Saturday went down to Norwich on pass but it is awful slow so only went to a picture show and that was about the only place to go to there anyway and they are much dearer over here than they are in Canada. The only way now that I will be able to get my mail is to keep having it forwarded and after we have left here a couple of months some of our mail will be still coming here but that is the only way out of it any that is to keep sending it to this address until I give you another. I wrote to Mrs. May and told her where I was and I do not suppose it will be long now before I will be able to apply for sick leave but am not looking very anxious towards it as all I want is to get the devil away from this part of the world but am very much afraid I will be plodding along in France again before Xmas. I hope this finds everybody in the best of health and hope to get some of your mail soon

Love to all

Your loving son

Gordon

Original Scans

Original Scans