Roger Clark's Letter
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Roger Clark enlisted in the
Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) in 1915 and served during the
First World War with the 28th
Battalion in Gallipoli and France. He was wounded in France in August
1916 and invalided to England for treatment. Shortly after his arrival
he wrote the below letter to his mother in Australia. There is a full
transcript further below.
10A Ward
1st G E Hospital
Cambridge
Aug 17th 16.
My dear Mother,
I expect you will have heard long before you [get] this that I have been wounded. Well it made me feel very bad for a while, but it did not take long to get from the field to Hospital from the trench to the dressing station then by stretcher to the Field Ambulance from there by motor to another Clearing Hospital & had some dinner there then on again to the Casualty Clearing Station & stopped there all night, next morning I was put in a Hospital train at 5am & started. The train was wonderful went along so smooth and without a bump till about 5pm when we got to Bolonge where I was taken to a Stationary Hospital, & there had the first wash for about 4 days, & was dressed & had tea.
The Dr came round next morning & said X Ray so I am X Rayed & they find piece of shrapnel as big as a fair sized nut, so they get me ready the next day for operation, & am operated on that afternoon & my word didn't I feel bad & the leg me some pain, as soon as I came round I looked down to see if I had still got my leg, & great to my relief it was still there. The shrapnel was in my right thing & had a bit of shin & bone of just below the knee. Stop there two days then off to Blighty [England], leave the Hospital at 7pm for the boat, have a good passage to Dover where we were put in a Hospital train for Cambridge, 1st General Eastern.
Here they have made a great fuss on me and & everyone is kind & do every thing they can, & I think I shall have a real good time here. Then I get a month at Convalescent Home then come back here & then 10 days leave.
With love to all
From your loving
Son
Roger.
Whatever you do don't worry I soon shall be alight
I am safer here than in France.
1st G E Hospital
Cambridge
Aug 17th 16.
My dear Mother,
I expect you will have heard long before you [get] this that I have been wounded. Well it made me feel very bad for a while, but it did not take long to get from the field to Hospital from the trench to the dressing station then by stretcher to the Field Ambulance from there by motor to another Clearing Hospital & had some dinner there then on again to the Casualty Clearing Station & stopped there all night, next morning I was put in a Hospital train at 5am & started. The train was wonderful went along so smooth and without a bump till about 5pm when we got to Bolonge where I was taken to a Stationary Hospital, & there had the first wash for about 4 days, & was dressed & had tea.
The Dr came round next morning & said X Ray so I am X Rayed & they find piece of shrapnel as big as a fair sized nut, so they get me ready the next day for operation, & am operated on that afternoon & my word didn't I feel bad & the leg me some pain, as soon as I came round I looked down to see if I had still got my leg, & great to my relief it was still there. The shrapnel was in my right thing & had a bit of shin & bone of just below the knee. Stop there two days then off to Blighty [England], leave the Hospital at 7pm for the boat, have a good passage to Dover where we were put in a Hospital train for Cambridge, 1st General Eastern.
Here they have made a great fuss on me and & everyone is kind & do every thing they can, & I think I shall have a real good time here. Then I get a month at Convalescent Home then come back here & then 10 days leave.
With love to all
From your loving
Son
Roger.
Whatever you do don't worry I soon shall be alight
I am safer here than in France.
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