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World War 1 Letters Home November 1915
Arthur is ill, wants to get away to recover... "One gets so quickly run down & weak. Food not very attractive when ill & apt to be cold & greasy when carried 400 yds. up here".
Vosges
France
Thursday night Nov 4th 1915
My Dear Mother
…
I went out & down to dejeuner at 12 yesterday for first time for 12 days, but they brought my dinner up; it is so cold at night. I breakfast in bed & get up at 10. Sunny today so had a little walk after lunch. Better but arm & hand far from right, however I suppose one must be patient; I don’t want to get another go of it. My arm came out in red blotches, curious sort of thing, gouty one would think. I may get away for a week, but at the moment there is a question of our all being moved to a town 20 miles from here & convoy there to come here, we all want to be left alone, as there is no earthly object in our moving, a fad of Wimborne House who have asked the French authorities to do it.
If we stay here & I don’t get right in 2 or 3 days I’ll see if I can get away for a change if Dr. thinks it wise. I don’t want to go now unless it is advisable, but they all recommend me to. One gets so quickly run down & weak. Food not very attractive when ill & apt to be cold & greasy when carried 400 yds. up here from the other villa on a freezing night ...
Best love
Yr affect son
Arthur
Vosges
France
Thursday night Nov 4th 1915
My Dear Mother
…
I went out & down to dejeuner at 12 yesterday for first time for 12 days, but they brought my dinner up; it is so cold at night. I breakfast in bed & get up at 10. Sunny today so had a little walk after lunch. Better but arm & hand far from right, however I suppose one must be patient; I don’t want to get another go of it. My arm came out in red blotches, curious sort of thing, gouty one would think. I may get away for a week, but at the moment there is a question of our all being moved to a town 20 miles from here & convoy there to come here, we all want to be left alone, as there is no earthly object in our moving, a fad of Wimborne House who have asked the French authorities to do it.
If we stay here & I don’t get right in 2 or 3 days I’ll see if I can get away for a change if Dr. thinks it wise. I don’t want to go now unless it is advisable, but they all recommend me to. One gets so quickly run down & weak. Food not very attractive when ill & apt to be cold & greasy when carried 400 yds. up here from the other villa on a freezing night ...
Best love
Yr affect son
Arthur
Arthur on sick leave, Kitcheners new role, travel problems ... "Going home now one has to spend a day in Paris as one has to go to an office a get a fresh order from Paris to Boulogne & as the office opens at 10 a.m. & train leaves 8.45 a.m. one can’t do it & so have to spend a day there. Lately there seems to be far more red tape than when we first came out."
Convois Automobiles
Nov. 10th 1915 3 p.m.
My Dear Mother
Yrs. of 5th came today. An Argus sent on came yesterday & a Tatler with picture of Ruth. I. Times with Asquiths speech also came. I get weekly ?. of Daily Graphic & The Bystander regularly. Of course one sees various papers fellows get, but there is little in them all. Statements made one day & contradicted the next. Don’t bother to send the Times, I see it now & again.
It has just been snowing hard & it is now all white, but it does not lay for another month. I’m still waiting for my “ordre da movement”. The Dr told me to go away for 15 days about 5 or 6 days ago & I immediately applied. Red tape I suppose. A special permission has to be got to stay in Paris, have to say where you are going & so on. I hope to get away in a day or two. Am better in myself but arm & shoulder still bad, especially in ?? about bed time, most unpleasant & aching. I thought it no use going over home for 10 or 12 days, it is such a foul journey now, 2 crossings each way & 3 days & 2 nights now to get from here to London, so one would be a week of ones time getting home & back here, not good enough(?). I hope a week in Paris will put me right.
All the convoys are in the Vosges bar one at Commercy, a filthy place flat country & I fancy cold & bleak, so no catch about transferring even if I could. This lot too is the best convoy & nicest men, some of the others, from what I hear & have seen, are not attractive. It all makes such a difference in a job like this who you are working with. I can get from here to Paris in a day, arrive there about 10 p.m. & I hope able to get out to the Smiths. Going home now one has to spend a day in Paris as one has to go to an office a get a fresh order from Paris to Boulogne & as the office opens at 10 a.m. & train leaves 8.45 a.m. one can’t do it & so have to spend a day there. Lately there seems to be far more red tape than when we first came out.
My hand seems full of rheumatism or gout or something & have very little power with it, quite an effort to open a door even with it. I want to find out what it really is as I don’t want to go on like this...
Things political seem to be changing at home & what is Kitcheners new role...
It is rather maddening this delay & of course it would be madness to go out on a car while I’m like this.
Yr. affect. son
Arthur
Nov. 10th 1915 3 p.m.
My Dear Mother
Yrs. of 5th came today. An Argus sent on came yesterday & a Tatler with picture of Ruth. I. Times with Asquiths speech also came. I get weekly ?. of Daily Graphic & The Bystander regularly. Of course one sees various papers fellows get, but there is little in them all. Statements made one day & contradicted the next. Don’t bother to send the Times, I see it now & again.
It has just been snowing hard & it is now all white, but it does not lay for another month. I’m still waiting for my “ordre da movement”. The Dr told me to go away for 15 days about 5 or 6 days ago & I immediately applied. Red tape I suppose. A special permission has to be got to stay in Paris, have to say where you are going & so on. I hope to get away in a day or two. Am better in myself but arm & shoulder still bad, especially in ?? about bed time, most unpleasant & aching. I thought it no use going over home for 10 or 12 days, it is such a foul journey now, 2 crossings each way & 3 days & 2 nights now to get from here to London, so one would be a week of ones time getting home & back here, not good enough(?). I hope a week in Paris will put me right.
All the convoys are in the Vosges bar one at Commercy, a filthy place flat country & I fancy cold & bleak, so no catch about transferring even if I could. This lot too is the best convoy & nicest men, some of the others, from what I hear & have seen, are not attractive. It all makes such a difference in a job like this who you are working with. I can get from here to Paris in a day, arrive there about 10 p.m. & I hope able to get out to the Smiths. Going home now one has to spend a day in Paris as one has to go to an office a get a fresh order from Paris to Boulogne & as the office opens at 10 a.m. & train leaves 8.45 a.m. one can’t do it & so have to spend a day there. Lately there seems to be far more red tape than when we first came out.
My hand seems full of rheumatism or gout or something & have very little power with it, quite an effort to open a door even with it. I want to find out what it really is as I don’t want to go on like this...
Things political seem to be changing at home & what is Kitcheners new role...
It is rather maddening this delay & of course it would be madness to go out on a car while I’m like this.
Yr. affect. son
Arthur
Still waiting for his travel pass, convoy on the move again, Commandant to leave ...
The Vosges
Thursday evg. November 11th 1915
My Dear Mother
I wrote yesterday but got yrs. of 4th this morng. & 2 Aust. Letters & other enclosures. I expect I got all the letters you mentioned having written …
I agree with you about putting Ruth’s photo in Tatler, it always makes me think it a sort of advertisement for a girl, sort of here I am out, now you men come along & sample me! ...
I’m still waiting for my “ordre de transport” it really is a shame them taking such a time. Hopeless to get rid of rheumatism this weather, it is all in my hand & at night it seems to get worse just when undressing & going to bed. I’m sure I don’t know if I shall be able to stay out here this winter, no use til’ I get rid of this rheumatism. I hope to get off tomorrow or Saturday. If I can’t shake it off in Paris I’ll have to go & bother someone at home, its hopeless to go on like I am now, absolute misery.
We are to change quarters on 15th we hear, go to a town 20 miles from here & convoy then comes here; been a lot of ill feeling the way it has been worked from Wimbourne House without consulting local Commandants, I fear Frank Hargreaves will leave, I’m very sorry as he is a good fellow & we are all getting on so well here now. It will be a lower place than this & not so much night work they say & billeted about amongst the people, but of course cold & sloppy like all over here in winter ...
Yr. affect. son
Arthur
Thursday evg. November 11th 1915
My Dear Mother
I wrote yesterday but got yrs. of 4th this morng. & 2 Aust. Letters & other enclosures. I expect I got all the letters you mentioned having written …
I agree with you about putting Ruth’s photo in Tatler, it always makes me think it a sort of advertisement for a girl, sort of here I am out, now you men come along & sample me! ...
I’m still waiting for my “ordre de transport” it really is a shame them taking such a time. Hopeless to get rid of rheumatism this weather, it is all in my hand & at night it seems to get worse just when undressing & going to bed. I’m sure I don’t know if I shall be able to stay out here this winter, no use til’ I get rid of this rheumatism. I hope to get off tomorrow or Saturday. If I can’t shake it off in Paris I’ll have to go & bother someone at home, its hopeless to go on like I am now, absolute misery.
We are to change quarters on 15th we hear, go to a town 20 miles from here & convoy then comes here; been a lot of ill feeling the way it has been worked from Wimbourne House without consulting local Commandants, I fear Frank Hargreaves will leave, I’m very sorry as he is a good fellow & we are all getting on so well here now. It will be a lower place than this & not so much night work they say & billeted about amongst the people, but of course cold & sloppy like all over here in winter ...
Yr. affect. son
Arthur
In Paris, in hospital, told to take a break, contract finishes 1st December anyway ...
Letter from hospital, Paris, November 1915
Hospital Australien de Paris
46. Rue Du Docteur Blanche
Auteuil
Paris
Saturday November 20th 1915
My Dear Mother,
No news from you since I arrived here. Possibly a letter may be sent on from St. Dié (Saint-Dié-des-Vosges?), but it is slow. I think I wrote & told you I was probably coming here. Two letters have been sent on so far. Coldish & overcast here, but dry. My arm & part of hand are all bandaged up after being rubbed with some stuff. Thumb is very bad, curious how it rushes to various parts. I take it easy & get up for lunch. The Dr. wanted to put me to bed in the hospital for a fortnight, but I managed, so far, to get out of it. Says I’m very run down & thin & that I should go south for a bit after here & not to think of returning to the Vosges for 2 or 3 months. Its all very well, but! I doubt I can get south from here, I’ve got no civilian kit & it takes months to get anything through. I’ll see but I suppose it will end in my going home from here & taking it easy for a bit & I might go to some alleged sunny spot in S. of England for a week or two. Meanwhile rheumatism is far from gone. Dr. seems to think it was not very far from touch of rheumatic fever, so I’m lucky it was not worse. If I did go south I thought of Arcachon for 2 or 3 wks. at the hotel you were once at with Aunt ???, I believe it is dry & sunny & not too hot like Nirvana [Velo Nirvana?] also not too expensive, especially now.
My contract, 3 months one, with Wimborne House ends 1st Dec so it looks as if it may all have been just as well & I can return later & make fresh contract. I potter in Bois a bit for exercise. Yest. aft.noon we went into town & had tea & did an ??????. Streets very empty & little traffic on streets, so much nicer than in normal times. The Metro is very nice & clean & cheap, it is all new since my days in Paris. The war news gives one the blues on top of rheumatism & C.J.ness. Luckily it is left arm & hand or I should not be able to write. Curious why I should suddenly get this beastly rheumatism. They give this up Jan. & start a hospital in London, 6 Grosvenor Crescent I think, close corner Halkin St.
Just 4 weeks ago today I got bad & went to bed.
Best love
Yr affect. Son
Arthur
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