460609 Pte L Sinclair

Canadian War Hospital

The Beach, Walmer.

Kent England.

Friday Nov. 10th 1916

My Dear Mother:-

Well I left Dublin Monday night with a safe and good trip across the Irish sea, a long and somewhat tiresome journey by rail from Hollyhead to Shorncliffe, ending with a twenty three mile drive by ambulance to this place not far from Dover.

How long I’ll be here I’m not sure but I can count on a week anyway. We’re just about fifty yards from the beach and there is a nice promenade along the shore where we walk each afternoon and after supper until seven thirty. The Deal harbor is just opposite to us and there are hundreds of boats to watch each day coming and going from the harbor. The weather these last few days has been fine and quite a number of people are to be seen each afternoon out for a walk, which is quite different from Winnipeg I imagine.

We expected a rather rough passage across the Irish Sea and with three boats going down a few days before, it did not enlighten us at all. However things were calm and I was lucky not having to feed the fish.

We left Dublin about ten o’clock Monday night and arrived at Hollyhead shortly after two o’clock that same night. We’d just to jump on the train there and arrived in London nine thirty that morning. It was a rather dull and dismal morning raining throughout the country and things looked vastly different from the first time I’d seen them. The leaves were pretty well off the trees and hedges and all that seemed to be missing was snow.

Id no trouble in London this time and the tubes didn’t bother me at all. It was good to see the place again and it seemed like home to me. We arrived at Euston St station and were told our train for Shorncliffe left Victoria St station at eleven, which gave us an hour and half for breakfast. We’d ham & eggs at a little restaurant then took the tube to Charing Cross changing there for Victoria St station. Here they informed us that no trains were leaving for Shorncliffe and we’d a quarter of an hour to make Charing Cross again which we did by bus and arriving there just in time before the train left. Two o’clock in the afternoon we arrived at Shorncliffe, and its one spot in England I’ve no use for. It was the same old place and it was here our battalion was broken up and ever since I’ve no use for the place. It was almost four o’clock before we left there and we’d a twenty three mile journey by ambulance up around the hills by Dover before we reached this place. We got here just in time for supper after which I went to bed as I felt darn good and tired.

Each afternoon we go for a jaunt about the place. The village of Deal is not far from here and theres a few movies about. Some afternoons I just sit out on a bench and watch the boats out in the harbor. I dont mind watching them but I hate travelling about in them. I had a nice time while in Dublin and I didn’t like to leave the place. It was like home at the hospital, and I’d a jake time while there. I

Well I suppose its getting pretty cold around home now. How is everybody getting along? I hope your all well at the house and in the best of health. I’m enclosing a few cards of the place and hope you got the others alright. Well its almost bed time so had better close with love and best wishes to you all I am

Your loving son

Larry