Park House

Parkside Road

Reading, Berks.

Aug 19 1918.

Dearest Mother & Father

I did think I would get some letters written yesterday afternoon as I had the half day but it was so fine I decided to go down and see Eva & Daphne so off I set & walked the whole way about a mile and a half. (The other two girls had been off duty in the morning). We had tea in their garden and they walked home with me, a different way and through quite a pretty part of the town. Eva expects to join Ronald in Lincoln some time this week. Daphne is going to stay in Reading till Mae gets leave, which is quite soon, & then she will go where Eva is.

To-morrow as you know is my birthday and the girls are having a feast in our room. Marion & Marion had the sweetest rose vase in our room to-night filled with roses for me wasn’t it sweet of them.

I heard from both Stanley and Atwood last week & must answer them both right away. Ken sent me a lot of papers and magazines so I sent them right along to “At”.

The experience you get here is equal to anything you get in France. They expect you to know so much and to do all sorts of big dressings of horrible looking wounds. We have almost 12 men with fractured and wounded femurs & you should see the way the injured leg is strung up, on a big splint of course, but strung up to a superstructure  (as they call it) and with weights and pulleys to stretch the leg out.

I got a short note off to Mrs. Mackay to-day, also one to Ken the other day, but beyond that I haven’t written to anyone in Canada. It is still pretty hot, but with such fine weather one can’t complain.

Have I written you since Mary & I had our half day together last week and went out for a row on the river, taking Daphne and our tea along with us. None of us had rowed a boat for ages and you should have seen trying 2 oars apiece. We got quite expert on the way back and feathered them in true English style. There was a beautiful sunset and a moon, but of course we had to hurry home as one has to be in by 10.

There the lights have gone out and I have had to light my candle.

There is such a nice Australian girl here who was at Southampton with Kit & Pearl. We see quite a lot of her.

Had another big convoy yesterday & every bed is filled. Nearly all Canadians & Australians. I have only had field cards from Semi the last 10 days as they are very much in the thick of things. Heard to-night that Wallace Alward had been wounded, but don’t know whether it is serious or not.

Must say good-night now as morning comes very quickly. I have been sending your letters on to Atwood.

Heaps of love to you all & remember me to Pearl

Nettie