Sisters’ Quarters, University House, 1st Southern General Hospital
Edgbaston, Birmingham
Oct 6th 1915, 4 am
My own dear Cyril
Please excuse this untidy note-paper. I did not bring any across with me so am obliged to use the ward note-paper or else not write at all. I think it is more than likely that you will consider I have chosen the better of the two alternatives. This isn’t very good grammar but as I’ve told you before, no one with a grain of sense expects night nurses to be grammatical!
Am feeling rather washed out this early am not having slept at all yesterday. Neither did Nurse Shepard who shares my room, so in sheer desperation we got up at 3.45.pm and went for a walk. When we got in at 6.30 we felt we could have slept then but of course had to fight against the feeling and come on duty. The consequence being I’ve been fighting against falling asleep all night!
There has been very little to do in any of the wards tonight as orders came during the day that 700 beds were to be cleared in order to be ready to receive a large convoy. This has not yet appeared and so we sit amidst a scene of desolate empty beds with a patient here and there peacefully snoring.
I was surprised and delighted to find yet another letter awaiting me from you from Alexandria, before I went out for a walk. Alexandria seems loth to part with you and I am sure I do not blame her!
I’ve got two patients who have been wounded in almost identically the same place as you were. You mention Mr Rawle was hit in the finger. We have any number of finger cases. It seems extraordinary to send the men home for such slight wounds, some of them are just flesh wounds in left hand fingers. As far as the men are concerned I am glad for their sake they’ve been sent home but you hear of others who are more severely wounded being kept out in France or Malta and sent back to the Front again quite soon. I think a lot must depend on the length of time a man has been serving with the Expeditionary Force, don’t you? I believe if you had been out longer you might have been sent home, although not severely wounded. It is a great joy to me to feel you are not maimed or disfigured in any way. It would make no difference to my feelings if you were. I should still love you absolutely, but I would not be able to help feeling sad that my great, big splendid Sweetheart had been robbed of some of his strength. It used to thrill me when I could see and feel how strong you are. I shall feel very proud of you, darling, if God wills that you should have to be marked by this terrible war, but it is only natural I should hope that you may be spared this.
We are all very anxious at home about the Balkan question. King Ferdinand has always loved splendour, and Germany’s offer has dazzled him. His people realize, I think, that Bulgaria’s fate is sealed when she takes arms against Russia, the country who gave her liberty, and whose people are of the same race.
Have you had the two parcels I sent to Malta. I want you to get the one from the chemist even if the other one goes astray.
You’ll look after yourself as far as possible I know – but don’t omit anything that will keep you in good health if it is possible.
We get so many in with typhoid. They have not got it very badly because they have been inoculated but still quite badly enough. We also have a great many with dysentery. The chief thing is to guard against running down and in all Eastern countries the time when germs most abound is in the very early morning and one should never do anything exhausting without eating something first. Of course I know on Active Service this is not possible.
In India one always has “chota hanzi” little breakfast, the moment one gets up and then “burra hanzi” later. It is a prevention against fever. One always goes out early in the morning when the fever germ is about but it is less likely to affect one if one has had something to eat.
I must close now, dear Heart.
With very best love and prayers for your wellbeing and safety.
God bless you.
Ever your devoted
Mela
