TCD MS 10247/1/840 folio 1 recto
26 May 1917
Dear Mother,
I’m fed up so don’t expect much of a letter – you will have got my letter to Em telling that I had a bike spill well I got a little cut on the knee of which I didn’t trouble [word missing] till before I turned in I thought I’d just go round and get it washed by the doctor – he bandaged it up and told me to come round again next day. I was going about all right thinking nothing of it till towards the evening it began to stiffen up – I went in the evening and when the doctor saw it he said I’d have to go right off to hospital and would be sent down the line – the cut was right on the knee joint and had got septic & fluid in the joint: it was hinted it might take months & might even be a Blighty one. I came down that evening in the motor ambulance to the Casualty Clearing station, where much to my relief they have detained me. However you can imagine how disgusted I am at my luck – Still they wouldn’t keep me here unless it was going to be a quick job, and I think already it’s starting to heal & judging by my operation I must have a quick healing skin so I live in hopes: It has never given any pain – simply stiff – and today feels limberer <so> I think[.] <so> with luck I hope to be back in the battery in a day or two. The weather is perfect and I’m sitting out in a deck chair in a dressing <gown> with my game leg propped up – pretty comfortable! -but its trillingly boring & feeding up simply lounging the whole day.
I must say if there’s one branch of the service I admire more than another its the R.A.M.C. Its wonderful to see everything perfectly organised – everyone busy – but all moving