Devonport, 5 Sandringham Street, Scarborough, England, June 3rd, 1918 (Letter #29) “Well, I don’t know what to think of this War”

Dear Brother; Your most welcome letter received a few days ago, the registered one, I mean.

Glad to hear you are all well and I do hope Teddy is alright by this time.

Well, you can see by this letter they are still keeping me on the move.

I am now in the town from where I sailed for Egypt and I do not like it.

It is too hard for me.

We are supposed to be getting hospital training, but it is a damn job,

carrying beds out of the wards with the patient in them.

It is too heavy for me.

I refused to do any more today.

I am willing to do it, but I can’t.

I have been excused all stretcher drills and marching by four doctors in the training battalion in Blackpool

and, also, all the lifting in my old unit and I am damn sure I won’t do it here.

Well, I was over to Plymouth the other evening and I ran into two brothers from Charlottetown.

They know us. They have folks in Cornwall and Nine Mile Creek, so we had a good time.

They came over here on a cable ship from Halifax.

They are waiting for a boat back.

I am only 15 minutes walk from Plymouth.

There are lots of Yankee sailors here, lots of them from Boston.

Your dollar came in very handy for grub. I got 4 shillings and 2 pence for it, that is full value.

I have not had a drink for 8 months, can’t afford it, it takes all I can get hold of to buy something to eat as we do not get it any other way.

It is wicked here and it is damn little we get.

I am sure of getting your letters now, as long as you send them to the Scarborough address.

Aunt Maggie sent me a parcel and a letter.

I got the letter but the parcel she sent to the Lancaster Fusiliers unit, so I know they pinched it.

Did you ever get the watch back you sent me?

Well, I do not know what to think of this war.

It looks kind of bad now on the western front.

I wish to God it was over.

I am damn fed up. I expect to be in France or some other front in about 6 to 8 weeks time.

I would rather be out at the front than be messed about here.

Well, I will have to come to a close for this time.

Give my love to all and lots of [hugs and kisses] to Ted and Mary and a thousand thanks for the [dollar].

Remember me to Herb Hatch and old Klein.

Tell him we got Jerusalem for the Jews and that I done my bit in getting it for them, so they can all go there after the war is over

[Tell me,] what has become of Dave Ross? I never hear tell of him.

Goodbye with lots of love and best wishes from Lee.