13 Nov. 1916 CCAC Shoreham (Near Brighton)

Dear folks,

This is Monday and I have been travelling all day from Shorncliffe. We had to change trains 3 times and finally arrived here at about 4 pm. Everyone has a different version as to our disposal here but I guess I'll see tomorrow.

I was sent for from Armstrong College last Thursday to be transferred to a Canadian hospital. We left Newcastle on Friday and arrived Shorncliffe at about 1 am Sat. night (via London). We stayed there over Sunday and this morning we were sent to CCAC (where I am now). I'll have to sleep on boards again tonight. It will seem different than a bed but I'll have to get used to it sooner or later again.

There is so much red tape and herding to go thru' here that we are all thoroughly disgusted. We can't get any satisfaction out of anyone. I am going to make a good bid to get away by Wed. on furlough for I understand medical corps men are only sent away on Wed. so that if I don't get away this week, it will be another before I go. By that time Bill will have put in a week of his and in all probability her will not get more than 7 or 10 days.

I'll likely have to spend all day tomorrow answering roll calls etc. and waiting my turn to go before a Med. Board to be passed upon. After I've been boarded, I'll go to another camp & await leave there. In the meantime I'll have physical drill or whatever I am passed as fir for.

After my furlough I return here and do more physical drill until I am thoroughly fit and then I report to  my depot (med. training depot) at Dibgate camp Shorncliffe. From there I may be sent out on a draft to France at any time or detailed on any medical corps work.

Sunday (yesterday) I was walking in Folkstone and ran across Harry Lewis and
Chas. Stewart. I also saw my CO Col. G.D.Farmer. He seemed glad to see me and broached the subject of my commission. He rec'd my application and said her would recommend me but that I would have to be paraded before a General. Possibly I'll follow it up from my Depot when I get back there.

I guess you will be wondering how I feel more than all this other stuff. I am just about alright again but I think if we get much more of this trotting around on starvation rations, I'll have a relapse. For the last week nearly I've had to depend on charity and free soldier's buffets for my meals. I can't get any money and we have been o the move so much that I have no address long enough to have any sent from Bill. I think we can draw some money now though as long as we are here. I got mother and Maude's parcels ok but the strawberries of mother's were all soaked into the shirt & sox. A good wash will fix them though. Maude's arrived in good condition. Both had to go to France. I didn't expect them at all. Don't send very much to me at Christmas and mail it to Med. Corps Training Depot, Dibgate Camp, Shorncliffe, Eng.

Well I must ring off and get into bed as I'm pretty tired tonight. I'll write as soon as anything is done with me & let you know all about things.

Lovingly,

Harold

2 Nov. 1916 Holeyn Hall Wylam-on-Tyne

Dear folks,

I suppose you had quite an anxious time during the period between cables. You will likely have the note I sent from France and possibly some of my letters from England by this time. so there is no need for anxiety. I am just as fit now as ever I was and would ask to be marked out next time the doc. comes, if it wasn't for Bill's leave. As it is, I am going to request another week here. I think it will be granted when they know the reason. The Sister in charge seems very decent; I have explained to her.

Had a letter from Millie Mitford and ...ith Howson this morning. they gave me a very pressing invitation to stay at their place during my stay in London. I'll be glad to go there and to lose sight of soldiers and barracks for awhile.

I have been taking some nice long walks during the last few days. the weather has been just like Indian Summer - only not so nice. The country up around here is not nearly so pretty as it is in kent where 2nd Division trained last summer.

Friday Nov. 3rd

Was interrupted yesterday and did not get any more written. The weather is not so nice today so I am not going out but will try and get some more letters written. I have been having some good times with the Victrola during the last few days. It was away getting repaired so I didn't bother to look over the records. There must be about 200 or so and all big ones. I never listened to such good ones before. There are lots by Caruso, Melba, Scotti, Kubelic etc. All the grand operas etc. I could listen to them all day. The thing's never stopped going all day. I'm scared someone will be busting it or some of the records. Some of them cost 1 pound and some a guinea.

I was talking to the Commandant ( a woman) last evening and told her about wanting to stay another week. she said it would be alright if the Canadians did not have to be transferred to one of their own convalescent homes. she had had a communication asking how many Canadians were here that were fit to travel. there are only two. She expects some word from the RAMC doctor on Monday. If we are not marked out on Monday, everything will be "jake".

Tell Mae and the Toronto people not to send along a lot of stuff just yet anyway. I'll send for things I need after I see what I am issued in shape of kit. I'll be able to get nearly everything I need as I am in England now and won't require so much as I would in France. I am afraid most of the parcels that have been sent will go astray because likely everything will be sent to France. All my letters have been coming through ok. It keeps me pretty busy answering them.

There is nothing very eventful happening here and consequently not much news. Will let you know anything that turns up of importance.

Lovingly,

Harold

30 October 1916 Card from Newcastle

28 October 1916 Holeyn Hall Wylam-on-Tyne

Dear folks:-

Well, I've put in a week at the Convalescent Home now and am getting along nicely. Have just come in from a walk down to the village 1 1/2 miles away. It makes me pretty tired to walk that far but I've not noticed my side get sore this time so I guess it is going to come along alright.

I got Mother's letter from Calgary and Father's from home on Oct. 1. I guess there was some flying around at our house for a few days getting everyone ready to get away. It was nice that you had company all the way. I'll bet you were loaded fit for a winter's campaign, and tried to carry it all.

Had a letter from E.R. (Etta Redburn) Oct. 5. She mentioned Father receiving the first cable from Bill. I thought that there was a quicker service than that with the official casualty list. I was hit on Sept. 28 and it had not appeared by Oct. 5.

Had a letter from some of my chums in the ambulance corps since coming here. They had quite a smash after I left. Two horse ambulances got smashed up. The horses were killed and also 1 man. The crews were all wounded. It is lucky that they were not full of wounded when they were hit for they can hold as many as 12-14 sitting cases each.

Bill is still at Lark Hill and it is beginning to look as if we are going to make our "leaves" coincide. Had a letter from him yesterday. He was in charge of the gun detachment that made a record. From the time of unlimbering the gun till reporting ready to fire & firing, it was only 35 seconds. I have sent a letter to my C.O. in France to see if he can recommend me for a Commission in the R. F. A. I'm not sure whether he will do it or not because as soon as I finish my leave, I'll be struck off the strength of the 5th Fd. Amb.(automatically). I'll see what he'll do and if he won't do it perhaps the C.O. of the base depot will.

There is not much to write about here. We get up at 7 am and all we have to do is eat our meals and lounge around till 8:30 pm when it is bedtime. The weather has not been very nice but when it is fine we all generally go out for a stroll. There are lots of books and magazines here so I spend most of my time indoors reading or writing letters.

That part of my old letter, Pa, that had to do with my assignment pay: That $15 is an amount equal to a month's assignment, which is kept out of the remaining $18 of the month when the first assignment was paid. That is for April 1915, $15 was paid to Orville, and $15 was kept to my credit at the pay office; I could draw the other $3 the next month ie I could draw the $18. they still keep the $15 of April 1915. I'll draw that "apres la guerre". (after the war, Pa)

I reported my throat here on two occasions and they only give me a gargle. The head Sister told me to report it to the throat specialist at 1st Northern General Hospital when I report back there for my uniform and pass. (I wear hospital blue now).

There is a concert here tonight. I think they put on something like that every Sat. night. We had some fine singers here last week.

Well, I think this is about all the news just now, so I'll ring off.

Lovingly,

Harold

19 October 1916 1st Northern General Hospital Newcastle-on-Tyne

Dear Mother and Gert:-

Well, things have been in a muddle at home, haven't they? I hadn't an inkling as to what was going on until Bill came up to see me on Saturday last. He brought up all the recent letters he had rec'd from everyone and read me all about the happenings.

I hadn't had any mail from anyone for about a month. So I was wondering what was going on at home. Today I was fairly overwhelmed with mail. It had all been sent on from France. I got 19 letters & cards and a regular armful of papers. I was most of the day at reading them and have only finished. It is now nearly 6 pm and, as we have our tea at 4:30 pm and supper at 7 pm, I can get a letter written to you before supper.

Well, I'll not go into details of how I got to 1st Northern General Hospital for by the time this reaches you, you will have rec'd my others and also the one Will (Bill) wrote when he was here.You would likely be en route for Calgary when Will sent the cables. I wrote a letter to Floss a few days ago telling most of my trip across. Probably she will have sent it on to you also.

Well, I have been getting along nicely and have been allowed up and about for three or four days. They are crowded for room here so any who possibly can go to Convalescent Homes are being sent. I go tomorrow. I'll likely be there for 2 or 3 weeks but I am going to try and make it spin out till Bill has finished his Gunnery course at Salisbury then we can have our leave together. He will be finished at Lark Hill by November 20th at the latest. I'll likely have to " swing the lead " a bit for I'm getting better far too quickly. That's the worst of being healthy. I have a small fragment of shrapnel still in me. It jags against my ribs when I twist or stretch but the doctor here says the x-ray people could not find anything definite. I was x-rayed in France and they found it but of course they could not do a second operation there. If it gives me much trouble, I'll report sick and see if I can't have it taken out.

Well Gert, how are you feeling these days? I'm sorry I neglected writing for so long. Since we started our long trek from Ypres to the Somme, I haven't had time for much of anything. They even objected to letting us eat our meals in peace and sometimes hauling us out of bed in the "wee small 'oors" was another favourite stunt they indulged in. We were worked to death when we got down to the real thing. When an action was underway, it was slave like mad, and when the Division was out we were all in and could sleep our heads off. The first trip in for the 2nd division the weather was fine except for the last two days. It takes just about 20 minutes of rain to make a morass out of the ground down there. A water-soaked ploughed field isn't a patch on the ground there. Carrying stretchers over that kind of ground is the most tiring thing you could imagine. Just to walk from our advanced post to where we slept ( about 2 miles) was enough to make me feel "all in".

Bill wants me to take out a commission and try for the R.F.A. I have not decided. I can't do much until I get discharged from hospital.

Write me at my old address until I let you know differently. Well, I have a batch of letters to answer so will ring off for now. Hope Gert is ok and yourself.

I'll soon be fit as ever again.

Lovingly,

Harold

21 October 1916 Holeyn Hall V.A.D. Hospital Wylam-on-Tyne

**out of sequence

Holelyn Hall V.A.D. Hospital
Wylam-on-Tyne

Dear Father:-

Well, how are you making out batching it? I guess you will be away most of the time.

I have been getting along far too satisfactorily to suit me. I could only stick the hospital 10 days before I was considered well enough to be sent to Convalescent Home. I am not sorry to leave the hospital for it was not particularly nice there but of course was quite tolerable. this place seems much better. Most of the patients are up and sit down to the table to eat. a staff of voluntary aid nurses wait on us and do all they can to make things nice for us, The food and recreations are much superior to those at 1st Northern General Hospital. they have a much better chance to do it here for there are only 50 patients.

The "Hall" is a country house given over to the government for the use of convalescent soldiers. It is mainly supported by a man, Balliol Knott (known as James Knott), who lives close to this place. He is President of Prince Line of Steamships. He has donated several things to this place in memory of his 3 only sons who have all been killed in the war.

I am feeling better all the time and the only thing that is worrying me is how I am going to stick here long enough to enable Bill (Bill Skilling ) to finish his Gunnery course. He will be finished in about 4 weeks and then we can have our leave together. We each get 10 days or so at the end of my hospital term & he is at the end of his instruction course while he is waiting to be gazetted. If we manage to work it so that both our leaves will come at the same time, we will likely take a trip to Scotland. By the way, I had a letter from Charles Munroe (a cousin) and a small volume of Burns' Poems came to hand today. He wishes to be remembered to you.

Bill came up to visit me when i was in Newcastle hospital. He brought along all the letters he had rec'd recently. I had not heard from anyone for over a month and so I was glad to hear all the news. I hadn't heard that mother had gone to Calgary or that the kids had gone to Toronto. Are you considering the trip out west. There won't be so much to keep you now.

Bill wants me to apply for a Commission when I get fit again and try to get in the R.F. A. I think I'll give it a try anyway. The only thing I am fishy about is getting a recommendation from my old O.C. I would have no difficulty in obtaining that if I could be paraded before him personally but he might be inclined to quash it if I wrote him. He is so inconsistent that a person never knows how to take him. A lot depends on the humour he is in at the time.

I suppose you got the two cables Bill sent. He also wrote after he had seen me and sent word to Bert Mitford who was leaving for Toronto last Sunday. He will phone the folks at Toronto.

I only came here yesterday so will write and tell you all about this place when I find out more about it.

Your loving son,

Harold

6 October 1916 France

Dear Folks,

A brief note is all I can write just now as I am still on the broad of my back. I am a patient in #18 General Hospital just now awaiting transfer to England which will come when the Dr. thinks I am well enough to travel.

The wound is in my right abdomen and a piece of shrapnel penetrated my liver.

Was carrying a wounded German when I got hit. Was fixed up immediately and sent to CCS and was operated upon the same night i.e. September 28th.

Passed through Billy Redburn's dressing station on my way down. He said he would drop you a note. That is why I didn't write sooner. Also wrote to Bill in London & told him to cable you. You have no doubt rec'd it long before now.. It is not serious and no need to worry. Expect to be sent on in a day or two.

Lovingly,

Harold Skilling

P.S. There is a man in same ward from Lucknow. His name is Habick. Was in the hotel business in Lucknow.