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[Page 37]
a good fright, and young Russell strained himself a bit carrying Liddell out of the water. I sent Russell to Lemnos for a week to recover. I have seen H. McLaughlin twice & had a good talk with him 2 days ago. Have seen Donelly lately. Haven't seen Polsson since the day he landed. I didn't see Byron Pattison, but Fargher & Rutherford saw him in Heliopolis. The doctors there tried to save as much as possible at the first amputation, and gangrene set in above. Poor fellow died. He passed through here at the time of the rush. I heard that Harry Tate was wounded; but so far I can find no trace of his name in the books. Frank Moran was sent back wounded I believe, but I didn't see him either. I told Claude Smith to look me up frequently, so that I could report him well. I saw him last evening quite well and smiling. I haven't been able to get any news of poor old Eric Boyd. I got a letter from his father this morning. Please give him my very kind regards. Unless Eric gets someone to write to me (as I asked him to do) I will have to wait for news of him from Mount Morgan. Poor old chap. I felt it very hard to have to send him away. But the P.M.O. [Port Medical Officer] of the Hospital ship I sent him to, Colonel Hugo, has a very fine reputation. He is an I.M.S. [Indian Medical Service] man. Eric was much liked by his men and by Major Glasgow, who also thinks a lot of Alec. I have met Glasgow several times. I have seen “Sol” Green, the padre, twice. I have met Espie Dods and Alec Marks several times; they both knew me well by name they said. The Casualty Clearing Station is the important medical unit here, and its neighbourhood provides a meeting place for friends. The books are constantly in requisition for looking up missing people and casualties. Col[onel] Giblin not back yet. He is in Alexandria & doesn’t seem in a hurry to get back. So I am very busy running the show which is more than equal to all the other medical units here. As the fighting line is only about a mile away the field Ambulances haven’t got their wagons, and the stretcher bearers carry all the cases in. And as there is so little room in our piece of territory there is very little nursing done, and that only of a few mild cases of sickness or injury by the Field Ambulances. So our chief duty is evacuating. Though whilst waiting for boats, a lot of urgent opns [operations] are done. I had to leave off this letter in one place to do a trephining. I am getting on alright. Health splendid. Tucker good. Have comfortable shelter. A sea bath every morning in a sheltered spot. What more can a man want? – except a sight of home, and those in it. My teeth are a great comfort. Scores of men have broken their plates on the hard biscuits