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[Page 148]
Castle for Southampton.
Chapter XIV Netley
The boat was crowded with wounded, going across to "Blightie". I was one of the few who was able to stand and look out of the porthole, for about a minute by clutching hold of something; then I was all of a shake, when I sat down once more.
On landing I was put on the car and taken across the ferry to the Royal Victoria Hospital at Netley - about 2 miles from Southhampton, overlooking Southampton. It is the biggest hospital I have ever seen, is ΒΌ of a mile long, 3 stories high, and has room for 5,000 patients.
I was put in 8 A ward, and for the first few days was in bed, then Dr Peters came round, "he'll have to have his jaw pushed back into position", and tied up he said, so the matron came round, and pushed the bottom jaw back, till the teeth went inside the top teeth, then she tied it up; of course all this operation didn't hurt, I don't think, in a few days I was running about the ward, and just able to clean the sterilizer for, Sister, I usen't to have a bad time here, I was the only Australian in the ward, and was always referred to as "Aussie". I told some of them stories, about the rabbits out here, and one old chap wouldn't believe it at all, and all I told was quite true. An Abcess now started to form underneath my right jaw, so doctor Peters gave me gas, and cut it out. I went for a shave with 3 weeks growth, the barber took one glance, and said, do you think you really want a shave. I might now say what the wound was like. The bullet made a small hole in my right cheek, caught the false teeth on that side, and carried the gums away with them and went out, through the elbow of the jaw on the left