Brewster 'A Glimpse of War through a Private's Eyes', a retrospective account of experiences in World War I, 1915-1917 / John James Brewster - Page 575
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[Page 575]
The contrast between the "Old" & the "New" is so great that everything appears to please & refresh the craving for change & but very few visitors could make a tour of the "Old Country" without constantly admiring the different yet very beautiful views for ever meeting the eye in an extended trip in a fast moving motor car.
Within three or four days of making this trip the delight & pleasure of having a friend to constantly call on express thoughts & recall memories that would be quite impossible with the ordinary casual acquaintance was regretably brought to an end by H[dash] being moved out of Camp to go to another with the ostensible purpose of joining a Hospital Ship for Australia.
Mutual regrets were expressed, best wishes for each others welfare, & hopes for again meeting on the same vessel for "Aussie".
Within a few days the Sentry obtained his furlough, although on the day of departure for London he was caused an unnecessary amount of worry and annoyance, all on account of his blood stained overcoat.
In the very first place a difficulty arose in France in the Hospital refitting to go to England the man in charge of the store there would not change it for an unstained one, only because he knew the Sentry was not likely to go back to the line, and on arrival in England the men at the store refused it, on account of the blood stains on it.
At his own expense the sentry had the overcoat washed & scrubbed & then sent to a Laundry but the stains could not be removed. The woman who took it to the Laundry superstitiously passed the remark Oh! this can never be cleaned! Murdered blood will never wash out! & when brought back she said I told you so It was hopeless to try to wash the stains away.
The Storeman would not exchange the coat & as the Sentry would not have been allowed to leave the Camp with his overcoat so stained he was on the