Item 04: G. O. Hawkins letters to his family, 2 January 1915-November 1917 - Page 210
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[Page 210]
20
I often feel that the battle field has opened a chance for a rare book to be written
One which no war correspondent will even attempt. One which no mere journalist is capable of covering. Yet which will require the experience of such men.
There is so much of the profound intense depth of poor human nature shaken to the surface by the terrors and calamities of war that a contemplative nature cannot help seeing the possibilities of more than interesting romance.
My poor attempts to describe something of this stupendous upheaval of the creature at its pinacle of civilization, seem so mean and colourless that I almost despair.
And whatever I attempt remains such a very very small part of that which I wish to express.
With the exception of a mere scratch on the hand I am now quite well, and in a few days even that scratch will be healed. Of course I am thankful.
From the hospital where the beautiful woman looks down from a picture on the wall, I was taken to a hospital of tents, then to another from which by train I was taken to Boulogne and put in a hospital not far from there, then shifted to yet another from which I wrote the last letter and from there brought to where I am now
It all happened quickly but is quite a long story.