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[Page 96]
part of the boat trip and since I landed in London I had had them more frequently than usual – enough to be unpleasant. This made me rather doubtful as to whether I could go on with that I came to do, especially as an operation was an unpleasant and expensive thing to undergo so far from home. I therefore made enquiries amongst some friends and was recommended to go to a surgeon in London, a man whose opinion would be considered valuable. This I did, and after examining me he said that so far as he could tell there was no immediate need for an operation, that I would have to be more careful of myself (diet & habits).He said too that if I were to go out where there was bad food and conditions generally that I would have trouble. This was not exactly encouraging. I had previously been to the War Office on Monday 8th Nov and the prospect there was one of waiting rather indefinitely for some months. In addition they did not encourage the plan of learning independently before being accepted by them. Things were in that unsatisfactory state and I thought that perhaps if this physical trouble prevented my doing active service work, there would be more likelihood of my getting a job as instructor in Australia than in England. Hence the cable to you. Your answer has relieved me from a considerable amount of uncertainty even though it contained no definite assurance of work in Sydney. I now intend to go ahead with the work of learning. Provided I am able to get rid of this trouble (which I can reasonably expect to do) and have also favourable conditions at Hendon, I hope to be through the course in a couple of months if not less. I shall then be in a better position to arrange what I am going to do. I feel confident that I shall not be altogether stranded, but if the worst comes to the worst and my health will not allow me to join any other branch of the service I can return to Sydney & perhaps wait there in the hope of something turning up. But that event I do not anticipate.
I have spent nearly three weeks down here in Kent with my cousin and feel the benefit of it in many ways. I am becoming more accustomed to the ways of England and the English. both of which They were at first somewhat strange and rather distressing to me but that is passing off.
I am interested to see that Australia is sending another 50 thousand men. That, I suppose, will comprise new units. It will require a good stream of men to keep up the supply of reinforcements for the whole Australian force on active service. Will this be