Sullivan letter diary, 27 October 1915-9 October 1917 / Eugene Sullivan - Page 282
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[Page 282]
In the Trenches
Wednesday, 25th July 1917.
My dear Parents
Unfortunately I have been unable to write my usual letter the last two weeks, and had to be content with despatching that most unsatisfactory of all communication commonly known as a "Whiz Bang" or Field Service Card just to let you know that nothing untoward has happened to me.
As a matter of fact I have been in hospital for the past fortnight suffering from a slight attack of trench fever. It is not half as bad as the name suggests or at any rate my attack was not. It was just like an attack of influenza but without the worst part i.e. the cold in the head and runny nose.
I have been out of bed for the past week and recuperating at a rest station behind the lines. This is one of the latest and most sensible ideas that have been put into execution as regards the sick.
Instead of sending them straight back to the trenches when they are no longer ill enough to be kept in hospital they are sent to one of these rest stations to have a spell and recuperate before again facing the discomforts of the trenchs. We are very well fed and looked after and I have been putting on weight rapidly.
The New Zealanders took over this hospital from the 9th F.A. last week. Their doctor, a Major Craig, who attended to all the hospital cases, was an exceptionally kind and considerate man (a sample seldom met with among the military doctors) and he insisted on every man having a good rest and wouldn't think