The Royal Canadian Legion Saskatchewan Command LEST WE FORGET 65 France Sept 21, 1918 Dear Mother: I guess you have heard by now that I have got a touch of gas and by the time you get this I will be back with the battery. It is eleven days since I left, the first five days I couldn’t open my eyes and I was washed and fed and looked after like a little baby. My eyes are nearly better now but my skin got burned a bit and is peeling off now and I shall be all right again before long. I am down near the sea shore now where the cool sea breezes blow and they sure are cool in the morning. We have a great time in our ward arguing about the war. We have Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, Americans, Scotch, English and Irish and we have some good chewing matches. That’s about all we have to do so it helps to pass the time away. It feels good to get a bath every day and a good bed with white sheets to sleep in, rather different from sleeping with a great coat and a rubber sheet like I have been doing since we started the push in August. I haven’t got any mail since I came here but I expect it will be coming along any day now. I suppose you will be all through harvest by now, what there is of it, and ready for threshing. I wish I was at it instead of lying around 2nd hospital but I think we will be back for the next harvest. Well I haven’t much more to say now so I will close. Your Loving Son, Victor The last known letter that Victor wrote to his mother is transcribed below. This letter mentions “2nd” hospital but the military records indicate he was at the 25th General Hospital at or near Etables, a small centre near the mouth of the Canche River on the Pas-de-Calais (the Straight of Dover).
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