Search The Archive

Search form

Collection Search
Date: November 5th 1917
To
Mr. Irwin and Family
From
Iden Bonds
Letter

Bed 45 Ward A

W5 General Hos

London SE

Nov 5/17

Rev M Irwin & family

My dear friends

Just a few lines in answer to yours received yesterday & dated Sept 2nd & was pleased to get it. You will probably think me long winded in writing, but I was waiting for some work & as you know it is pretty dull living in hospital, but now I can get about again & can do a little walking around. Well sir I am pleased to know that you are all in good health I am in touch with Karl & hope to see him sometime this week, as he tells me that he is having 2 days leave. I tell you it will be a treat to see some of the old norwood boys again. Well sir you will know that I have had my accident from my friends. I tell you I had quite a few narrow escapes. I was buried 3 separate times in two weeks & came out without a scratch & also blown up in the air & dropped into the mud on the Ypres-Comines canal back, pretty near the place where I met my accident. I have also 3 German bullets, one I got into my blanket in my pack & the others went through my tunic. how my dear friend & Bror I am telling you this in private, please don’t let it out was I have never mentioned it in any of my letters & it would only upset my wife. Well sir I went thro the messines & Wychette Ridge to, I saw all the mines go up. I was only about 600 yards away from one, so I was pretty near. Well sir I am glad to know that you have seen the family frequently. I know that they are pretty lonely, but then all we can do is to go on praying & trusting for a speedy ending of this terrible strife. Well sir I am in good health but lame & I expect I shall be for quite a long time I had the semilunar cartiledge of my left knee cut away & I tell you that it was pretty sore, but still it is going along fine & I can get about splendidly. Well sir I will have to come to a close & I hope that this will find you all in good health. I am glad that the gardens were successful. Well Goodbye & God Bless you all & continue to pray for us, we need it.

From yours sincerely

(Can Engineer) Sapper Iden Bonds 195.560

Original Scans

Original Scans

Bonds, Iden. November 5, 1917 Bonds, Iden. November 5, 1917 Bonds, Iden. November 5, 1917