May 7th, 1917.
France
Dear Mother,
Did you receive the message I sent when I arrived at [censored]. I cannot tell you anything about the hospital here, as we must keep absolutely quiet on these matters in France.
[censored] is quite a large city and some parts of it are very pretty indeed.
From the Ruby Ayre Album, p 27. Courtesy of the Archives and Special Collections (Coll-322 1.01), QE II Library, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL.
From the Ruby Ayre Album, p 3. Courtesy of the Archives and Special Collections (Coll-322 1.01), QE II Library, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL.
Of course the hospital is not in the city; we have to take a car to get there...
I am on night duty, which accounts for my going to bed at noon.
I go on duty at ten minutes to eight in the evening and come off at 8 a.m. Night duty is no laughing matter especially if the wards are heavy.
From the Ruby Ayre Album, p 18. Courtesy of the Archives and Special Collections (Coll-322 1.01), QE II Library, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL.
I have the care of five wards at night; so you can imagine I am kept a bit busy. I sometimes feel very very sleepy around the hours of one and two; but sleep must be sacrificed by all accounts, as one must keep a look out for all sorts of things, such as amputation bleedings, deaths, drinks etc.
From the Ruby Ayre Album, p 38. Courtesy of the Archives and Special Collections (Coll-322 1.01), QE II Library, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL.
This is a very wicked world mother; you cannot realize what sufferings there are: Some of the misery will ever live in my memory: it seems to me now as though I shall always have sad sights in my eyes...
I left my N.F.L.D friends in Lincoln. I miss them very, very much. Some of them were getting ready to go abroad somewhere; but I have not heard where. I don't expect to meet them this side of the Atlantic again.