At the Hospital

November 15, 1917

Dear Mary, 

                This is my last day in the hospital. After I was shot in the leg, I summoned up the energy and forced myself to limp away from the battlefield until a man helped me all the way back to a regimental aid post (RAP). On the way, I noticed other Canadian men that were more severely injured and had to be carried back by stretcher bearers. At the time, I felt woozy and thought I would go unconscious before reaching the place. At the RAP, they could only carry out first aid and provide some men with drinks but as they could give me proper treatment, I was further taken to a casualty clearing station (CCS) by ambulance.

The ambulance I was carried in

                I got there after some time and the first thing I noticed was the strong stench of blood inside and it was not merely coming from the blood streaming down my left leg. Someone helped me to the bed and two other men started performing surgery to remove the bullet from my flesh. I clenched my teeth and gripped onto the side of my bed, restraining myself from letting out even a grunt. I couldn’t allow myself to express the slightest pain I felt while there were hundreds of others that lied down, looking like they were dying.

 At the CCS

                A nursing sister told me I would be fine in no time. I noticed other soldiers who had lost an eye, an ear or were left with deformed faces after getting it stitched from a deep cut. People were having their fingers cut off or legs amputated which made me feel extremely lucky to have only received an indirect shot. Others had even bigger wounds on their chests or thighs with blood gushing out nonstop. I could almost sense the excruciating pain they felt. Finally after they dressed up my leg with bandages, I was put on a train nearby and brought to a hospital because the CCS was just overflowing with terribly injured people who had to be tended to immediately. Now that I’ve had about a week’s worth of healing, I have to return to my unit tomorrow morning. Still, I must have my last good night’s rest so I will write again as soon as possible. I’m sure I’ll be back fairly soon so I hope that for the time being, you too are taking care of yourself as well as Sammy.

                                                                                                                                

                                                                                                      Love always, James Carter

(Sources:

• http://regimentalrogue.com/misc/researching_first_world_war_soldiers_part13.htm
• http://www.1914-1918.net/wounded.htm)
   

Details of the battle of Passchendaele

November 12, 1917

Dear Mary,

                Now that I am ready, I will tell you how it went down during the battle of Passchendaele at your request. We began attacking on October 12. I remember that morning to be very gloomy as the grey skies showered us, letting the pouring rain dampen the dirt beneath our feet. I also remember overhearing some of our guys worriedly discussing how Commander Arthur Currie had predicted 16 000 casualties just for us, Canadians. In the end it was astonishing and upsetting to discover how very accurate his estimation was. The rain was a big problem because the muddy floor it created made it harder to move quicker and bring artillery closer to the front lines to attack. Even when we only continued to attack after the rain subsided, the Germans on top of the ridge easily fired their rifles, shells and everything they had at us. Hundreds of bodies fell scattered on the mud. On November 6^th, after taking a week to sort things out among the divisions, we the 1^st division, and the 2^nd division were placed in the front lines. In more or less three hours we pushed forward up to our objective lines and won over Passchendaele. In those first two hours, as I was thinking how crazy it was to not have received any major battle scars since I joined the forces, I just (barely) took a shot in the leg. I managed not to take a direct hit because I stopped that German’s heartbeat before he could even get a good aim. I’m still in the hospital though which is why with all my spare time, I’m able to reply to your letters a lot sooner than usual. Although the nurse right now is insisting that I get some rest so I’ll be sending another letter in a bit. Remember to keep me updated with anything and everything going on with you two. Tell Sammy that I miss him lots I’ll be seeing him soon.

                                                                                                                              Lots of love, James Carter

(Sources: 

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Passchendaele)

In the Front Lines of Passchendaele

November 14, 1917

Dear Mary,

            How are things going right now? For me, I wish I could say that we're proud to have triumphantly won a town called Passchendaele when it seemed unthinkable to even try. The reality is, we were only able to take it from the Germans by making frighteningly huge sacrifices. By the way, I'm currently writing this letter in a hospital. During the battle, an enemy soldier managed to shoot me; the bullet grazed past the side of my left leg after I had sent one through his chest. It stings a bit but it's nothing compared to the wounds of the other thousands of unlucky men here. Perhaps I can tell you more about how we won Passchendaele at a later time. I admit that this battle was unbelievably challenging and much more stressful than the other times we've been through, even for me while I deem myself to be a rather brave and committed soldier. Maybe my morale has slightly dropped too but I have yet to break down unlike most of my friends that did not die in this fight. I'm sure I'll feel better soon so don't worry about me. For now, I can just tell you what I did in the battle. We were placed in the front lines except when we had to rotate. When dawn came, I guarded the front line trenches with many other soldiers.

 

A photo of me guarding the trench

            If nothing happened or seemed suspicious, we would simply have some breakfast then I usually helped fill up sandbags before getting to work. We had a little leisure but when nightfall came, we had to be prepared for the risky and intense war in darkness. We would either go on night patrols to try to learn something new about the enemy or fix our defenses like the barb wires in no man’s land. At this time, you really had to be on guard. Since the night time is more eventful, some men will enjoy the adrenaline rush from the dangers and still others will suffer from shell shock. We use this term for the soldiers who can no longer function properly because they’ve had enough of the brutalities in war and are unable to handle all of its pressures. Like I've mentioned earlier, I’ve seen it among a lot of men here and it’s devastating but one might say that the higher-ups aren’t as sympathetic. Some just think that the soldiers are acting up and nothing has actually wrong gone with their brain, but I completely disagree. With all of the gory things we see on a daily basis like our own friends lifeless on the cold, hard ground soaked in a massive amount of blood, it’s not too hard to fathom. In the battlefield completely littered with shrapnel shells, bullets and hundreds of used artillery scattered all around, we kill and destroy endlessly with only a few sources of motivation.

 

My pals playing baseball 

            We can play sports and drink some rum to feel better for example. Also, you should know that you and Sammy never leave my mind; even during the busiest times, my thoughts always come back to you guys. Like plenty others, I am able to remain determined mainly because of the comfort I get from your letters and with hope of coming back home soon. So on that note, I will be looking forward for your uplifting stories and until then, please be well.

                                                                                                                                        Love, James Carter

(Sources:

• http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/guerre/passchendaele-e.aspx#2.C
• http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/guerre/daily-routine-e.aspx)