Hopital Militaire Belge, c/o Army P.6. No2, Rouen
7/9/1916
My dearest Father
I didn’t write the day after the other as no letters are passing either way from what I can make out: the boats are certainly not running. I sent off £3 last night from the Army Post Office three £1 P.O. 6’s in a registered envelope. That is your and Granny’s birthday presents which are to be invested in War Loan stock of some kind, be it through bank of Post Office. You had better get me one of those books of 12 coupons for £1, I will pay you off the rest bit by bit. They seem to be pretty sound things I don’t know if I thanked you properly for the birthday present. It was very kind, as I have no need of it, nor any desire to blue it, it has gone back to you to be used for the Country’s and my good.
I hope your harvest is getting on all right. There is a lot out here (a large percentage I mean as this is more dairy and apple country than arable) as we had very heavy rain and thunderstorms last week.
I suppose Granny and Bessie have left you now. I’m sorry to hear that poor Tom is no better. I saw a lovely field of marigolds yesterday with luxuriant tops and it made me long to be walking up them with a gun. It is sickening missing the shooting all the time. How delightful it will be to come back to all that and live quietly at home with you and Mother.
I am returning Mr Trower’s note. What has been the matter with him? Mrs Baron is quite right to enquire after my brassard and certificate. It is not the brassard or certificate that I have and use now: that has nothing whatever to do with her. It is my old one, issued a year last January from Lincoln, but I have mislaid it somewhere and will write to her about it.
Where abouts has Gladys Downs gone to in the East?
I found out, tell Mother, that the girls in Hobson’s brother was wounded and missing. Of course I’m afraid that she’ll never see or hear of him again poor girl, but I didn’t tell her so as there is always a chance that he may be a prisoner.
I’m glad to hear that Captain Loure and Mr Gregory are a little better. Ask Mother to send me Molly’s letter or letters that have arrived since my return here.
I have been awfully busy: it has been the end of the month and I have been compiling statistics for dear life.
Then my boss had three days holiday and that gave me a lot of extra work writing notes on cases to other doctors and taking X-ray photos, and generally keeping the shop in running order.
We have got an American Tennis Tournament on just now. It is a very scratch affair but we have got 11 couples composed of medical gymnasts (better but incorrectly known as masseuses) Doctors and nurses. We put the names in a hat and drew.
I must stop now or I shall be late. I hope I shall have a letter from home soon, I haven’t had one for ages.
Best love from your loving daughter Dorothy
03/9/1916
My Dearest Father
Just a few lines to tell you that I’m alive but very busy, I’m afraid I’ve been very remiss about writing just lately, however I will mend my ways now. This is a short letter to catch the post and a longer one will follow.
I got your money at the Credit Lyonnais thank you very much and I will send it back (the £2) with Granny’s as soon as I can get down to Rouen to send it off. I have been working half the day at my monthly report: I have treated 484 patients in the month of August and given over 7,000 treatments, and for the hot air baths, which are given by an orderly under my direction, we treated nearly 300 patients and gave over 4,000 treatments. I didn’t have the hot air baths before, they are in the same room as the electrical things and under Dr Stouff’s direction but with a different nurse. Now they are put into my hands which has given me a lot more work.
I must stop now
I will try and write a longer letter to-morrow.
Best love to you both
Your loving daughter
Dorothy.
About Alford 