Dear Janey,
We have at last got into the firing line and I have been very slightly wounded in the abdomen by a piece of shrapnel from an anti-aircraft gun. I wrote to John yesterday and told him he could tell you if he thought it worthwhile as the wound is so slight. The shrapnel did not stop in the wound and I was going back to the firing line after having been to the dressing station (but I had a first aid bandage on before I went to the dressing station) when the Doctor called me back and told me I'd to go to the hospital for a few days for fear there was any shrapnel in the wound, But there was none in, and I expect I will go back to the firing line in a few days.
You can tell Mother not to be upset because it is nothing - why I walked 2 miles to a hospital and then was taken to another by motor ambulance, and I have no pain as it is only a flesh wound. Of course I was very lucky to get off as I did. It is very sad about young Donaldson who is killed; he was out of B Coy. Another B Coy chap was killed yesterday.
How I was hit - one of our aeroplanes was over the German lines signalling to our artillery and the German anti-aircraft guns were firing at it, and I was standing at the entrance to our Machine Gun pit when a piece of shell must have dropped from the air, hit the parapet and then struck me. Well it's a good job nothing more serious.
I have had a nice time in hospital, I was wounded about 3.30 yesterday afternoon and I was brought to this hospital about 7 p.m. last night. Of course I am knocking about the ward. It is a French school. There are only 4 patients in my ward including myself, the other three are suffering from ordinary complaints; none of them are wounded.
We were jolly comfortable in our billets. You can send me some of that stuff you send the boys from Boots - I think you said it is called "Vermin in the trenches" - and some carbolic soap. If I go back to the same billet I am going to send my clothes out to be washed by a Belgian woman. We go to her house for coffee and refreshments and it is just like a home. We set to work one night and fried some eggs, they were 2 1/2 d each and she only charged 1/2 d each for butter to fry them and it is over 2/1 a pound.
You can please send some writing paper but perhaps there is some in the parcel I guess you have sent off, and I will get it when I get back. We were only allowed to write 6 letters a section up to yesterday and then we were told we could all write every day. I have sent two letters home and a field card since I came to France so I hope you received them.
Sid is keeping fit and all our chaps are well as far as I know. I was helping to bury a horse last Sunday morning and we went to the trenches in the afternoon. We first left Whitehaven on a Sunday, and we returned from leave on a Sunday and we left England on a Sunday so I think we will remember the 7th day.
The hospital I am in is about 5 miles from the firing line - did you follow what I put in my last letter - it was Billie (N) told me in the train. I will be writing letters in French next. We are only 20 minutes walk from the 5th Borders and quite a few of them have visited our billets. Ted Gill was up, but I didn't see him, but I don't know him much.
Well I must close hoping all at home are well.
Your loving brother Joe
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