21.9.18                Field E.E.F.

My dear Mother

Many thanks for your letters. A magazine “Lloyds”, so welcome & also a letter in another envelope forwarded from S. America. I wrote you a letter in answer to one from you when you were with the Morses. I find I never posted it! Of course all our success in the last few days will be stale news by the time you get this, what will happen will have happened, however we seem to have got Johnny Turk on the run. I of course am moved off, and am with a Field Amb

What a nuisance you cannot find those papers. I have asked for some more. Fancy you going over to Hartley Row, however I suppose you go sometimes to have a look around.

Ted is doing well then is’nt he. A Brigade Major now. How pleased Nell must be. I saw Swan very often before I came away. He’s such a nice man. I hope Paul & Nancy enjoy their leave & come home to see you. I never got Paul’s letter.

I am seriously thinking of going back to Assam if I can get away in November. Things must be nearly over here & if I stay on I’ll only be mucking about in India, nothing to do with the war, & I shall get stuck for another year for certain. After all I’ve done 4 years now, & there are plenty of black doctors to do my job. I will cable you where to write. This is what I will say so don’t lose this & I will keep a copy.

QUITE WELL = c/o Messrs Cox & Co Calcutta

So if you get a cable saying “quite well” you will know where to write, put “to be called for” on top. And will you write to Cox & Co (Ind dep) 16 Charing Cross & tell them to address letters there in future, at the same time asking them to send £50 to my account with their Calcutta agents. I am writing Cox London to that effect.

Still frightfully hot here & where I am now there’s no bathing & not even much water.

Ben seems very happy at Wimbledon. I don’t expect I’ll have time to write again for a bit. I’ve just seized this opportunity

Best love to all

yr loving son

Richard

Richard does have to say “black doctors” not “other doctors” doesn’t he. “Johnny Turk” sounds almost comedic, possibly because it is impossible to imagine anyone saying it now. 

It’s interesting that both Richard and Ted have a sense of the tide turning and increasing success if not imminent victory.