April 21 1917 (medical treatment and meeting Arthur Currie)

Dear Eve,

I am finally regaining my strength after the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and I feel that i was vague about my circumstances following the battle. As far as I can remember, once I was hit with the shot in my arm, I am lying on the dirt for what felt like hours. It was only much later in the day when I was able to prop myself up on a tree stump when i saw my rescue. The nurses came with stretchers and carried me off well behind the enemy lines. It was a stark thought, as i have seen countless people brought back into the trenches by the very same stretchers, and now i was on them as well. Once we were safely behind friendly lines, they got me onto a bed and told me to wait. Hard to do with a bullet in my arm, but i was patient. The first thing that took me by surprise was the sheer amount of people in the medical buildings. I only has the assistance of the field medics when i was injured, so i never thought that the conditions were going to be like this. It was a disgusting sight, the injuries of some of the soldiers. I won`t share with you the details, but it felt like being in a sea of red, and i knew that most of those soldiers would not make it out of the tents alive, if they even entered the tent alive. Along with these injuries, there were the shell shocked victims. Looking at their faces and into their blank eyes were unsettling, as though they`ve seen the darkest horrors known to man. I later learned the place was called the CCS, or the Casualty Clearing Station. Apparently i had already been through the ADS, or advanced dressing station, although i had no memory of having my bandages wound up. Looking over at my arm, i found that they were right. By the time you get this letter, i have already recovered as best I can, which makes sense as i wouldn`t be able to write this is my arm was still in pain. 

Aside from this, I have some more interesting news, one that i think you should tell the kids, I think they might be surprised. Upon my last day of treatment, i was getting ready with my division to go back onto the front lines, i was met by a certain individual who came to congratulate us on our daring victory. It was Arthur Currie, of all people, the commander of my division. He was talking to the injured and eventually came over to me. We had a long and very engaging talk, which was truly a sight to behold. Never in my life would i think that a commander would come down to fraternize and talk to their soldiers. It turns out that he was responsible for the preparation of the battle of Vimy Ridge, creating a plan which was approved by the commanding officers, and the ordering of troops asides from my division. Quite an amazing feat, and one with a very good outcome. He is even to be knighted for his efforts, an apt reward for taking the ridge in about half an hour. It was quite interesting to talk to the man, and i had a sort of admiration for the man who was responsible for one of the greatest Canadian victories of the war. I can feel the war slowing down Eve, yet i still do not know when it will stop. Gods willing, i will be able to go home soon, but as i`ve said before, i doubt anyone will know when or how this dreaded war will end. 



Dearest love, Daniel Wadsworth

Sources: Canadians at War 1914 - 1918 Donald M. Santor, http://www.1914-1918.net/wounded.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Currie#Vimy_Ridge