Carried on stretcher to beach. Hut with 40 others, only officers there. Time 11pm.
Told lighter in at 3. Woken at 3,
but just missed getting on. Next boat at
9. Dozed. Very cold.
No breaker. No water. 9.30
Thank heaven. Carried down to
pier and on to lighter. 10.00 Reached
hospital ship. 11.00 Lifted up by crane.
Cold, exhausted and starving but happy at last. Given cabin.
On the whole happiest day of life because:
11.30 Given Bovril and thin biscuit.
12.00 Orderly gave me a hot bath. Soaked and scratched, washed hair,
everything. Clean pyjamas, bed socks,
dressing gown. Returned to warm cabin
and given lunch of cup of soup, Semolina pudding and 3 rounds of bread and
butter. Exquisite. Afternoon – slept. Doctor comes and wakes me up at 2.30. Spendid fellow. Liquid diet.
No bacon at present.
3 C
of E Chaplain comes with books and says great difficulty in burying
Mohammedan. Prayer Book Service. Asked whether he could bury a Baptist. If necessary, thought he could.
4.30 Steward arrived with tea, bread and butter and
a bit of cake. Brings cigs and that is
soup [super]. Ask for egg. Improve.
But he says on leaving, very sad plight, “What will you say to a good
meal at 7.30? Soup, chicken, fish?”
Nearly fainted. Asked for loaf and
butter too and cheese.
5.30-6.30.
Am writing this diary for last fortnight. Absolutely and completely happy. Clean, warm, smoking. Nibble chocolate, read good story (Booth
Tankerton). Seen real English nurse who
comes from Wymondham, Norfolk and knows Norwich, and bask in anticipation of
top whole meal. Never so happy before,
hence write diary. Am now going to eat
my meal in my mind so as to get full satisfaction morally and physically.
Dear old steward. Wish peple could know how I felt. Ship going out tonight?
Sureley “Heaven must be our life at best,
instant changed, not in kind but in degrees.”
7.30
Dinner! Ye Gods! Soup, fish and sauce (double portion),
chicken, potatoes, greens (all) bread and butter, apples, choc. Felt more substantial and had a fair night.
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