Letters from John Wesley Hetherington to his Family, 1914-1915 - Part 6

[*16*]
Imfarta Barracks Hospital
Malta
May 25/1915.

Dear Mother,

I am sure you will be watching eagerly for letters from
the Front & so I shall try to scribble a few more lines to you, though I
haven't seen a letter from home for a long while. That isn't your fault
of course, the letters will be somewhere, of but where, only the Gods and
the authorities know. You will see I have changed quarters again, 
there was a demand for accomodation at Valletta as a lot more serious
cases had come in and Alexandria could not accomodate them, as they
cleared out those who were almost convalescent and sent us about 8 miles
inland. There isn't so much to see here as in Malta itself, but it is
very healthy and highly situated. We have Kitcheners' Army medical
staff, Territorial nurses all Home women, and they all very attentive.
We also have orderlies of R.A.M.C in attendance. There are Catholic
Churches in heaps here, everywhere you turn there is a great big church,
or a priest wandering round looking sleek and fat. Then there are
monks & nuns galore, and it must cost a big amount of money to keep the
Church going here. However its none of my business I suppose, and I
must say they have visited the hospitals oftener than the Methodist person
has. I have only seen the Wesleyan parson once, he brought some smokes
& Chocolate in. The Presbyterian parson generally brings heavy
literature in such as the British Weekly, tracts etc his an "awful"
releegus man "ye ken". There were services frequently at Valletta
as they had a church in the Hospital itself. We all liked Valletta
there was always plenty to see out on the Harbour many boats
passing in and out. We had an Italian boat in last week, and 

we gave them a humble cheer from our balcony. Then we used

to see the transports come in from Home for the Dard^els and one

evening a big transport as they passed out shouted to us "Are

we downhearted?" And of course we yelled back "No!" Close 

to Valletta ∧Hospital there is a curious place called the Chapel of Bones, and all the
sides & roof are lined with skulls. There are said to be over 2000 skulls in
there and all sorts of other bones arranged as decorations while round the
bottom of the walls there is ∧a sort of dado of thigh bones piled about a foot
high. It is a gruesome, uncanny, sort of place and where they usually
have statues near the altar they have two full skeletons. I heard they
were gathered near the chapel where a battle was fought years & years
ago. Whoever arranged them must have had an uncanny taste. I have
not had an opportunity of viewing other sights yet as that is only possible
when you are at the convalescent Hosp! called Tigne (Tiny) Hospital.
The boys seem to be doing all right on the Peninsula, at least the
Navy men who arrived here last week seemed to be satisfied at the
progress. The Imperial troops had a much more difficult landing
then we had and have had a tougher task I think up to now, we
were fortunate enough to dodge wire entanglements on landing as it is
said we landed a mile & half from where the Turks expected us to
land. I have heard also that the ground near that place was nicely
prepared for us but our flies didn't walk into that particular parlour,
and a good job too, it was warm enough as it was, Things are
much better there now and there are not near so many casualties. The
snipers ale always busy, and they get small mercy when found.
I heard of a Turk Sniper who shot an Indians' mule. The Indian
38. 

rooted him out and settled him & then cut his head off & carried
it down to the beach with him to explain to the officer. They found a
fancy dug out where the sniper had been & lots of ammunition & tucker.
The  xx end is slow but sure and when our chaps take Achi Baba
hill it will be a big step to getting through the farrows if it doesn't
settle the question altogether. We don't expect the Turks will put
up much of a fight when things begin to go against them.
We are all pleased to hear Italy has decided to come in too, Malta
is Italian in many respects and the language has lots of Italian in it.
Most men who have been through the fight are satisfied and most
of them wish it were over to get back home. Not that they [[funk?]] it
but they don't like to see their pals bowled out and it does give a
man a shock to see the chap next to him go down with a groan.
Still it has to be done and the men who fight the time pave the way
for peace in the future. I don't know whether I shall receive
any of your letters until I get back to the base, so just
continue sending them as for usual address.
I shall write Fred shortly
With love to you all
Wes/.
We get well treated here & I have money to buy little extras,
we get smokes give wholesale, it is strange to see chaps very
badly wounded asking for a smoke. One case in our ward smoked
until he died poor chap. 

[*17*]

Imfarta Hospital.
Malta June 3/15

Dear Bro Fred
I am writing a few lines though I haven't heard from you
since we left Lemnos before the "grande attempt". There seems
to be little or no attempt made to deliver our letters and we are
rousing some you may be sure. The Gov^r. Lord [[Fetherson?]] was
round yesterday & we complained to him so there may be
something done. He is very attentive to us and does all he can
to make things comfortable so far as he can. He has had to come
down in the booze & vendors and we have also had to submit
to restrictions owing to a few forgetting to do the right thing. "Twas
ever thus with our force. I am practically all right again
except a certain stiffness of the muscles just above the back
of the fence where the bullet came out. Some of the chaps have
had to wait a long while to get the bullets removed as the Xray
outfit hadn't arrived from England. That doesn't affect them
very much, though it sets up inflammation and soreness in the
wound. The most dangerous cases are the gun shot wounds
in the chest and lungs. There are some funny cases besides
serious ones. A Royal Fusilier in my ward has had a bullet
through below his eye, took some of his tongue off and came out
through his chin. He amuses the others by trying to sing "Sister
Susie's sowing shirts for soldiers", and of course he does make a
mouthful of it. We had another who was struck deaf & dumb
with a shell bursting close to him. He came in the same ship as
I did, and was always happy. This week he came in

to see me and we spoke as best we could in deaf & dumb talk.

He looked quite serious for a time & then with a huge smile

he said "Sayeeda"(Egyptian "good morning".) We really had a

fit I confess I thought I had imagined it, but he soon proved

it a fact. The doctors here have fixed him up and he is all

right again. We didnt half congratulate him, and they say no

one can get a word in edgeway for him now. There are also some 

of the Border Regiment in my ward, this Corp Commander was a Newcastle

man, from Jesmond Dane. He was the crack shot of the Regiment, and

was, unfortunately, killed at the Dand^els. We get little or no news here,

and have to rely on the navy men on the latest arrivals of wounded for

news. You will have seen that Col. Braund was killed. I should have

liked to have seen a full casualty list, those we have seen are incomplete

as there are some we know whose names are not published. We were rather

surprised to meet some of the Egyptian sick men at Mtarfa. As they get

better they are sent off to the Straits, it is about time some of them had a 

go too. We get plenty of tucker here, and though it is somewhat isolated

it isn't too bad at all. There are some good sisters from London Hospitals

here many of them suffragettes, and some have even done the hunger 

strike I believe. I had a walk round the township near here, Notabile,

and into the Catacombs and churches there. The churches are wickedly

splendid, if I may use the term.  The contrast between the interior of

the churches and the comfortable appearance of the priests and the

poorness of the houses and the people makes one think furiously.

Statues with lovely rings on the wax fingers, rich paintings, twisted and

mosaic work, candles and rich altar coverings, and their behold

a few humble Maltese women all in black counting their beads on

their knees. I saw a priest in the confessional box on chain hearing

the confession of a woman and at the conclusion the inevitable

collection box was produced for her mite. Priests everywhere in these

streets. There is a religious ceremony on today I hear so I may 

get a pass to get out to see it. There are some more cases coming

in today I believe from Valletta the Dand^els, it is some time

now since there were any arrivals nine or 10 days at least so that

thing must be much better. It is only a question of time I'm

sure and the submarines can keep sinking transports in

the sea of Mancora  it will help to bring the end about more

quickly still. I don't suppose I shall be leaving here for a 

few weeks, yet, and even if I do get back it will probably 

be for armorers duties only. You will often read that some

are anxious to get back, well I'm sure we wouldn't mind

being in at the death of the Turkey, but to say that men

who have once been through the mill & have had to suffer the

pain of wounds are anxious to see it again is all bunkum

take it from me, none of us would be sorry were the war over

tomorrow. I hope you are managing all right at home and

that Mother isn't worrying about me, for I'm as right as

ever I was barring the stiffness I have spoken of. I am sending

some p.c. showing a church I visited at Citta Ve (Notable), and

other interesting view.. I am also sending Elsie a bit Maltese lace for her

"glory box".

Yours with love to all at home

Wes/.

[*18*]

Imfarta Hosp^l Malta June 22nd/1915

Dear Mother,

I am still living the easy life, nothing to do

but eat and walk round the villages. I have been expecting

to be sent to the Convalescent camp for the past fortnight, in

fact I'm all right gain, and there can't be much press for

men up at the Dand^els as we are not hurried away from here. I

had three letters last week, two from Joe and one from [[Colin?]]

John. He had seen my name in the Methodist Recorder the

Methodist chaplain here having sent our names out. John told 

me that the Chaplain here was the son of an old Limestone [[?]] minister.

Mr Peverly Dodd is his name & on Sunday morning I asked the

chaplain if he was that person & he was some surprised. He said

that Limestone [[Prad?]] had been his father's first circuit after leaving

college. I shall probably have a chance of a further talk with him

before I leave. Still it is very interesting as Showing how small the

world really is. I sent a small basket of lace away last week, 

and I have a bit more to send, which I think you will like. You cant

send Joes Meg a piece if you like, and there ought to be a piece for Peg

Win, Elsie & yourself, you can have first choice & then Elsie. The girls

here sit making this lace by the home & you can tell its hand made as

they will sell it as it leave their hands. If I had a few pounds by

me I would have bought some beautiful stuff. You will notice all the lace

made here has the Maltese cross worked in somehow. There are not really

so many wounded coming into Malta now, things seem to be very quiet

at the Dand^els at present. I haven't found many 2nd Batt^on in Malta.

and I think most of them must be in Egypt. I like Malta better 

than Egypt any old time, and there are many interesting places to 

visit, though I must say I haven't had any opportunity of seeing 

round much yet as we are pretty well restricted in our boundaries.

Of course we find ways & means of getting out, and all the drink

shops are but out of bounds as they are perhaps not so strict as they

used to be. The Australian mail has not come to hand yet, as I

don't suppose I'll have news of you until I get back to the base.

Things are badly managed somehow, the English Tommies can

get their letters from Home all right. They have established some

sort of a postal system for the Hospital here now, but the fault of

the Aust^lia mail not coming seems to lie with Headquarters in Egypt.

I'm longing to see exciting accounts of us in the Sydney "Sun".

The Tommies laugh at some of the ridiculous post that is written of

us by the local paper, Australia is certainly being [[?]].

There are four Aus^lian in my present ward and one of them is the real

Sydneyite, he can talk the Tommies blind and that takes some doing.

The chap next bed to me on my left is a Lancashire chap, from some
outlying part and I can't tell what he's saying half the time. I have a 
Lancashire man on both sides of me. Then we have a real I am

Geordie A.M.C. orderly from ^Seaton Deleval. He's the limit. All the chaps

in the ward pretend they don't understand him when he's talking and look

from one to another in blank puzzlement. Then he gets wild and talks

broad pitmaddock and they ask me to interpret what he's saying for

them, I get many a good laughs over it, he goes around as if he were still

going up & down Wheatridge Row. Then there's some new caught ones from

Dursham pits too, never been away from Dursham either I guess they seem

to think they're a terrible long way from Tipperary or Dursham.

Bless theyre untravelled innocent hearts, theyre not much good

as orderlies at least not for dressing wounds. They are Kitcheners

men and were intended for field service work not Hospital work.

And you can imagine the fist a pitman would make at dressing

wounds. the doctor we have just now comes from Australia though

he is in the imperial Army & he's "up to putty". None of us like him

he seems to think we got wounded for fun. He asks chaps

whether they shot themselves or whether the Turks did it, some of

these days he'll be getting told off I'm tipping

They have sent a good number of chaps Home from here those 

likely to take some time to heal and I sometimes wish I'd had

the chance to go, still I suppose I may be thankful to be alright.

I heard the Tommies talking one day of some of the trenches they 

had taken & the Turks had poured vitriol into the trenches before

they left it;  so some poor beggars would catch it. People at

home have no real idea of what war really is, some of the men

became so fatigued and sleepy they don't care whether they're

shot or not. In France they get a real rest Camp, at Gallipoli

the ground is so restricted they can pitch shells anywhere so there

is no real rest camp. I wrote Cousin John a long letter in return.

No more news. Hope you are all well at home.

Yours affectionately

John  Wes/. 

Pembroke H. George

Military Hospital July 10^th/18.

Dear Mother/

You will see I have again

changed my address, I am now

next door to the open air convalescent camp

this hospital being the halfway house as

it were. We have more liberty here being

allowed out each day between 2 and

9 pm, but that isn't much good on 2/-

a week. The next move to the camp, will

mean further liberty and 15/-  a week.

We can have a swim every morning,

& night as we wish, so that suits me

you may bet. Most of the cases arriving

here lately have been dysentery & enteric,

Not nearly so many wounded coming in.

Most of the chaps in the ward I am in

now are Aust^an & Terriers, I like the regular

"Tommies" much better they're such good

company and such happy go lucky beggars.

We have other company in the ward that

I do not appreciate. BED BUGS. Ugh!

Stacks of them and I sleep outside on