Letters from Wilfred Evans to his family, 1917 - Part 18

extra small things are so great, but I
just got a pot of ointment to stop the scurf
last night - I'm afraid none of the girls will
look at me if I'm a bald, old man, & that
would be horrible wouldn’t it? For goodness
sake mother, don't go & disturb your nights
sleep with such dreadful dreams as you
have, it's not good for the constitution
Please excuse the smudges, the rain splashes
in a bit on the paper & I can't quite see
where ths it's coming from.
Anderson who was in my year at the Varsity
has just arrived here & is in one of the
Ambulances in this Division - about time
he arrived too though it is rather uncharitable
to say so at Xmas - he brought a tie to 
me from D^r Rennie & a letter arrived
the same day from him.
I was just thinking today of the 3
Christmas days I have had since
leaving home - one on the Mediterranean
dodging submarines, the second just
arrived back from Magdhaba with

a load of wounded & the third in the 
hills of Judaea in the rain. By Jove! it is
pouring - I hope the farmers here like
it - if only M^r Guthrie and some of the 
Collinss were here they would dote on it.
Full stop for a minute, the main peg started
to come out & the bivouac to collapse
so I had to rush out & save it with the
aid of my batman- it’s a lovely war
isn't it my dear?
There's one thing about weather like this -
Johnny Turk isn't likely to become lively
so we won't have much to do likewise
we wouldn’t be likely to attack either.
I shouldn't like to have the job of drawing
rations today - what a life !!!
No more news my dear, & as it's still
pouring persistently we can feel hopes of
a good crop in Palestine in the spring &
wish them luck.
Best of love to all from
Your loving son
Wilf.

30.12.17.
My dear Harry,
Your welcome note of 15^th October arrived a couple
of days ago. You asked about the amount of surgical
experience one obtains here & from your letter I think you have
quite an erroneous idea on the subject, for the amount of medical
or surgical experience one obtains here is absolutely nil. The only
place where one obtains any such experience of any use is at base
hospital & I fully realized when I determined to leave it over 
two years ago that I was giving that up. In the field one's
time so far as advancement in the profession goes is completely
wasted & my capacity as a medical practitioner now as
compared with that when I left Australia is diminished
by some hundreds per cent & becomes worse as time goes on.
For that reason I would be very glad to return if I could
& pick up again but one can hardly consider one's own
personal prospects at a time of national crisis such as
this. And certainly I would not be content to try &
squeeze myself into a nice comfortable job at the base at
the expense of an older & probably married man.
It hurt considerably at first to realize how much it
blighted ones professional career, but I have long since
ceased troubling & resigned myself to the hope of going
back to a hospital after the war or whenever I return &
getting professionally fit once more.

Of course in the military world as elsewhere there
are selfish people who stick if they can in hospital
jobs but no one here has any time for such people at
all & I certainly don't want to be among them.
Medical work in the field consists of only very
elementary treatment as all serious cases are 
sent on to hospital & in the administrative position
one has none at all.
Still I can't grumble as I am very well off indeed
in my present position.
We had a very wet Christmas here & as we are
away up in the rocky hills of Judaea it was
jolly cold too & we spent most of the time, each
in his own little bivouac trying to keep dry.
The Turk has had another nasty knock here
during the last few days, the people on our right have 
been giving him beans & seizing some coveted heights
& we also have been advancing but have met
with practically no resistance. The country we
have just advanced over is simply appalling,
consisting of a succession of steep rocky
hills & deep gullies or wadis as they are
called here. It is absolutely impossible to
take a vehicle of any kind along until

the stones are cleared away & a road made & beyond
the points where this is done the problem of removing any
wounded is a great one. The old camel is doing 
most of it back to the wagons & if this continues
some form of mule litter will have to be adopted I
think as the poor old camel's feet are not made 
to traverse stony country. I like the hills though,
I have always done so - environment in boyhood
I suppose, I don't wonder that old David
managed to hide himself away in these places.
I described my trip to Jerusalem in mother's
letter which you will receive in due course - so
I won't repeat it again.
Jack & myself are both very fit indeed
& enjoy our occasional meetings.
h I have to trot away now & arrange some
matters about distribution of Ambulances on account
of a move in sight so must cl conclude
with love to Lin & the kiddies
from 
Your loving brother
Wilf.
Padré Gordon was here for Xmas he always
asks about you - his bivvy bivouac got
beautifully wet too!!!