Sick of Army

Date: October 6th, 1914

Address: No.1 Company No.3 Platoon, 14th Batt. Durham Light Infantry, Halton Park Camp, Bucks.

From: Private T.Gray

To: George Gray

Dear George

The above is our new address. We came here on Saturday and are now under canvas. This Park is Rothschild's Estate and is 4 or 5 miles from Aylesbury. There are 2 or 3 camps on this estate. At our camp are 9th and 10th King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and the 14th and 15th Durham Light infantry, so that you see there are a great many soldiers in this district. The nearest town is Wendover 2 1/2 miles away.

The 4 of us are getting on champion. Jim is orderly for Capt. Wilson, and I am temporarily attached to the Field Hospital. We had a great rush of sickness yesterday morning (Mon) and 18 were sent to hospital, the others recovered sufficiently to go back to the tents. We have sent 5 to the hospital this morning and 2 more ready. We had a sick parade this morning 300 patients, nearly all bad colds, rheumatism, sore feet, etc, no bad cases. The ailment of a lot of them is "Sick of Army". There were only 2 doctors and 2 ambulance men attached to the camp and when the rush came on yesterday, 5 privates from the regiments who had beem ambulance men were sent to act as hospital orderlies. That makes 7 of us now and 2 doctors. We fitted up a field Hospital last night and have stretchers, etc. The epidemic of sickness has stopped now. I did not write sooner as I knew we were coming to camp and so I waited until I got new address.

Got your letter alright. Write again and let us know how you are getting on. I wrote home last night. Am writing this at Hospital. Bob has been on sanitory duty 2 days but has chucked it.

I remain

Your affectionate bro

Tom