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Saturday, November 17, 2018

Sgt. Paul Settle Writes Father in Reidsville From English Hospital Bed, 1918

From The Mount Airy News, Nov. 14, 1918

Wounded Man Writes of Life in a Hospital

“When a fellow goes over the top and gets wounded, he is not apt to be crazy about going over again,” writes Serg. Paul Settle, Company G., 120th infantry, A.E.F., writing to his father, W.H. Settle, Reidsville, Route 4. Continuing, the young sergeant says:

‘I guess you and mama got the ‘history of my life over here that I wrote last Sunday so I don’t think I will attempt to try to write any more trying experiences until I have a few more. I am having a fine time now, doing nothing but eat four times a day and sleep at night in the hospital at Newton Abbey, England, where I was brought after receiving wounds at the battle of Bellicourt. We have breakfast at 7 a.m., dinner at 12, tea at 4 p.m., and supper at 6 p.m. I get more rice and oatmeal than anything else. But they are cooked just right, and we get sweet milk with it, so I do fine eating. Then we have tea or cocoa every meal, and all of our bread is spread with butter. I miss sugar worse than anything else. The things are just sweet enough to tell that there is a bit of sugar present. This is a voluntary aid hospital, and nearly all of the women in town help two or three days a week. Some cook, some scrub the floors, some wash the window lights, and then the regular nurses dress wounds and administer to the sick in general. It is only a small hospital, about 100 capacity, I think, but we get the best of attention.

“My leg is doing nicely. I have been in bed nearly two weeks now, and the Sister said last night that I might have my blue clothes and get up today but that I couldn’t go out, so as it is pretty cool I shall stay in the bed.

“Hope you haven’t been worrying about me, because really I am better off than I would be with the company. I understand that the allies are having (censored); also hear that (censored) still so in a way I am lucky to be here. When a fellow goes over the top, and gets wounded, he is not apt to e crazy about going over again.

“Guess you have seen an account of the part that company G played in the drive and the number of casualties.

“I am sending a coin that I took from one of the ‘nice fellows.’ I didn’t get any thing of value—I was not after that kind of thing any way.”
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