220 Sportsmen Parsons in Peace and War 



The sniper was behind a bullet-proof plate and I was behind one 

 of our plates. The bullet ricochetted up under the plate and 

 caught my forearm. Wasn't it a good thing it was not m.y 

 tummy ? We've got so far twenty-three enemy hit (five 

 snipers), eighteen plates broken, four observation-posts spotted 

 and destroyed, four batteries spotted, and thirty or thirty-one 

 periscopes outed. Not bad for eighteen days, eh ? I was 

 going to write some more, but the things are beginning to 

 work " (morphia). " Good-night." 



There is another interesting letter written from No. 8 

 Clearing Hospital. It is undated, and in consequence a little 

 confusing, as he speaks of his wound which he received when 

 sniping in September and at the same time refers to the im- 

 pressive service he has been holding. I was under the impression 

 he ceased to hold them when he became a combatant. 



Here, however, is the letter : 



" I am still going on all right." This was three months 

 after his forearm was wounded in September, so it cannot have 

 been a trifling affair, though he told his wife the bullet had done 

 no damage ! He continues in the same letter, " I have charge 

 of both hospitals for a few days, as Gillingham has gone home for 

 ninety-six hours' leave. I am the only one of the men who 

 came out before the end of August who have not gone home on 

 leave. 



" We had some wonderfully impressive services on Sunday. 

 There were sixty-four at the 8.30 Celebration, six hundred 

 (about) at the 9.30 service, four hundred and fifty at the 10.15 

 service, and about five hundred at the 11 o'clock. All ranks were 

 present, from Generals to Tommies. I get a bit tired in the 

 throat. 



" The death-roll is still very heavy. I have funerals everv 

 day." 



I am not sure of the date, but it was about this time Captain 

 Benton was again wounded, in the thigh this time, and he 

 would not go into hospital with it, but went to have it dressed 

 every day. Septic poisoning, however, obliged his going home, 

 where he stayed for four months ; but not in idleness, for after 

 seven weeks of recuperation he was sent to Ripon, in Yorkshire, 



