Hospitals a Sanctuary after Somme

The turn of the 20th century saw many a young Englishman come to our area to make a new life for himself. Thomas Richard Young was among those who ventured forth from Bournemouth, Hampshire, to the Aylmer area here in Elgin County  in the spring of 1909.  By 1911, he was working on the farm of Leslie and Helen Cameron in Bayham Township south east of Aylmer.  Tom then took up the challenge of going west and on October 23, 1915 he enlisted for service overseas.

His mention of the horrors of the Somme are compelling and  the toll on his body led to a Voluntary Aid Hospital near Chester in England. It is from this location that he writes to old friends in Canada.  Interestingly, although he was about 29 when he left England for Canada, he refers to himself as a Canadian. His letter appeared in the Aylmer newspaper under the title Calton Man was in the Battle of the Somme as set out below (with images added for the reader of today)

Time Weighs Heavily While Recuperating

 England, March 7th 1917
 
Dear Mrs. James -

 I guess you will be surprised to hear that I am in old England. After being in a hospital in France for rather over eleven weeks they sent me here last Friday. They are keeping me in bed for a time. My long sickness in France pulled me down rather much and the doctors said they would send me over here for a good change and rest. I am in a beautiful spot eight miles out in the country from Chester.  It is one of the Voluntary Aid hospitals and everything is kept up and provided for by ladies.  They do all the work and wait on us. There are some of the best families of England here and they all take their share in the work in turn. We have two ladies that come here and look after us who are daughters of one of the millionaires of this country and they take delight in doing all they can for us. The war[d] which is beautiful, is in a large private home. There are just two of us Canadians here.

Tattonhall Military Hospital as it is today now known as the Barbor Institute

Canadian Red Cross Ladies

The day after I arrived I received a letter from the ladies of the Canadian Red Cross in London, asking me to let them know of anything I wanted or anything they could do for me, and I have had a lady visitor from the Canadian Red Cross to visit, so they sure do look after us. I shall likely be here about a month or more, if all goes well. Then I guess to go to a convalescent, most probably on the sea coast.

Tom spent over a month here.

It's Hard Lines to see your Chums Fall

I guess it was the fearful trying time that we went through on the Somme that put me aside with sickness, for we sure had one hard and trying time there. I lost an awful bunch of good chums. We came out from there a small bunch I can tell you. Oh gee, it’s hard lines to see your chums fall to rise no more in this world, but it’s all for a just and noble cause, and I’m longing to get well and fit to go back and take my place again.

Lives lost during the battle of the Somme.

It's a Fearful and Trying Life

Well, Mrs. James, I must heartily thank you for your great kindness in helping to send me the box which I received while in the hospital. It sure was good of you both and I can assure you I greatly appreciate your kindness. For out there midst all the scenes of terrible struggle, one sure does feel grateful for such kind actions. I must confess it’s a fearful and trying life. The time we were up at the Somme was a time never to be forgotten. Many a night did we lay down soaked to the skin, in filth and mud. Of course we never had a chance to take our clothes off to dry them, and its marvelous what one can stand. I must say, however, I never seemed to mind it, for always made myself happy and contented, for conditions of things could not be helped, and at the same time one could always feel that there were many who were far worse off. Many a poor chum had to lay for 2, 3, or 4 days wounded, out in No Man’s Land, for ofttimes it was impossible to get to the poor lads.

Nursing Sisters in France

The first time we went over the top, I mean our battalion, we lost 16 officers and of course men in proportion to that, but I’m glad to say we all went with a good heart, and when sickness or wounds befall us and they can get us back, they certainly look after us. The Nursing Sisters work in the hospitals in France, a work we cannot speak too highly of. I received splendid care during my stay there.

Remember me to ...

 Please remember me to the Timpanys and Geo. Chalk’s, in fact all the old friends again. Thanking you all for your kindness, good luck and God bless you all,

 Your old friend, Tom R. Young
 No. 160806, 102nd Canadians, Tattenhall Hospital, Chester, Eng.
 
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Thomas returned from overseas in 1917, arriving in Quebec on August 27. 
 
No further information is known.

Webmaster's Note:

Tom's comments regarding nursing sisters would not have gone unnoticed by the readers of the Aylmer paper as at least three young women from that small village were nursing in France at the time: Gertrude Turner, and Nina and Daisy May Copeman.