FIT-06

B.E.F. France
March 1916

Dear Mr Elliott,

I received your letter safely some time ago, but refrained from answering till I had some definite news to give you as to our whereabouts. Our station has now been opened in a small town not far behind the firing line, and at present we are fairly busy. In our position as a clearing station we get the men for treatment just as they leave the trenches in mud and dirt. If their wounds or illness are serious they are treated at the station, and made ready for their trip by Red Cross train down to a general or base hospital. On the other hand if the wounds are slight or the patient is merely "run down", we detain them here until they are fit to rejoin their unit. When "full up" patients arriving are sent to the nearest Casualty Station which is situated at the other side of the town. Casualty Clearing Stations are the axis on which the transport of wounded works and are without doubt the hardest worked branch of the R.A.M.C but they also have the honour of working for their patients at [a?] time when skilful treatment and nursing is needed most. There are also one or two other points about our work that I would like to mention but respect for the censor forbids me. We arrived at this town only a week ago, and took over a jute factory for our hospital. We also secured a large school close by which we are fitting up. Considering the short time we are here it was a smart piece of work to unload our equipment, prepare our station and be ready in two days to receive the first patients. I am sending on a P.C.²¹⁷ of the school we are fitting up it is in this place we are billeted (the photo only shows one wing of the school). I had a letter from John McCausland a short time ago, he was as usual in the best of health and spirits. In my return letter I told him to remind Eagleson of his obligation to you, as McCausland mentioned he had been speaking to him some time previous. I must conclude sir as my time for correspondence is very short. Hoping you are keeping in the best of health also all the staff.

I remain Sir
Yours very truly
Joe Fitzsimons

P.S. I would have enclosed the post card but could not secure envelope large enough.
J.FG