In the Line of Battle: Soldiers' Stories of the War
History
In the Line of Battle: Soldiers' Stories of the War
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
It was not until now that I really understood what had happened to
me. A bullet had struck me on the left side of the forehead and gone
clean through both eyes, just missing the brain, and out at the right
side--a wonderful escape from instant death, as our own doctors told me
afterwards.
We were given cigarettes in the field hospital--a packet of twenty on
every one of the five days we were there; and those cigarettes were a
real treat.
At the end of the five days we had another dose of oxen carts, and were
jolted in them to the seashore, where we were put into a steamer. They
told us in the field hospital that we were bound for Constantinople,
and I was rather glad I was going there. I did not want to stop any
longer under the everlasting shell fire.
When we went on board we got a loaf of bread and a drink of tea and a
drink of water, and that was all we had for the three days we were in
the ship. She was full, the place where I was put being crowded with
Englishmen, though there was a Turk on a seat above me. I was lying on
the floor under it.
It was a great relief to get to the end of the voyage and go ashore.
I was taken off the boat, and as we went down the gangway chaps were
handing out nice new pieces of bread, hot, and cups of tea. I was
lucky, because I had my cup filled twice.
I was taken into a big hall--it seemed to be a sort of drill-hall--and
was given another drink of tea and piece of bread. Then we were taken
in open carriages, drawn by two horses, to different hospitals. I well
remember that my carriage had rubber tyres--and that was very nice
indeed after travelling in the oxen carts.
I was carried on a stretcher into a hospital near the quayside, and
here I was turned into a sort of Turk, for I was served with a pair of
Turkish trousers big enough to fit six of us. They tied round the waist
and ankles. I had a shirt also given to me, a sort of big gown which
was tied round the waist. We looked like Julius Cæsar in them.
The Turks dressed my eyes and put me into a bed, and I was glad to get
in, because I had been thrown about for ten days since I was wounded.
I was in this hospital for about three weeks, treated by Turkish ladies
who were acting as nurses. A lady who was there was said to be an
Egyptian princess, the late Khedive of Egypt’s sister, and she could
speak English. She asked me my age, parents’ names, occupation and
address at home, and said that next day she would write to my mother,
to tell her how I was getting on; but when next day came I told her
that a chap in my regiment had written home for me. She then told me a
bit of joyful news, and that was that I was going to be sent home.
There was a German Bible-reader in the hospital. We called him Charlie,
and I will say for him that he was like a brother to us. There are good
and bad in every race, and this was one of the good Germans. He brought
two Bibles in for chaps to read who could see.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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