OUR SOLDIERS
CLEVER SURGICAL OPERATION.
The following letter from Corporal Matthew Hoy, of the Australian Military Police, who has been mentioned in despatches by General Sir Ian Hamilton, has been received by his relatives, who are residents of McConnell st., Kensington.
Lambeth Home for Convalescents,
Berks., England,
Sept. 5, 1915. ,
I am going to try and write a letter to you left-handed, so you will have to excuse my first attempt. To begin with, I was wounded on the 19th of May, a shrapnel shell bursting just over my head, and one of the bullets hit me in the back just where the arm joins the body, and came out on the right chest after going clean through the body. During its course, it severed the auxiliary artery, the main artery of the arm, and also cut four nerves, including the main nerve of the arm; as a result my right arm is paralysed.
I was at Malta just over two months, and they operated on me for aneurism and tied up my artery. I was put down as permanently unfit for further service, and on the 30th of August about 30 of us were put off on a hospital ship en route for England to be put off at Gibralter to catch a boat home. To our dismay we were brought on to Southhampton, and eventually taken to Wandsworth. I was there subjected to a searching examination by four Harley street specialists, the leading men of England. As a result I was operated on again by one, if not the leading surgeon of England, namely, Sir John Bland Sutton. He performed the remarkable feat of re-uniting the nerves - a wonderful operation. As it takes at least six months for a nerve to knit the result cannot yet be judged. I am now under massage treatment, and although I cannot move my arm, Sir John seems to think I will get some use in it in time. It is only one surgeon in a hundred who could undertake an operation of this kind and I was indeed fortunate to get under Sir John. But if ever a human being suffered agony, My God, I have. For three weeks at Malta they had to give me nothing but morphia, I was raving with pain. I have even begged the nurses and orderlies to hit me on the head and finish me off. I honestly think if I could have got hold of some thing I would have done something desperate.
I was in the landing, 25th of April, and I shall never forget that it was Hell let loose. I went ashore with General Bridges and headquarters staff. On Thursday night, about 1 o'clock a small pinnace came alongside our boat at Lemnos and took off all the staff and military police; and took us on board a battleship, and on the Saturday the troops that were to make the landing came on board. We left Lemnos about three o'clock in the afternoon and arrived at the scene of operations about 1.30 on Sunday morning, the moon shining brightly. The troops, after hearing prayers and Kitchener's message read, started to disembark and proceed towards the shore. The moon was just sinking and not a word was spoken. We were all anxious to get ashore, little thinking what was waiting for us. I gave a last thought to all at home and Alice's letter seemed to keep saying to me: "When you strike, strike a hard, strong blow for Justice, Liberty and Old England!"
About 100 yards from shore, cannon, rifles and machine guns opened on us, and however I came through I can't tell you. The hot shrapnel was falling in the water just like your kettle boiling over the stove. I shall never forget it.
England is a lovely place. We are living on the Thames, electric boats and garden parties every day. The place we live in is owned and financed by a millionaire named Lambert. He pays for everything, even a shave. The people go mad when they see an Australian. We had a visit from the King and Queen and the Queen Mother and Princess Henry of Battenburg. I had a long yarn with the Queen Mother; she was very proud of the Australians, and said she was sorry to see us wounded. The last letter I got was from Gwen on May 3rd, and I read that under shrapnel fire. Out of 14 of us in the tent at Broadmeadows there are only two of us alive. Kitchener's last message was:-- "Remember, once you set foot on Gallipoli Peninsula, the thing must be carried through."
OUR SOLDIERS. (1915, November 11). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 1 Edition: Morning.. Retrieved January 18, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74590746
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