Our tomorrow

I'm sure like a lot of people's families yours has people who were in the services. Mine does. My mum's dad was in the Merchant Navy so they always get a big cheer during Remembrance Day. My dad'd dad, Grandpa, was a parachuter in the airborne division. He landed in Normandy six days after D-Day and fought at the Battle of Arnhem. Even though he lived with us for over ten years he didn't really talk about it to me. About all I know of his experiences from the war is that he was fed carrots all the way through it. He was so sick of them by the end of the war he refused to eat them afterwards. Pretty good reason I suppose.

Both my grandfathers made it through the Second World War. During the First World War my mum's grandfather wasn't so lucky.

This is him, James Atkinson. Is it just me or does he remind you slightly of my mum?

One of our family treasures are the letters that the nurse on his ward wrote home after he was hospitalised from a gas attack. The first one was written just two days after the gas attack.

No. 1 Canadian General Hospital

6-8-17

Dear Mrs. Atkinson,

Your husband Rflm. J. Atkinson, was admitted into my ward on the 4th suffering with gas shell poisoning. As this gas effects his eyes I am writing for him. He says he hopes you are all well, and for you not to be too anxious about him. He hopes to be able to write in a few days himself.

Yours sincerely,

E. B. Burpee N.S.

Despite this brave face, thing were clearly not good. On the other side of the letter the nurse wrote this extra note:

P.S.

I am sorry to have to add this note. I read the front page of this letter to my patient but he does not know that we consider him “seriously ill”. The poisoning has affected his lungs and throat and the medical officers are most anxious about.

I hope to write better news within a day or two.

Sincerely

E. B. Burpee

Sister

Just a day later she wrote again. Things were bad.

No. 1 Canadian General Hospital

7-8-17

Dear Mrs. Atkinson:-

We are very anxious about your husband’s condition. He is not too well, as when I last wrote to you. He has developed and very purulent form of pneumonia and his throat condition is not improving. We are giving him our best care, have moved him into a room by himself, where he can get more fresh air, than in the ward.

If you have received permission to visit him from the War Office I would advise you to come immediately. He is really dangerously ill and the next few days are going to be a great test to his strength.

Hoping I may have better news to write tomorrow. This gas poisoning is terrible.

With much sympathy to you during these anxious hours.

Most sincerely yours,

Eleanor B. Burpee

Sister

Then a day later she wrote again with the terrible news.

No. 1 Canadian General Hospital

8-8-17

Dear Mrs. Atkinson:-

It is with sincere sympathy I am writing to you to tell you of the death of your husband Rflm. J. Atkinson. He died this morning at 5.30. The night Sister reports that he was quite delirious during the night. During yesterday afternoon, a Sister sat beside him to give him his oxygen, medicines etc. During the night he had a special Orderly. He had an idea that you had been with him during the day. Repeatedly during the night he told the Orderly that you had been sitting beside him and he wanted the orderly to call you back.

He was a very dear patient and we were so sorry we could not save him. Sister said he began to get weaker after 3 and although the Medical Officer was was with him they could not get any response to their treatment.

I am quite sure he did not realize how very ill he was. His personal effects will be sent to you, through the War Office.

Yours with much sympathy

Eleanor B. Burpee

N.S.

And so that was it. My great-grandmother was left on her own to bring up my grandmother, who was just eighteen months old. The sad thing is we know she wasn't alone.

I hate that the quote is attributed to Stalin, but the death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic really is true.

Today and this week, let's remember the many tragedies of war, not the statistics.