‘A Short Life in the Sky’: the story of a WWI pilot
Recovery in Bombay, July 1916, (NRS reference: GD486/111)

Transcript:

Colaba Hospital
Bombay
July 5th 1916

Dear Mother 
Here I am sitting on the veranda (3rd storey) looking 
out over green trees & red tiled Hospital buildings to the sea,
which stretches away to the West & which I hope to cross sometime 
soon, though the exact date is not yet fixed. Nobody here is 
in any hurry: so when I feel a little stronger I shall have to 
get busy pulling strings. The jaundice is quite gone 
now though my face & neck are still a horrid colour – dirty 
yellowish brown. We had a glorious voyage here in 
H.M.H.S. [His Majesty’s Hospital Ship] “Devanha”, a P&O boat. Such a comfort to get 
ice & full sized baths again. I enjoyed it thoroughly 
& felt quite well but have had some sort of a relapse 
since & am now pretty weak. However I got as far as the 
town yesterday and did a little shopping.

My eyesight is a bit strained & I daren’t read much 
on account of violent headaches so am rather at a 
loose end. I think I shall wait till I get home to 
get tested & the expert here has gone to Mesopot[amia].

The all-pervading green is a great feature of the scenery 
here & very restful. The damp salt sea breezes are 
delightful, but although people here are rather complaining 
of the heat, I being now a thin-blooded Mesopotamian 
feel it a bit chilly at times. The mail does not go till 
Saturday so I shall leave this letter open till then & add 
any news that may come along in the meantime.

Very much love to all
Douglas

7th 
No farther news. They are going to test my blood today. 
I expect they’ll find it full of all sorts of bugs they’ve never seen 
before. It’s the usual thing in Mesopotamia.
'There are more bugs in Mesopot Horatio
Than are dreamt of in bacteriology etc etc etc.

Much Love 
D.