turn -- what to do & think. It was like some impossible novel that he should have come to my hospital. I had just told Miss Berkeley, who was very pleased & sympathetic but suggested that the work in that ward would have been very heavy & I had better wait a while before going, when Matron, kind for once, rang up to say my brother was in J & I could go to see him. Sister said I needn't hurry back -- busy though we were -- & I went, in haste...There was the dear, in bed, in blue pyjamas, struggling with a breakfast tray with one hand. The other sleeve was empty, & the arm below it stiff & bandaged.
We could neither of us say much...but he smiled & seemed gayer & happier than he had been all through his leave. I think the splendid relief of having the great dread faced & over was uppermost in his mind then, rather than the memory of all he had been through on that day -- hereafter to be regarded as one of the greatest dates in history. It was not till a little while afterwards that Victor & Uncle Bill & the Leightons & I & all who loved him realised that July 1st had changed him utterly & added ten years on to his life. Only Uncle Bill & I saw him that first day. I telephoned to Uncle Bill as soon as I got out of the ward, & got him to send wires & messages for me all round. I learnt Edward's story by degrees. His battalion took part in the main attack. As far as I remember, about 17 men & 2 officers came through unscathed... The Colonel was wounded; more were wounded than killed. Edward's beloved Captain Harris was "missing" for ages; his mother used to come to Edward for comfort, such as he could give. Edward told me he thought
Brittain, Vera, Diary, 5 July 1916
Case Study:
From Youth to Experience: Vera Brittain’s Work for Peace in Two World Wars
Creator:
Brittain, Vera
Source:
diary
Date:
5 July 1916
Collection/Fonds:
Contributer:
McMaster University Libraries
Rights:
Vera Brittain estate; McMaster University has a non-exclusive licence to publish this document.
Identifier:
00000307-2
Language:
eng
Type:
image
Format:
jpg
Transcript: