60881: Letter from Dr W.R. Blore M.C. RAMC

This is what remains of a long letter from Dr W.R. Blore M.C. RAMC sent on 11th Feb 1916, from Egypt to his Mother. It describes the monotony of life there after the evacuation from Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, about his trips to the dentist, trips to Alex [Alexandria] to the officers' clubs there. There is also the description of an officer's notification of the award of the M.C. at Suvla Bay - and how many M.O.s [medical officers] seem to 'make a hobby of going out to [the] wounded when any normal man would get killed as soon as he showed himself...' [The Military Cross was awarded to Blore himself.] Blore continues weighing up the risks to the many of an ambulance or medical staff being lost in these ventures. He describes his actions on 21st August when he was with a stretcher party which came under fire from snipers or from the trenches, quite a few of his comrades were hit, and Blore feels partly responsible for this.

Blore also describes his work during the landings at Suvla Bay - in the dressing station. The landing itself - at the wrong beach is also mentioned including the resulting march with their stores to the right location. Page 8 includes a small sketch of Suvla Bay and the location of the dressing stations etc. as well as his first experiences of being bombed.

Also part of this collection are all Blore's letters home, his notebooks from his service as a doctor at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, and on the Western Front - as well as his sleeping bag and many other artefacts including a photo of Blore outside his dugout at Suvla Bay.