Letter to David Donaldson from Gordon Clark

Letter to David Donaldson from Gordon Clark

Gordon Clark had been in hospital for some time and was about to return to flying when he suffered another accident and is regretting that he has to remain in hospital He catches up with mutual acquaintances and asks Donaldson if he can chase up an application for a permanent commission. Additional information about this item was kindly provided by the donor.

Four page handwritten letter

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EDonaldsonDWClarkGXX0207

[underlined] July. 2Nd [/underlined]
St. Bartholemews Hospital
London E.C.1 [inserted] 32 [/inserted]

Dear W/c Donaldson,
Thanks very much for your letter of 2[indecipherable digit]th which found me in a very low state of morale this morning.
What can I say, except that this is the very worst thing that has ever happened to me; and it has happened at the cruellest possible moment.
As you probably know I was discharged from Laughborough [indecipherable word] nine days previously with an AIB medical category and fit for full flying duties and when the accident happened I was hurrying to catch a train for Foulsham. An accident it can hardly be called; catastrophe is a better word I think.
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I had two small bags in my hands, for which I had waited twenty minutes at the luggage office and I was scooting accross [sic] the platform when my right leg just gave way. I can't explain why especially as I had been playing squash for some time previous and the leg had stood up to the strain.
Anyway its happened now so I have to be resigned to a few months more in hospital. There's some consolation in knowing I shall not be nearly as long as last time. So I'm still hoping to get in some more flying in before the end of the war.
I have not seen Dobson since I left Ely, but I have had news of him. He's been on leave
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for the last month or so and is in a very much improved condition, and hopes to get his tin leg soon. The other one has done well and I hope he will be at Laughborough quite soon.
Laughborough really is the “gen” place in spite of the notoriety it has gained since the murder case. Everything laid on in a very luxurious manner. I can thoroughly recommend it if you want the odd spot of rehabilitating.
You ask if there is anything you can do for me. I wonder if you could chase up the application I made for a permanent commission . I filled up the forms at Laughborough but since then I have heard nothing.
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If there are any fellows in the squadron I would know please send them my regards and tell them I'm pressing on. For what I'm not quite sure as everything seems so useless now,
I hope you are in good health and that life is good.
Yrs very sincerely
[underlined] Gordon. Clark [/underlined]
P S. I've has a letter from Bob Burgess from Canada