Letter to Hedley Madgett's mother from Dorothy Richlings

Letter to Hedley Madgett's mother from Dorothy Richlings

Writes that her son who is in RAF Red Cross Hospital in Northallerton is still seriously ill and unlikely to recover. Hopes that she will hear good news of Hedley soon.

1944-01-02

Two page handwritten letter

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ERichlingsDMadgettAG440102

23 Abbey Hill Road
Sidcup.
2/1/44.
[underlined] Ernie’s address [/underlined]
538. Sgt Stewart D.E.
Ward 10
R.A.F. Red Cross Hospital
Northallerton
Yorks

Dear Mrs. Madgett,
Please pardon my not answering your letter before, but I thought I would wait until I had paid another visit to Ernie, which I did last Thursday, hoping that on my return I might be able to tell you and all his friends that he would turn the “corner”.
The matron told me there is only a miracle can save him, and if his chest and heart rally, he will be confined to bed for the rest of his life as he will be paralysed from the waist downwards. He is conscious and can talk rationally to you, but is only fed on fluids. He has chest trouble, which I suspect is pneumonia, although they wont tell me, but he is in a private ward with a Sister Nurse in constant attention, and they spare no effort to see that he is comfortable. He is in plaster-of-paris
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from head to toe – my poor boy.
I’m going to see him again on Thursday, as I am allowed a free warrant each visit.
I hope I haven’t distressed you with such a harrowing description of my dear son’s state, and I’m praying so hard that the Peace that can only prevent such a terrible life long misery will be given to him. He is so young to be cruelly made to suffer, and to see lying so helpless and I can’t do anything to help him, tears my heart to pieces.
Would to God this terrible war would end, and so save this massacre of young lives.
I sincerely hope that you will hear news of poor Hedley. Don’t give up hope – cling to the last shred and perhaps you may hear before long, at least, I pray you do.
I will give your best wishes to Ernie when I see him, and if you write don’t mention how serious things are with him as he does not know. It would be too great a shock to kill him.
With my best wishes for the coming year, and may it bring better news of Hedley.
I remain
yours most sincerely,
Dorothy Richlings