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Archive Reference / Library Class No.D6287/5/6
TitleLetters to Mrs Swanwick from Private Joseph Fish from the Red Cross Hospital on Moss Side, Liverpool
DateNov 1916-Feb 1917
DescriptionLetters from a soldier named Joseph Fish (but otherwise unidentified), writing from the Red Cross hospital at Moss Side, near Liverpool where he was being treated for shell shock. He writes appreciatively about the help given to his wife by Margery Swanwick.
Extent2 items
LevelFile
RepositoryDerbyshire Record Office
SenderPrivate Joseph Fish
Sender LocationRed Cross Hospital, Moss Side, Maghull, Liverpool
RecipientMrs Swanwick
Archive CreatorSwanwick Family of Whittington
Mrs Margery Eleanor Swanwick, nee Norton (c1880-1959)
FormatDocument
LanguageEnglish
CopiesDigital copies of these items are available to consult via the public computers at the record office.
Transcript or IndexD6287/5/6/1
M1 Ward
Red X Military Hospital
Moss Side
Maghull
10th Feb. 1917. nr Liverpool
Dear Mrs Swanick [sic], 
You must excuse me for the delay in writing to thank you for being so kind to my wife and I when I was at home last November. I have been wanting to write and thank you ever since and hope you will realise that I cannot express my feelings nearly half as much as I should like to.  My wife, I am very pleased to say is in good health and I am improving every day myself.  I hope to be discharged into civil life again as soon as I am quite well and am looking forward to it with great hope. 
Of course I cannot hope to get quite well all at once as "nerves" are very tricky things to recover from.  Still I am quite satisfied myself and so is the doctor with the progress toward recovery that I am making. 
I am taking the great liberty of asking if you will please write to me now and again when you have a few spare moments as a letter is the nearest thing to a visit from anybody outside and I should be very pleased to hear from you now and again. 
Wishing you every good wish
I remain
yours sincerely 
Joseph Fish
Please excuse pencil but a pen is so very messy and I cannot seem to take to a pen.

D6287/5/6/2
Pte J. Fish
Red Coss Hospital
Moss Side
Maghull
28th / Dec / 1916 nr Liverpool
Dear Mrs Swanick [sic],
Nothing gives more pleasure in taking the opportunity in writing these few lines to you thanking you very much for the gift you so kindly sent my wife at the same time I feel it my duty to let you know how I am progressing.  I am now at the above hospital suffering with shell shock.  I have been at this place 7 weeks and already feel the benifits [sic] towards recovery. I also wish to thank you for the £1 that you kindly lent me to go back to my Depot with, also the ciggarettes [sic] which were highly appreciated.  I am sure all letters received from you will be welcome as I have no other friends writing to me only my wife, and a letter here occasionally bucks one up.  The place here I like very much, we are allowed out practically all day, no such thing as medicines. Fresh air exercise and plenty to eat are our cure also recreation.  I cannot state how long I shall remain here.  That's left to the Medical Officer. Well I don't think I have any news at present, so will now conclude and bring my letter to a close.  Sending you my Best Respects
and Kindest Regards
I remain
yours sincerely
J. Fish
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