To the Editor.
Sir, – We have been asked by the members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade now doing duty in France to ask you through your paper to kindly let the 4,000 of our brothers and sisters in South Wales know how we are employed, so that they may not be disheartened by standing fast until the call comes to them to join the members of St. John men who are proud to feel that they have been so trained in time of peace as to now be fit to serve their King and country.
We left Cardiff on Friday morning, September 18, with our deputy commissioner, for London , and were taken by him to Scotland Yard to be medically examined and sworn in for foreign service.
Next morning we proceeded to Aldershot to be clothed, and on Saturday night we drew our rations and went on board the transport ship at 8.30. We had a splendid voyage, and reported ourselves at 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday to the officer commanding No. 3 General Hospital . St. Nazaire , who was most kind, and did all in his power to make us comfortable.
There are thousands of troops camping on Ville-es-Martin Common. The sick and wounded come in, in thousands to the many general hospitals stationed here during the war.
The St. John men have been formed into a special sanitary squad, which will be distributed over France . The divisions represented are Abergorky, Glyncorrwg, Penygraig, Pontardulais, Llanharran, Glanamman, Cambrian Colliery, and Ogmore Vale.
Our deputy commissioner has been with us almost all the time, and looks after us as if we were his own children. He also went up to the front to see the other men of St. John . We thanked him, and he said, in his kindly way, which we all know so well, “Boys, let the country, and especially Wales, see that the men of St. John are ready and able to do their duty, and I shall be satisfied.” We have decided that he shall not be disappointed.
We are, on behalf of all,
JOHN M. JONES .
Staff sergeant, R.A.M.C. Ambulance Officer, Abergorky Division.
B.R. FISHER,
Sergeant, R.A.M.C. Ambulance Officer, Glanamman Division.
