Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 8 July 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Marie Martin

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 Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities Vienna, AT 2026

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Letter from Marie Martin (1892-1975) to her mother Mary Lewis Martin (née Moore). In this letter Marie thanks her mother for the news of the death of a family friend, Gerald. She mentions the attitudes of the injured men she takes care of and briefly talks about her brother, Charlie's (1895-1915) death. She thanks her mother for the parcels she sent and asks her to send on her regards to friends and family. Marie was the founder of the Medical Missionaries of Mary. At the outbreak of war in 1914 Marie joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment, a division of the Red Cross. She returned home briefly in 1916 following the death of her brother in battle until be called to serve again two months later in a field hospital in Heraldo France.

 Medical Missionaries of Mary B/F/1/47/1916/07/08a https://letters1916.ie/item/1736 English Marie Martin 1916-07-08 Mary Martin Female 1975 World War I (1914-1918) World War I (1914-1918)

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 25th General Hospital B.E.F 8thJuly 1916 My very dearest Mother, The news about Gerald came as a great shock to me, it was so sweet of you to write & tell me as I would have got a terrible shock had I seen it in the paper 1st the wonder is I have not as I get a daily Mail every evening & I am sure his name has not been in the casualty list. I do hope by the time this reaches you, you will have heard something more definite, as I am very anxious, poor Gerald what a rotten time he has had. I only wrote to him on the 4th & asked him why he had not written since he went back. I received your letter at 7 A.M. this morning, just before going on duty. I was never so glad in all my life we were so terribly busy as it kept my mind occupied, we are really very very busy, convoy after convoy & some of them have such nasty wounds, some with Gas Gangrene which means immediate operation to get free drainage otherwise it means high amputation. All the time I am writing this I hear nothing but ambulance driving up at night it is exactly the same — Really if I only heard Gerald was alright & only slightly wounded it ought to be a great relief to know that he is out of it for a bit, no matter how bad the men are they all say how glad they are to be away & how lucky they are, they are also very cheerful & say it will be over in october, I do hope this is true — I hope you have had good news of Tommy lately, many thanks for sending on his letter I really do not know what to think about poor Charlie, if Fr Murphy says we may believe that mans story which in a way ought to be a relief to know he died without much suffering. I feel sure he went straight to Heaven after all he went through. I pray every night for you & all and hope we will all be consoled soon by this cruel war ending. Very many thanks for all the parcels none have arrived yet if you do not hear for a couple of days don’t worry it is only because we are so busy but up to this we have been able to take our couple of hours off every day except once — but sometimes I feel too fed up & tired & think it better to go out for a walk than write— I hope there is good news from Gerald M. I often think of him and wonder how he is, he is such a nice boy— Will you give my fondest love to all at 20 Clyde Rd & tell A. Sissy I will answer her letter very soon — I hope you are all keeping very well at home, please thank Desmond for his sweet letter tell Andrew I am anxiously awaiting one from him — I often wish they were both out here what fun we would have on the sand. Now I must end as I must fly off to duty. With heaps of love & kisses Anxiously awaiting your next letter, should he be in Hospital in Boulogne I shall try & manage to see him — Your ever loving daughter, Marie I have forgotten heaps I wanted to tell you however it will do again. Marie Martin Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 29 December 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Lewis Martin, 18 June 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 27 August 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Lewis Martin, 21 June 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 17 June 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Lewis Martin, 23 June 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Lewis Martin, 2 July 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 7 September 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Lewis Martin, 26 June 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Lewis Martin, 20 August 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 27 August 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 17 September 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 18 Sept 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 19 September 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 21 September 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 27 September 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 4 October 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 13 July 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, July 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 15 July 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 15 July 1916Letter from Geo. R. Boase to Marie Martin, 10 July 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 20 July 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 3 August 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 8 August 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 12 October 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 27 December 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 27 November 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 23 [January] 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 15 December 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 4 April 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 12 November 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 8 July 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 6 February 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 9 April 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 18 November 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, [November'] 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 13 August 1916