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Copy of letter personally addressed to O. C. No 4. London General Hospital / Denmark Hill

Lydd, Kent, July 3, 1916

Dear Sir:

Please see the enclosed letter from the M.O. 1/C Troops, Lydd.

2/Lieut. Swannell joined the Battery on the 2nd June 1916. He will tell you how he was wounded; and since then has been working exceedingly hard training observers and doing the general work in the Battery, of which he is senior Subaltern. I have no Captain. For the last fortnight I have noticed that he has been looking unwell. He has gone steadily worse and he now gives me the idea that he is on the brink of a mental breakdown. By profession he is a surveyor and calculations should have no difficulty for him. But in the last few days it appears to require a mental effort to do calculations. He is such a charming hard-working fellow that I shall be more than sorry to lose him. The battery will be proceeding overseas by the end of this month, so I should be greatly obliged if I could have your report and recommendations upon him as soon as possible, as if he will be unable to go out with the Battery I must get him replaced as soon as possible.

(sgd) C.E. Eady Maj. RGA O. C. 133rd Siege Battery RGA

(sgd) C. E. Eady, Maj. R.G.A O. C. 133rd Siege Battery R.G.A.

BC Archives MS-0392 Box 1 Volume 5 / FRANK SWANNELL PAPERS / Diary and enclosures, 1916.