Norwich bulletin., 1917-11-19
DR. GAGER WRITES
 LETTER FROM FRANCE
Former Norwich Boys Experience in the War Zone.

Dr. Leslie T. Gager. formerly or Nor
 wich has written the following inter esting letter to his mother who resid -es in Stonington:
 Base HospitaS IS, A. E. F., France. Oct. z, 1917 Dear Mother:
 This is rainy Sunday evening, France. have been somewhere around the wards or hospitals all day. Got new patient and so a few more problems to think over, as lie is one of those chaps who may have tuber- losis, but no ral signs. Tn ward is m interesting one with quite a wide variety of cass and after week in it I have abandond all rcgrts at leaving surgery.
 The days are going by rapidly here with work interspersed sometimes by recrea tion-a talk one night by COIL observation trip to the British front;
 pie of doctors just back from the when some of the talent in the unit sang and gave a minstrel act and did sleight- hand, etc. Then day Of remission when four of us visited one of the larger cities of the regi1l and saw remains of the days when "Ol'1 Gaul was divided into three parts" :" Roman gateway and walls now ~ centuries old. We saw cathedral that was built in the 11th century an dramparts and houses of the Mid- d1e 4 ges and Renaissance - all tro- mendousIy interesting to us newcom- CTS from al comparative young land probably as commonplace to the peo- pie here as a meeting house to us. And besides seeing famous things and | old ruins, we found d comparatively modern hotel, and along with all sorts of French and American officers we l had a splendid dinner that began with tomatoes, sliced and dressed with some sort of French dressing, then bread and butter, the latter being a greet variety with us: and then some meat N1at we haven't decided yet was chicken or rabbit and then liver and fried potatoes and finally peaches and plurns and pears and cheese.
 It was really a satisfying repast. l Afterwards I met a French med;csi student who had been two years at the front and won the cross of war with two citations for bravery, and he took me around the place. accompanied by another yOunk man who was learning to fly at an aviation camp nearby. We l lad, before we parted, afternoon tea and cave together in one of the res taurants and he presented me, as a souvenir with the ribbon of his Croix de guerre.. I gave him 9 can of Amer i ican tobacco. On the train homeward II had conversation with a woman whose husband had been a prisoner in Germany for most of the war. She hasn't heard from him for a year and a half as letters are not allowed to be sent. Her home was up near the frontier and she had to leave and go to another part Of France. Now she is working in one of. the military bu- reaus, doing her bit for France One meets many interesting people in the course of q days trip and they are very cordial toward US Americans especially when we speak a little French. as I attempt to do
 l don't know that I mentioned that received your towels safely, and that they are very welcome. although it is going to be a real act of heroism to take a bath here this winter have not received any mail for the
 last ten days, but it is probably hung
 up somewhere and will arrive in a
 bunch one of these nights But I must close and go out and look at a patient.
 LESLIE.