Letters from the front; being a record of the part played by officers of the Bank in the Great War, 1914-1919

.

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

BEING A RECORD OF THE

PART PLAYED BY OFFICERS

OF THE BANK IN THE

GREAT WAR

1914-1919

VOL. I

64-0

v.l

The "Letters from the Front" pamphlets
edited by

CHARLES LYONS FOSTER

have been supplemented, and incorporated
in this volume, by

WILLIAM SMITH DUTHIE

I

Introduction

by Sir John Aird

HE fervour evidenced throughout Canada
in the early days of the war was infinitely
more than the flag waving and the
patriotic exercises of peaceful times; it
was a heartfelt desire to be at one with
the motherland in sacrifice and in the service of right.

Nowhere in the Dominion was the call of duty more
resonantly heard than in the Canadian banks. From
our own institution 460 of our best young men went forth
in the first year of fighting, and all through the war, when
a steady stream of recruits was needed to give Canada's
effort in France and Flanders its required strength, the
efflux from The Canadian Bank of Commerce continued
in full measure until over 1,700 men had enlisted from
our service.

This gradual depletion of our staff of men presented
a problem hitherto unknown, and in the case of the
banks, as in that of all of Canada's organizations of
commerce and industry, the women of our kind came to
the rescue. Right nobly did they buckle to then- tasks,
and through their devoted labours our young men were
freed for active service, and the business of a nation at
war went on.

The idea of permanently recording the war service
of the staff of The Canadian Bank of Commerce was
conceived by Mr. Charles Lyons Foster, Staff Inspector.

He it was who, while solving the almost insurmountable
problems of his office, found time to edit the pamphlets
known as "Letters from the Front," which in their eleven
issues followed the fortunes of our soldier-bankers through-
out the war. The "Letters from the Front" from their
inception found an ever-widening circle of sympathetic
readers and now the pamphlets, with the addition thereto
of many interesting letters hitherto unpublished, have
been combined in the present volume.

The Canadian Bank of Commerce had truly a "far-
flung battle line," for in the war her soldiers fought
on every front on which British arms were represented
and we trust that these letters from trench, billet and
prison camp, captured objective, and hospital ward,
will prove of value to all who desire first-hand impressions
of the fields on which Canada's sons have won immortal
fame.

Canada has had to pay in full the price of a
victorious campaign. We in The Canadian Bank of
Commerce are privileged to record with grateful pride
the death, in action, from wounds and from sickness, of
258 of those who went forth from our service. Many of
our men were maimed and few escaped wounds.

We are proud of the many honours won by our
soldier-bankers. These honours include every award in
the British list for service in the field, and not a few
foreign decorations.

There were many on our staff who were denied the
privilege of military service through weight of years or ill-
health, and some there were whose responsible duties
demanded that they remain at an inglorious desk. Yet
ever during the campaign did they who remained behind
envy in their hearts their younger and more virile brethren

who were adding glorious pages to the history of our
race in France and Flanders.

Since the fighting ceased, our warriors have been
returning to the peaceful round of the branch bank office.
They have taken up their duties with quiet confidence,
and efficiency has marked their every act. We welcome
their return, and our endeavour shall be that they who
went forth that we might live shall now find that the
rightful meed of the nation's defenders will ever be theirs.

JOHN AIRD,

General Manager.
31st March, 1920.

Preface

THE pamphlets entitled "Letters from the Front" were initiated
primarily in the interest of the staff of The Canadian Bank of
Commerce, to record the growing lists of enlistments, the
promotions, the doings and the casualties amongst officers of the
Bank at the front, all information which it was felt would be keenly
appreciated by those members of the staff perforce remaining at
their banking duties. To the staff at home and to a circle of
readers, at first small, but ever widening, who were specially
selected from relatives and friends of the officers and correspondents
of the Bank, the pamphlets were sent, and it was throughout the
war our constant endeavour to place copies of them in the hands
of each of our officers overseas, especially after it became apparent
that the publication was serving the purpose of keeping them in
touch with former comrades then separated by the exigencies of
war. While a publication of this sort was not an entirely novel
idea, our attention has not yet been called to any other publication
of a similar character which so exactly fulfils the purpose for
which it was conceived.

In the nature of events, the war had advanced many months
before it was possible to secure sufficient suitable material to com-
mence publication. The first issue appeared in August, 1915, on
practically the first anniversary of the war, up to which date 460
officers of the Bank had donned the King's uniform, seventeen of
whom had yielded up their lives in his and in their country's service.
This first issue was a modest beginning and consisted of some
twenty pages, hah* of which were devoted to letters and the re-
mainder to the lists of enlistments and casualties. The second issue
appeared in October and contained a new feature in the "Notes" of
promotions, rewards and other special activities of Bank officers
engaged on military duty. Further issues appeared in January,
April, July and October, 1916, January and June, 1917, January
and September, 1918, and January, 1919, the last number in the
main covering the momentous operations leading up to, and the

ii

intensely interesting events following, the llth of November, 1918,
"Armistice Day," the greatest day in history! All assumed the
same form, but each succeeding issue eclipsed the last in size and in
breadth of interest, a fact which need cause no surprise when it is
stated that officers of this Bank have served in every theatre of the
great war.

The war was fought and won not by professional soldiers —
although great and wonderful was the work of the "Old Contempt-
ibles" and professional soldiers of allied nations, all honour, thanks
and praise to them ! — but by armies of patriots the vast majority
of whom could hardly have distinguished between a brigade and a
platoon on the 1st of August, 1914. In like manner, "Letters from
the Front" has been an amateur production throughout, and except
for the printing and binding has been entirely the work of members
of the Bank's staff. Its Editor and assistants were those who,
when war broke out, had the handling of the destinies and fortunes
of the staff, under the direction of the General Manager. The
pressure on the staff department of a rapidly growing bank can
never, of course, be very light, and assuredly it did not grow lighter
as the war developed, and this in part is the explanation of the
irregularity of the dates of issue of the eleven pamphlets and, we
plead, for certain inaccuracies of composition and print which
appeared in some of the issues.

With the arrival of the long-looked-for days of peace came the
thought and decision to blend these scattered pamphlets into one
harmonious whole, and so amend and enrich them as to make them
not only a worthy memorial to a band of gallant young men, but
also a valuable contribution to the side-lights of the history of the
war. This book is the result of that decision.

While every effort has been made to enrich the volume by the
inclusion of pertinent dates, place names and other facts previously
censorable, the dominant idea of the publication has been to do
nothing which could in any way destroy the living atmosphere
which pervades the letters, and in years to come will give them
their chief literary and historical value. The greatest care has been
exercised in the revision. Each living writer has been approached
for additional facts and explanations, and the best known sources
have been explored for information in the case of letters whose
writers have made the great sacrifice. The letters themselves were
written by officers of the Bank's staff with very few exceptions,

and, in the reprint, these exceptions have been eliminated except
for three or four letters which deal solely with activities of members
of the staff. The letters are all-embracing as to subject and style,
and express feelings ranging all the way from insouciance to the
dogged determination to see the thing through to the end. High
idealism is not wanting, as witnessed by what is said of or by such
men as Lieutenant F. G. Flower, Lieutenant D. £. Gordon,
Private R. M. Livingston, Private G. F. Skelton and Lance-
Corporal W. Tucker, to mention only a few of those who laid
down their lives.

The arrangement of the lists of enlistments in the various
issues has never been entirely acceptable, but was the best that
could be devised at the time. The form adopted in this volume
should, we think, meet all objections. This volume will be followed
by a supplementary one containing a complete list of enlistments
in alphabetical order with a brief biography, civil and military, in
each case, in so far as it has been, or may be possible to obtain the
necessary information. As the supplement will cover practically
all the information previously appearing in the "Notes," it has been
decided to omit the Notes, as such, from this volume. Any matter
not so reproduced in the Supplement, however, has been embodied
here.

Space would not permit us to quote the many complimentary
and flattering references to the publication of these letters from
diverse quarters, but we may perhaps be pardoned for quoting the
concluding words of a lengthy article by one of our large business
contemporaries on the Pacific Coast, published in the early days
of the entry of the United States into the war:

"Banker soldiers under the Stars and Stripes will have
"a good mark to shoot at in the record set by their Cana-
"dian brothers-in-arms. There is no profession, trade
"or calling better represented. Bankers have certainly
"made good as first-class fighting men."

In the same article the writer commented favourably on the
fact that no names appear in any of the issues except those of
soldiers. This rule was rigidly observed throughout. We may
now, however, give due credit to those members of the staff, who,
during the stress of their regular duties and out of their leisure
hours, found the time to edit and prepare the material for the
pamphlets. In his capacity of Staff Inspector it fell to the writer

to initiate the publications and assume the editorship throughout.
He wishes, however, to give special credit and thanks to his two
successive private secretaries, Miss Jessie Macdonald Murray and
Miss Jessie Elspeth Wilson, to whom during the period of greatest
staff difficulty it was necessary to leave practically the entire
editorship of several of the issues; also to Miss Elizabeth Fife
Rennie for her preparation of the "Notes" and the arrangement
of the lists of enlistments, honours, and casualties, the last
named involving countless hours of patient examination of official
casualty lists; and finally to Lieut. William Smith Duthie, himself
a returned soldier and contributor to the "Letters," who has,
for many months devoted his energies to the collection and supply-
ing of material for this volume and for the supplement, its
incorporation in the work, and the final rearrangement of the letters
and other matter in book form. No Editor could possibly ask for
more able, intelligent and cheerful co-operation in a work which
has been to all concerned, indeed, a labour of love.

We can hardly do better than finish this preface by quoting
the concluding paragraph of the Preface to Number eleven, the last
issue, which followed an outline of our ideals of what the enriched
and bound "Letters" should be, in the hope that this ideal has
been in no small measure accomplished:

"If we are successful in making of it what we have in mind,
the volume with its supplement should prove a valuable addition
to the history of the war, as well as a lasting memorial to men who
came together from many lands to join a business family, and went
out again to do great and stirring deeds during the most momentous
period in the history of mankind."

C. L. FOSTER, Editor.
Toronto, 31st March, 1920.

xii

The Enlistments from
the Bank

There were 1701 members of the staff who undertook

war-service, and 258 of them laid

down their lives.

Enlistments from the Bank

DATE or
NAM* RANK ENLUTUKNT ENUOTU rMM

Abrams, J. N Private. 21st April, 1918. . .Toronto. Out.

Ackland, E. A Private Feb., 1918. . .Winnipeg. Man.

•Adams, F. S. J Captain, M.C Left the Bank to

undertake mili-
tary service ISth

Dec., 1915 London. Eng.

Adams, G. D Flight Cadet 12th July, 1917. .Toronto. Ont.

Adams,H.W Gunner Dec., 1915. .Vancouver. B.C.

Adams, J. M Captain llth Jan.. 1915. .Simcoe, Ont.

•Adams. W. P Sergeant, D.C.M., M.M.. 7th Dec.. 1915. . Lennoxville, Que.

Aikman. C.W Lieutenant 47th April, 1916. .Red Deer. Alta.

Aikman, G. G Flight Cadet 25th Sept, 1918. .New York, N.Y., U.S.A.

"Ainger, W. E Second Lieutenant Nov., 1914. .London, Eng.

fAitchison, A. W Lieutenant, M.C Sept., 1914 . . ShaunavonTSaak.

Died of wounds ISth May. 1916.

Aitken, J. W Lieutenant 28th Aug., 1915 . . . Winnipeg. Man.

tAldrich. M. S Private 7th Dec., 1916. . .Ayer's Cliff, Que.

Killed in action 15th Aug., 1917.

f Alexander, A. M Second Lieutenant Oct., 1915 . . . London, Eng.

Killed in action 8th Dec., 1917.

Alexander, J. B Second Lieutenant 6th Sept, 1917. . .College It Dovercourt.

Toronto, Ont

tAlexander, P. M Second Lieutenant Aug., 1914. . .London, Eng.

Died of wounds 30th July. 1916

•Alexander. W. T Lieutenant 13th May, 1916. . .Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches. Win-
nipeg. Man.

•fAllan, G. F Lance-Corporal 12th Feb.. 1915. . .Calgary. Alta.

Killed in action 13th June. 1916.

Allen, Alfred H.. Captain Feb., 1916. . .Smith's Falls. Ont

t Allen, Arthur H Second Lieutenant Returned to Old

Killed in action 4th Oct., 1917. Country to enlist

31st Aug., 1915. Saskatoon. Sask.

Allen, D. L Flight Cadet 20th May, 1918. . .Vermilion. Alta.

Ambridge, C. M Corporal 4th June, 1918. . .Toronto, Ont

Ames, R. C Lieutenant 25th Jan., 1916. . .Kitscoty, Alta.

fAnderson, B. S Signaller Jan., 1915. . . Guelph. Ont

Killed in action 26th Aug., 1917.

Anderson, J Lieutenant Left the Bank to

undertake mili-
tary service 1st

April, 1916 Dauphin. Mao.

Anderson, N. A. Private 27th Dec., 1914. . .Bengough. Sask.

Anderson, O. M Private Sept. 191b. . Radville, Sask.

fAnderson, R Private 1st Nov., 1914. . .Nelson. B.C.

Killed in action 20th May. 1915.

Anderson, W. G Sapper 5th Feb., 1917. . .Prince Rupert. B.C.

•Andrews,J Private 8th Mar.. 1916 ... Head Office. Toronto, Ont .

Andrews, S. H.. . . .Corporal 21st Sept., 1916. . .Vancouver, B.C.

•Annett. J. L. G Sergeant M.M Mar., 1915 . Campbdlton. N.B.

t Killed or died. *Wounde<L

xv

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

NAME
Annis, H. C..

RANK

.Flight Cadet...

DATE OF

ENLISTMENT
4th Sept., 1917.

Ansell, F. H Seaman, U.S. Navy 6th April, 1918.

••Apperson, J. M Lieutenant, M.C llth Nov., 1914.

fAppleby, R. M Lance-Corporal 18th Aug., 1916.

Killed in action 22nd Aug., 1917.

Archibald, J. M Gunner 12th Oct., 1917.

t Archibald, W. R Second Lieutenant Mar., 1917 .

Killed in action 27th June, 1918.

fArden, R. D Second Lieutenant Sept., 1914.

Killed in action 7th Oct., 1916.
Argue, C. R Gunner 14th Feb., 1918.

Arlidge, M. R Sergeant 24th May, 1916.

Armit, A. G Lieutenant 16th Nov., 1914.

*Armitage, F. M Bombardier llth Feb., 1916.

*Armitage, M. E Gunner llth Feb., 1916.

Armitage, P. W Gunner 7th Jan., 1916.

tArmstrong, G. H Lieutenant Oct., 1914 .

Died on active service 28th Oct., 1918.
Armstrong, P. K Lieutenant 2ndFeb., 1916.

Arnold, H Regimental Quarter-
master Sergeant 9th July, 1915.

**Arnold, R. E Lieutenant Aug., 1914.

Aseltine, H. S Flight Cadet 18th Mar., 1918.

*Ash, S. H. H Lieutenant May, 1916.

Ash by, C. W Yeoman (second class)

U.S. Navy 4th May, 1917.

Ashcroft, N. R Sergeant 14th Feb., 1918.

Ashforth, L Gunner 14th Feb., 1918.

Atcheson, J. E Gunner 6th Feb., 1916.

•Atkins, F. I Flight Lieutenant 80th Nov., 1917.

Atkins, G. C Lieutenant 13th Oct., 1916.

Atkinson, W. C. H Private 15th Feb., 1915.

•Austin, N. A Driver 16th Mar., 1915.

Ayre, G Trooper 26th Feb., 1917.

fBadley, S Private 14th Aug., 1914.

Killed in action 8th May, 1915.

Bagley, J. H Sergeant 8th Mar., 1918.

Bail, J. R Lieutenant 18th May, 1918.

Bailey, E. A Battalion Quartermaster

Sergeant 20th Feb., 1917.

Bailey, J. K Sergeant Aug., 1914.

Baillargeon, G. G Lieutenant 25th June, 1918.

•Baillie, G. C. B Bombardier 15th Mar., 1916 .

Bain, G. E Lieutenant 19th Nov., 1914.

•Baker, A. C. F Sergeant Aug., 1914.

Baker, A. G Sergeant. .

Baker. Miss B V.A.D.. . .

•Baker, C. H Private. . .

fKffled or died. 'Wounded.

Dec., 1915.
. 1st May, 1918.
.21st July, 1915.

BRANCH

ENLISTED FROM

, . Danforth & Broadview

Toronto, Ont.
.Waterville, Que.
.Radisson, Sask.
.Department of The Super-
intendent of Pacific Coast
Branches, Vancouver,
B.C.

.Vulcan, Alta.
. Inspector's Department,

Vancouver, B.C.
.New York, N.Y., U.S.A.

.Bloor & Yonge, Toronto,
Ont.

.Rivers, Man.

.Vermilion, Alta.

.North Battleford, Sask.

.Kindersley, Sask.

.Commercial Drive, Van-
couver, B.C.

. Peace River, Alta.

.Yonge & Eglinton, Toronto
Ont.

.Winnipeg, Man.

.Victoria B.C.

.St. Thomas, Ont.

.San Francisco, Cal., U.S.A.

.Ottawa, Ont.

.Market, Toronto, Ont.

.Toronto, Ont.

.Woodstock, Ont.

. Inspector's Department,
Winnipeg, Man.

.Queen East, Toronto, Ont.,

. Crossfield, Alta.

. Granby, Que.
, .London, Eng.
. . Edmonton, Alta.

. Danforth & Broadview,

Toronto, Ont.
. Eastman, Que.

. Gilbert Plains, Man.

.Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
, .Danville, Que.

.Winnipeg, Man.

.Youngstown, Alta.

.Oak Bay Avenue, Victoria,
B.C.

.Langham, Sask.

.Regina, Sask.

. Lethbridge, Alta.

xvi

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DAT* or BRANCH

NAME RANK ENLISTMENT EVLVTKD no*

Baker. S. R. Signaller. 14th May. 1918. . . Yonge 4 College. Toronto.

Ont

fBalderston, C. T. Second Lieutenant Aug., 1814.. .Pandora ft Cook. Victoria.

Died of wounds 26th June. 1917. B.C.

••Baldwin. C. T Lieutenant 2Srd Sept., 1914. . .Edmonton. Alta

Bales, W. E Sergeant 17th May. 1916. . .Cobalt. Ont

•Ball, A. C Sergeant 27th Sept.. 1917. . .St Thomas. Ont

Ball, D Second Lieutenant Dec.. 1917. . .Stavely. Alt*.

Bankart, A. H Captain 6th Aug.. 1914. . .Winnipeg. Man.

Bannister, T Gunner 80th Mar.. 1918. . .Herbert Sask.

•Barlow, G. B Lieutenant Mar., 1916. . .High River. Alta.

t Barnard, L. H Lieutenant 20th Aug.. 1914. . .Prince Albert, Saak.

Killed in action 25th Aug., 1916.

•Barnes, C. H Lieutenant M.C 24th Nov.. 1914. . .Toronto. Ont

fBarnes, F. F Private 7th Aug.. 1914. . . Youngatown. Alta.

Killed in action 22nd May, 1915.

Barnes, O. W Yoeman, U. S. Navy May. 1918. . .Mooseiaw. Saak.

Barnum. C. W. M Lieutenant 4th Jan.. 1916. . .Marcelin. Saak.

••Barnum, H. G Captain, M.C 7th Jan., 1915. . .Toronto. Ont.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Barrett W. E Private 31st July, 1918. . .Howick. Que.

Barry, F. C Captain 7th July, 1915. . .London, Eng.

Barter. O. J. A Sergeant 18th Feb.. 1917. . .Sherbrooke, Que.

•Bartlett W. T Lieutenant 13th Dec., 1915. . .London, Ont

Barton, R. G Second Lieutenant April, 1918. . . Winnipeg, Man.

•Bartram, W. R, Lieutenant 26th July, 1915. . .Taber, Alta.

••Baston, J. P Regimental Sergeant-Ma-
jor, M.S.M., Croix de

Guerre (Belg.) Aug., 1914 . . . South Hill. B.C.

fBateman, F. L. Gunner 13th May, 1916. . .Montreal. Que.

Died on active service llth Dec., 1918.

•Battisby, A. M.. . Sergeant 21st Sept., 1916. . .T*ngham. Sask.

••Baxter, A. D Lieutenant 27th May, 1916. . . Bridgewater, N.S.

Beairsto, R. W Private April, 1918. . .Edmonton, Alta.

•Beamish. P. R Staff Sergeant 27th Oct., 1915. . .Swift Current Saak.

fBean, L. M Private Aug., 1914.. .Winnipeg. Man.

Killed in action 23rd April. 1915.

•Beaton. L Trooper 21st Oct., 1915. . .Grandview, Man.

•fBeatson, R. S. M Lieutenant 10th Aug., 1914 . . .Vancouver, B.C.

Killed in action 2nd July. 1916.

Seattle, W. E Private 1st May, 1916. . .Kitscoty. Alta.

•Beatty. A. P Private Aug.. 1914. . .Chiffiwack. B.C.

Beatty, G. A Second Lieutenant Nov., 1917. . .Glekhen. Alt*.

fBeatty.J.H Private Feb., 1916. . .Nokomis, Sask.

Killed in action 1st April, 1918.

Beatty, R. J Gunner 9th May, 1918. . .Vancouver, B.C.

•Beatty, W. J Signaller llth Jan.. 1916. . .Forest Ont

Beaulieu, G. R. . . . Lance-Corporal 3rd Jan., 1918 . . . Crescent & St Catherine.

Montreal, Que.

Beaulieu, J. A.. . . .Private 25th May, 1918. . .Bedford. Que.

•Beck, D. A . . . . Bombardier 27th Feb., 1916 ... .Supervisor's Department

Head Office, Toronto.
Ont

tBeck,G.A Lieutenant Oct. 1915. . .Toronto, Ont

Killed in action 9th April. 1917.
Beckett G Lieutenant June, 1915. . .Montreal Que.

fKilled or died. • Wounded.

ivii

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE OF
NAME RANK ENLISTMENT

*Bedard, G. S Signaller 16th April, 1917.

Beddome, N. R Gunner 8th Mar., 1918.

Beerworth, E. S Flight Cadet 15th May, 1918.

Dec., 1915.
. 5th Aug., 1914.

.15th April, 1916.
Aug., 1914.

*Belford, F. R. W Lieutenant

fBell, D. H Captain, M.C

Killed in action 8th Oct., 1916.

*Bell, J. B Sergeant

***fBell, J. M. G Lieutenant, M.C . .

Died of wounds llth Oct., 1918.
Bell, W. S Second Air Mechanic.. . .12th July, 1917.

**Bennett, F. C Private 29th Feb., 1916.

Bennett, H. N Second Lieutenant Oct., 1915 .

Benson, H. J A.B., Royal Fleet Re-
serve 4th Aug., 1914.

Borrow, H. R Bandmaster Aug., 1915.

Berwick, W. R Sergeant

*Bethell, D. L Lieutenant

****Bethune, J. A Lieutenant

fBevan, A. W Private

Killed in action 9th Aug., 1916.

Bicknell, L. N Private

Biggar, F. C Major

4th Aug., 1915.

10th Nov., 1914.

Sept., 1915.

llth Sept., 1915.

8th Feb., 1917.
24th Dec., 1914.

Bisson, M. L Second Lieutenant 25th April, 1918 .

tBlack, F Corporal Dec., 1914.

Killed in action 2nd Dec., 1915.

Black, J Captain, M.C. and Croix

de Guerre. (Fr.) 26th Nov., 1915 .

Black, J. M Sergeant 18th Dec., 1914.

Black, W. B Flight Cadet 22nd Mar., 1918.

Blackburn, F. A Lieutenant 27th May, 1918.

fBlacklay, F. P Private April, 1915.

Killed in action 26th Oct., 1915.

Bladder, O Lieutenant 17th Nov., 1914.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Blackwell, P.W Lieutenant 7th Aug., 1914 .

Blackwell, T. G Lieutenant 8th Aug., 1917.

fBlackwood, H Private 25th Sept., 1915.

Killed in action 25th Feb., 1917.

•'Blake, E. P Sergeant. Jan., 1916.

Blampin, C. S Private May, 1918.

Blandford, F. C. G Private 19th Aug., 1915.

Bleasdell, Miss I. M V.A.D Jan., 1917.

Blois, H. E Corporal 18th Feb., 1916.

*Blott, R. D Private. . .

tKilled or died. *Wounded.

\

.15th May, 1915.

BRANCH

ENLISTED FROM

. Valcourt, Que.

.Queen East, Toronto, Ont.

.Department of The Super-
intendent of Eastern
Township Branches,
Sherbrooke, Que.

.East Angus, Que.

.Vancouver, B.C.

.Gleichen, Alta.
.Victoria, B.C.

. Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

.Vancouver, B.C.

.Macleod, Alta.

.London, Eng.

.Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

. London.Eng.

. Herbert, Sask.

.Brandon, Man.

. North Winnipeg, Man.

.Grand view, Man.
. Virden, Man.
. Chatham, Ont.

. Elf ros, Sask.

.London, Eng.
.Langham, Sask.
.Prince Albert, Sask.
.Toronto, Ont.

.Del isle, Sask.

.Athabasca, Alta.

.London, Eng.
.London, Eng.
.Cornwall, Ont.

.London, Eng.

. Knowlton, Que.

.Toronto, Ont.

.Head Office, Toronto, Ont.

. Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

. Dunnville, Ont.

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATB or HK\N<-H

NAME RANK ExummfT Eiaarao nu>*

••fBlott, W. M Lieutenant June, 1915 If oowiaw Saak.

Died of wounds 13th May, 1917, while a prisoner of war.

*Blue, J Private 27th Oct., 1915. . .Hafford. Saak,

•Bluethner. M. H Lieutenant llth Jan., 1915. . .Stratford, Ont

Blundell, R. C Lieutenant 87th July, 1916. . .Lethbridge, Alta.

Boddy, W. J Lieutenant. llth Jan.. 1918. . .MUectone, Saak

*Bogue, W. S Lieutenant 26th Feb.. 1916. . .Edmonton, Alta

•Boiston, T. F Corporal 25th Mar., 1916. . .Cranbrook, B.C..

Bolton, W. R Pay Sergeant 48th Feb., 1916. . .Strathcona, Alta.

Bond, R. M Sergeant. 10th Nov., 1914. . .Toronto, Ont.

Booth, L. R Lieutenant 25th Mar., 1918. . .Central Butte, Saik.

fBooth, P. E. O Second Lieutenant 18th Nov., 1914. . .London.Eng.

Killed in action 1st July. 1916.

Boright, G. H Warrant Officer Mar., 1918. . .Sherbrooke, Que.

•Borrett R. D Lieutenant 12th Jan., 1915. . .Toronto. Ont

Bourassa, J. D Sergeant 18th May, 1918. . . Asbestos, Que.

•Bourns, T. W Private 4th Aug., 1914. . .Vancouver, B.C.

Bowden, I. H Sergeant, M.M 9th Jan., 1916. . .North Hatley, Que.

**Bowerbank, G. S. S Major, D.S.O., M.C. . . Nov, 1914. . .Sarnia, Ont

Mentioned in Despatches.

*Bowker, F. S Private Aug., 1914. . .Kamsack, Saak.

Bowman, A. D Private 16th Nov., 1916. . .North Winnipeg, Man.

Boyd, J. L Lieutenant 1st Oct. 1917. . .SaultSte. Marie, Ont

Boyd, W. R Corporal 3rd April 1918. . . Summeraide, P.E.I. .

Boyer, C. R. Signaller llth April, 1917. . .Nan ton, Alta,

Boyes, G. M Petty Officer Jl.N.C.V.R.17th Sept, 1917. . .Calgary, Alta.

Boyle, A. F Sergeant M.S.M Dec., 1915 . . . Head Office, Toronto. Ont

Brackley, C. J Private 6th July, 1917. . .Lindsay, Ont

Bradley, W. B. C Private (1st Class), U.S.

Army Sept, 1917. . .New York. N.Y.. UAA.

fBrake, F. C. J Second Lieutenant 22nd June, 1915. . .Vancouver, B.C.

Killed in action 21st March, 1918.

Brander. A. I Lieutenant 22nd Sept., 1914. . .Winnipeg, Man.

Brawley. G. M Captain Dec., 1914. . .Smith's Falla, Ont

Mentioned in Despatches.

Bray. V. M Gunner 5th Aug., 1915. . .Ottawa. Ont

Breakey, A. G Warrant Officer,

R.N.C.VJI 4th June, 1918. . . Kamloops, B.C.

*fBreakey, H. L. Lieutenant 31st Aug., 1915. . .Revelstoke, B.C.

Killed on active service 15th July, 1918.

fBrennan, D. P Lieutenant «7th Sept, 1917. . .St Hyacinthe, Que,

Died on active service 12th Nov., 1918.

Bresee, R. W Flight Cadet 7th June, 1918. . .Three Riven, Que.

•Brice, J. A CadetM.S.M.(Sergeant) 31st May, 1915. . .St John, N.B.

fBriscoe, R. D Lieutenant 15th Aug., 1914. . .Strathroy, Ont

Killed on active service 6th Jan., 1915.

Brooke, B. G Returned to England to

enlist 8th Aug., 1914. . .Edmonton, Alta.

Brooke, G. T Returned to England to

enlist 8th Aug., 1914. . .Strathcona. Alta.

Brooks, C. C Lieutenant Sept, 1917. . . Swift Current Saak.

Brouillette, O. H Private 16th Feb., 1918. . .Blaine Lake. Saak.

Brown, C. A Lieutenant 2ndOct, 1915. . .Granby, Que.

Brown C. H. .Gunner Mth May, 1917. . .Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Brown D Sergeant *8th Mar., 1916. . .Sault Ste. Marie, Ont

Brown, D. A Flight Cadet 9th July, 1918. . .Riverhunt. Saak.

t Killed or died. 'Wounded.

ziz

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE or BRANCH

NAME RANK ENLISTMENT ENLISTED FROM

'Brown, E Private 19th Aug., 1915. . .Stationery Department,

Head Office, Toronto,
Ont.

Brown, F. H Private 20th April, 1917. . .Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

Brown, F. M Flight Cadet 22nd May 1918. . .Carman, Man.

Brown, H. B Lieutenant Jan., 1917. . .Sherbrooke, Que.

Brown, R. L Gunner 17th April, 1917. . .Montreal, Que.

fBrown, R. R. P Lance-Corporal Sept., 1916 . . . Kamloops, B.C.

Died of wounds 27th Oct., 1917.

Brown, W.W Private 22nd April, 1918. . .Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

fBrowne, A. E Lieutenant. Sept., 1914. . . Dawson, Y.T.

Killed in action 9th April, 1917.

Brownell. R Petty Officer 21st Sept., 1917. .Mount Royal, Calgary,

(R.N.C.VJL) Alta.

Bruce, A. L Sergeant. 14th Aug., 1914. . .Carman, Man.

Bruce, Miss C. E Nursing Sister Sept, 1914. . .Toronto, Ont.

*Bruce, E. K Lieutenant 1st Feb., 1916. . .West Toronto, Ont.

Bruce, W Lieutenant llth Feb., 1916. . .New Westminster, B.C.

Bruges, W.E Lieutenant 26th Sept., 1914. . .London, Eng.

Brydon, F. T Private 22nd Dec., 1915. . .Dundas, Ont.

fBuchanan, H. R. V Private Mar., 1916. . . Wiseton, Sask.

Died of wounds 27th Sept., 1918.

*Buckeridge, L. D Private July, 1916. . .South Porcupine, Ont.

*Buckland, A. H Private 24th July, 1915 . . .Toronto, Ont.

Buckley, R Sergeant 31st July, 1915. . .Neepawa, Man.

•Bull, C. R Captain Oct., 1914. . .Vancouver, B.C.

Bui-bulge, C. O Corporal Jan., 1915. ..Powell St., Vancouver,

B.C.

Burchell, E. F Gunner llth Sept., 1915. . .Sydney, N.S.

Burgess, A. C Lieutenant 1st Feb , 1915 . . .Montreal, Que.

Burgess, C. P Flight Cadet Aug., 1918. . .Yellowgrass, Sask.

Burland, C. I Lieutenant 24th Aug., 1916. . .Grimsby. Ont.

•Burnet K. H Gunner 4th Aug., 1916. . .East Vancouver, B.C.

Burns, W Private Mar., 1916. . .Head Office, Toronto, Ont.

Burton, F. E Sergeant 10th Dec., 1917. . .Portland, Ore., U.S.A.

Butler, C. S Sergeant 25th Mar., 1918. . .Brentford, Ont.

fBuzzell, C. E Lance-Corporal Aug., 1915. . .Winnipeg, Man.

Died on active service 24th Dec., 1916.
Buzzell, L. N Flight Cadet tod July, 1918. . .Cookshire, Que.

fCagney, J Private.... , 16th Nov., 1914. . .Provost, Alta.

Died of wounds 30th March, 1916.

*Calder, H. M. Lieutenant 8th Feb., 1915 . . . Mission City, B.C.

Mentioned in Despatches (twice).

Caldwell, C. C Lieutenant 10th Oct., 1916. . .Hamilton, Ont.

Calkins, A. B Bombardier 4th Aug., 1916. . .Vancouver, B.C.

fCallaghan, L. E Private. Oct. 1914. . .Claresholm, Alta.

Killed in action 13th Oct., 1915.
*Cameron, B. V Sergeant 4th Aug., 1915. . .Toronto, Ont.

fKffled or died. "Wounded.

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE or BBANCH

NAMI RANK ENLUTIOENT ENLWTBD FBOII

•••Cameron. C. H Sergeant llth Dec., 1815. . .Windsor, N.S.

'••Cameron, C. S Lieutenant Oct.. 1814. . .Feroie, B.C.

fCameron, F. B Lieutenant Aug.. 1914. . .Montreal Que.

Died of wound* 18th Aug., 1916.

tCameron,G. J ..Private Jan, 1818.. .Department of The Super-
Killed in action 1st Oct. 1918. intendent of Central

Western Branches. Win-
nipeg, Man

Cameron, J. A Private 85th May, 1818. .Halifax. N.S.

Campbell, A. B Captain 3rd July, 1810. .Hamilton. Ont

fCampbell, D. J. M Lieutenant Nov., 1814. . Medicine Hat, Alt*.

Killed in action 12th July. 1916.

Campbell, H. A Private 27th April, 1816. .Red Deer. Alta.

Campbell, H. C Major 27th Dec,, 1815. .Wychwood, Toronto, Ont

Discharged 18th June, 1817 . .

Re-enlisted 1st Mar., 1818. .St Thomas, Ont

Campbell, J.M Private Aug., 1817. .Humboldt Sask.

Campbell, M.C Sergeant 8th May, 1816. .Retlaw, Alta.

Campbell, S. G Staff Sergeant 21st Feb., 1816. .Vancouver, B.C.

Campbell, W. A Private Left the Bank to

undertake military
service 2nd Feb.,

1816 Calgary, Alt*.

•Cantlon, R. M Corporal 10th May, 1815. . .1st Street West, Calgary.

Alta.

Capson, R Sergeant Instructor 10th Dec., 1815. . .St. John. N.B.

Carey, L. M Gunner 4th Mar., 1816. . .Goderich. Ont.

Carling, H. V , Sergeant 22nd Mar., 1818. . .Cornwall. Ont

•Carmichael, A. H Lieutenant Sept, 1815. . .North Victoria. B.C.

•Carmichael, C Lieutenant, M.C 4th Oct., 1915. . .Hamilton. Ont

Carmichael, P. M Corporal 7th Jan., 1918. . .Winnipeg. Man.

tCarmichael, W. L. Lieutenant 13th Sept, 1816. . . Watrous, Sask.

Killed in action 17th Aug., 1817.

•Carnwith, W. R Lieutenant M.C 24th Feb., 1816 ... St Thomas, Ont

•Carpenter, R. H. Private 22nd Mar., 1916. . .Richmond, Que.

•Carr. G. S. H Private llth Nov., 1816. . .Nokomis, Sask.

Carran, H. E Sergeant 21st Feb.. 1818. . .Toronto, Ont.

Carroll, J. E Seaman, U.S. Navy 17th June, 1818. . .New York, N.Y, U.S.A.

•Carroll, R. S Captain, A.F.C 24th Aug., 1814. . .Toronto, Ont

Carson, A. B Gunner 10th May, 1818. . .Mission City, B.C.

Castle, F. G Driver 81st Jan., 1916. . .Market Toronto, Ont

Caswell, F. E Staff Sergeant Aug., 1814. . .Head Office, Toronto. Ont

Cates, J. H Lieutenant June, 1816. . .East Vancouver, B.C.

•Caton, A. C Lance-Corporal 6th Aug., 1814. . .London, England.

Caughey, S. W Sergeant 20th Jan., 1816. . . Kincaid. Sask.

•••Caw, J. A. Lieutenant Nov., 1814. . .Langham, Sask.

•Chaddock, H. A Lieutenant llth Feb., 1815. . .Dunham. Que.

•Challenor. H. H. R. . ..Lieutenant 8th Dec, 1815. . .Bloor & Dufferin. ToMfe

Ont

•Chapman. C.F Private 4th Jan., 1816. . .Vermilion. Alta.

Chard, A. B Private 18th Feb.. 1818. ..Biggar, Sask.

Charles, E. P Lieutenant 23rd Oct. 1815. . .Langham. Sask.

••Charles, G Private. 6th April, 1816. . .Toronto, Ont

••Chawner, W. H. . . .Lieutenant 16th Oct. 1814. . .Winnipeg. Man.

Chelew, G. M. . . .Sergeant July, 1818. . . Yonge & Queen. Toronto.

Ont

f Killed or died.

•Wounded.

zxi

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE OF
NAME RANK ENLISTMENT

tChild, J. M Captain, M.C 5th Mar., 1915.

Order of Leopold (Belg.)
Croix de Guerre (Belg.)
Mentioned in Despatches.
Killed on active service, 23rd Aug. 1918.

Chipman, R. W Lieutenant Slst Dec., 1915.

*Chisholm, T. G Lieutenant 19th Sept., 1915.

*Chisholm, W. G Sergeant 28th July, 1915.

Chittick, J. W Private 18th July, 1916 .

Chivers-Wilson, V Private June, 1917.

*Christie, C. M Sergeant 80th Mar., 1916.

fChristie, T. A Sergeant-Major 16th Oct., 1914. .

Died of wounds 8th June, 1916.

*Clancy, B. F Private. 9th Mar., 1917.

*tClaringbold, J. O Private 6th Mar., 1916.

Killed in action 3rd Oct., 1918.
*Clark, A. F Gunner 22nd Dec., 1915.

Clark, C. E Private. . .

Clarke, A. E Corporal..

.29th Feb., 1916.
July, 1917.

Clarke, D. P. M Private 27th Feb., 1918.

Clarke, G. C. A Sergeant 1st June, 1916.

fClarke, G. E Second Lieutenant 6th Oct., 1915.

Killed in action 23rd July, 1916.

*Clarke, R. M Lieutenant Oct., 1914.

**Clarke, T.A Private 10th Feb., 1916.

*Clarke, W. L Sergeant, M.M 1st Feb., 1915.

Clayton, R. E Gunner 1st Nov., 1917.

Cleary, T Senior Writer.Mercantile

Marine Reserve 10th Feb., 1917.

Cleland, D. R Sergeant 3rd Sept., 1915.

*Cleland, J. M Lieutenant llth Mar., 1916 .

***Clement, N Sergeant 25th Jan., 1915.

*Clendinning, W. B Private 5th Aug., 1914.

*Clery, W. V. P Lieutenant 80th June, 1915.

Cleveland, C. A Private 4th Aug., 1915.

Close, R. G Private 18th Sept., 1917.

*Cockburn, G Private 15th June, 1915.

**Cockeram, A Captain, D.S.O 4th Nov., 1914.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Cockeram, W Sapper, M.M 25th Nov., 1914.

Coffin, J. S Flight Cadet 25th April, 1918.

*Coffin, L. C Private 16th Aug., 1914.

Coleman, F. C Lieutenant 12th Aug., 1914.

Colerick, A. B Warrant Officer, R.N.C.

V.R 1st April, 1918.

Coll, J. I Corporal 30th April, 1918.

Colley, J. N. B Lieutenant Jan., 1916.

>*Collier, J. D Private 15th Feb., 1916.

Connolly, F. J Gunner June, 1917.

BRANCH
ENLISTED FROM
.Oak Bay Avenue, Victoria,
B.C.

.Edmonton, Alta.

.Queen & Bathurst, Toronto,

Ont.

.Saskatoon, Sask.
. Parry Sound, Ont.
.Kindersley, Sask.
.Edmonton, Alta.
.Broderick, Sask.

.Richmond, Que.

.Building Staff, Head Office,
Toronto, Ont.

. Commercial Drive, Van-
couver, B.C.

.Ottawa, Ont.

.Department of The Super-
intendent of Eastern
Township Branches,
Sherbrooke, Que.

.Hawarden, Sask.

. Montreal, Que.

.Walkerton, Ont.

.Nelson, B.C.

.Fort Rouge, Winnipeg,

Man.

. .Gleichen, Alta.
, .Vancouver, B.C.

. London, Eng.

.Port Arthur, Ont.
, . Mopsejaw, Sask.
. . Gleichen, Alta.
. .Elbow, Sask.
..1st Street West, Calgary,

Alta.

. .Waterville, Que.
..Milk River, Alta.
. .Shellbrook, Sask.
. .Brockville, Ont.

..West Toronto, Ont.
. . Montreal, Que.
, .North Battleford, Sask.
. Edmonton, Alta.

. . Montreal, Que.

. .Sutton, Que.

. .Head Office, Toronto, Ont.

. . Medicine Hat., Alta.

. .Sydney, N.S.

fKilled or died.

*Wounded.

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

D ATI OF

NAME RANK ENLUTMENT

•Connon, F. L Lieutenant Nov., 1914 .

Conover, C. C Lieutenant. 1st July, 1917.

Cook, A Sergeant (U.S. Army) . . 15th Mar., 1918.

•Cook, W. T Private 1st July. 1915 .

Cooke, A. A Signaller 15th May, 1915.

Cooke, R. L. Pnvate June, 1915.

*Cooper, W Corporal 2ndOct, 1915.

Copley, R. C Flight Cadet '. . .23rd April, 1918.

•Cordner, W. J Lieutenant. 2nd Aug., 1916 .

Corey, I. B Lieutenant, D.F.C 22ndNov., 1915.

Corkran. R. F Sergeant. 22nd Mar., 1917.

.Ckreabolm, Alt*.
.Inspector's Department,
Head Office, Toronto,
Ont

. Portland. Ore., U.S.A.
.Grand Forks. B.C.
.Hanna, Alia.
. Montreal, Que.
.Champion, Alt*.
.Winnipeg, Man.
. Department of The Super*
intendent of Eastern
Township Branches,
Sherbrooke, Que.
Bedford. Que.

.Wellington Street. Sher-
brooke, Que.

•Coultis, J. W Lieutenant 28th Aug., 1915. . .IngenoU, Ont

•Coultous, L. V Lance-Corporal 1st Mar., 1916. . .Carmangay. Alta.

fCowie, J Private 10th Jan., 1916. . .Kamloops, B.C.

Killed in action 80th Oct.. 1917.

•Cowling, E. M Gunner 28th Aug., 1915. . .Montreal, Que.

Cowling. H. G Lieutenant 3rd Jan.. 1916. . .East Angus. Que.

Cowperthwaite, C. A Gunner 27th April, 1918. . . HalifaxTN.S.

Cox. B. H Gunner 13th Mar., 1916. . .Portage Avenue, Winnipeg.

Man.

Cox, L Pay-Master Lieutenant

R.N.R 18th Aug.. 1917. . .Winnipeg, Man.

Cox, R. J Gunner 28th Sept, 1916. . .Vegreville, Alt*.

Craft, H. M Sergeant 12th June. 1918. . .Moosejaw, Saak.

Craib, P. S Sergeant 6th May. 1916. . .Hawarden, Saak.

•Craig, A. J Corporal Jan.. 1916. . .Edmonton, Alta.

fCram, J. M Lieutenant 19th Jan.. 1916. . .Briercrest Sask.

Killed on active service 26th Aug., 1918.

•fCramp. J Private 8th Aug., 1914. . . East Vancouver, B.C.

Died on active service 27th Oct., 1918.

Crane. K. H Lieutenant 14th April, 1917. . .Windsor, Ont

Cranstoun, G. B Signaller 5th Nov., 1917. . .Windsor. Ont.

fCrawford. M. S Corporal 18th May. 1918. . .Parkdale, Toronto. Ont

Died on active service 12th Oct., 1918.

•Crawford. V. C Private 81st May. 1916. . . Yellowgrass, Sask.

•Creighton, J Company Sergeant-

Major 9th Aug., 1914. . .Montreal, Que.

Cridland, L. E Private 1st May, 1916. . .London, Eng.

Croft A. T Captain, M.C 1st July, 1915. . .Windsor, N.S.

Crompton, J. B Captain 19th Oct. 1916. . .Queen & Bathurst. Toronto.

Ont

Cromwell, R. G Flight Cadet 20th Mar., 1918. . . Willowbrook. Sask.

•Crone, C. H Sergeant 21st June, 1915. . . Wadena, Sask.

tCronhelm, E. W. A Gunner Sept, 1915. . .Fort Frances, Ont

Died of wounds 8th May, 1917.

Crook, G. L. Sergeant 20th May. 1918. . .Toronto, Ont

Crookston, J. M. . . . . Company Quartermaster

Sergeant 18th Mar., 1917. . .Fernie, B.C.

•Crosbie. H Lieutenant llth Aug., 1914. . .Hanna, Alta.

•Crosby, H. S Gunner 19th Jan., 1916. . .Halifax. N.S.

fKilled or died. *Wounded.

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE OF
NAME RANK ENLISTMENT

Crotty, R. E. M Private 19th Oct., 1915.

Crotty. W. H Lieutenant 15th Mar.. 1915.

Crowe, T. A Sergeant (1st Class) U.S.

Army 25th July, 1918 .

•Crozier. J Trooper 12th Feb., 1916.

Cruickshank, H. W Lieutenant. 10th Aug., 1914.

•Cruickshank, J. D Captain 14th Aug., 1914.

Cryderman, A. D Private 80th April, 1918.

Culverwell, F. J Flight Cadet • 22nd April, 1918.

BRANCH
ENLISTED FROM
.Cranbrook. B.C.
.St. Catherine & Metcalfe.
Montreal, Que.

.Portland, Ore.. U.S.A.
.Kincaid, Sask.
.Regina, Sask.
.Winnipeg, Man.
.Elbow, Sask.

. Danforth & Broadview,
Toronto, Ont.

Cummins, H. C Gunner 21st May, 1917. . .Bank Street, Ottawa, Ont.

Cunningham, A. R Private 81st July, 1915. . .Winnipeg, Man.

**Curran, V. Captain, M.C Slst Mar., 1915. . .Winnipeg, Man.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Currie, C. F Captain Oct., 1914. . .Prince Albert, Sask.

tCunrie, J. C Private May, 1916. . .North Battleford, Sask.

Killed in action 9th April, 1917.

*Currie, M Major, M.C 16th Aug., 1915. . .Calgary, Alta.

Curry, F. W Pay Sub - Lieutenant

R.N.C.V.R 28rd May, 1917. . .Shelburne, N.S.

Curry, V. L Petty Officer, R.N.C.V.R.15th Mar., 1918. . .Bridgewater, N.S.

Curtice, R. H Sergeant July, 1915. . . Winnipeg, Man.

Cuthbert, J. T Private May, 1918. . .Moosejaw, Sask.

Cuthbertson. L. E Flight Cadet 1st Mar., 1918. . .Parry Sound, Ont.

Dailey, J. J Sergeant 15th Jan., 1918. . .Regina, Sask.

Daley, W. B Flight Cadet 8th Oct., 1917. . .St. John, N.B.

*Dalton, N. D Lieutenant, M.C 8th Aug.. 1914 . . .London, Eng.

Dalton, R. A. B Private July, 1918. . .Calgary, Alta.

D' Alton, R. P Second Lieutenant Dec., 1917 . . . Herbert, Sask.

Dalton, Wilbur J Flight Cadet 1st Aug., 1918. . .Windsor, Ont.

Dalton, William J Lieutenant 23rd Oct., 1915. . .Toronto, Ont.

*Daniel. E. H Captain, M.C 23rd Oct., 1914. . .Vancouver, B.C.

»***Darcus, R. J Lieutenant, M.C Slst Dec., 1914 . . .Medicine Hat, Alta.

Darley, D. B Staff Sergeant 28th April, 1915. . .Nelson, B.C.

*fDarley, F. F. B Private Oct., 1914. . .Prince Rupert, B.C.

Died of wounds 22nd Nov.. 1916.

Darroch. D. A Flight Cadet May, 1918. . .Dundas, Ont.

Darrow, F. R Second Lieutenant 20th Mar., 1916. . .Tillsonburg, Ont.

*Davidson, A Private June, 1915 . . .Edmonton, Alta.

*Davin, J. A Lieutenant, M.C 24th Sept., 1914 ... Macleod, Alta.

Davis, D Lieutenant 7th Nov., 1914 . . .Hastings & Cambie, Van-
couver, B.C.

Davis, M. H Second Lieutenant .28th Dec., 1917. . .Creston, B.C.

*Davis, W. W Lieutenant 16th Nov., 1914. . .East Vancouver, B.C.

**Davison, C. W Bombardier, M.M 18th Oct., 1915 . . . Montreal, Que.

*Davison, J. A Lieutenant Oct., 1914 . . .Toronto, Ont.

Davison, J. V Gunner. 1st Jan., 1916. . .Gerrard & Pape, Toronto,

Ont.

Davison, R Private Slst May, 1916. . .Windsor, N.S.

Dawson, G. EL Signaller 1st Nov., 1917. . .Ormstown, Que.

***Day. F. A Lieutenant 7th Aug., 1914. . .Mirror, Alta.

*Deans, W. D v Lieutenant 2Srd Sept., 1914. . .Montreal, Que.

fDe Fallot, C J Captain Aug., 1914. . .St. John, N.B.

Died of wounds 15th July. 1915.

tKilled or died. * Wounded.

zxiv

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE or BRANCH

NAME RANK ENLUTMKNT ENLOTKO rmon

De Geer. W. B Gunner 24th Dec.. 1917. . .Toronto, Ont

*De Guerre, H. W Captain 29th Nov., 1915. . .Tomato, Ont

•De Long, J. C Gunner 10th Jan.. 1917. . .Belleville, Ont

*De Montmorency, F. H... .Lieutenant 15th Nor., 1915. . . Watrous, Sask.

"De Montmorency, H. B. . .Major 7th Aug., 1914. . .Winnipeg. Man.

••Denning, J. R Sergeant 8th Aug., 1914. . .Montreal Que.

Derby, J Private 8rd Aug., 1915. . .Winnipeg. Man.

tDeuel, R. S Lance-Corporal 13th Nov., 1915. . .St. Johns. Que,

Died while a prisoner of war, in a German hospital on 28th June, 1917.

fDe Wind. E Second Lieutenant. V.C.. Nov., 1914. . .Edmonton. AlU.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Killed in action 21st March, 1918.

•fDick. C. F Private 15th May. 1916. . .Saskatoon. Sask.

Killed in action 80th Oct., 1917.

Dickinson, J. S Second Lieutenant SOth April, 1917. . .Earlscourt. Toronto, Ont

Dierlamm, W. R Sapper 15th June, 1918. . . Walkerville, Ont

•Dimock, M. C Private 20th May, 1916. . .Olds, Alta.

Dinning, G Gunner 9th Nov., 1917. . .Cranbrook. B.C.

Dinsmore, G. H. S Captain July, 1915... Inspector's Department

Head Office, Toronto.
Ont

D'lvry, Viscount, G. O.. . .Captain llth Nov., 1914. . .St Catherine & City Hall.

Montreal. Que.

Dizon. G. H Gunner 16th April, 1916. . .Hastings & Cambie. Van-

couver, B.C.

Doane, C. D Gunner 9th Oct. 1917. . .Halifax. N.S.

Dodds, G. L Assistant Purser, Royal

Naval Transport Ser-
vice 14th June, 1918. . .Toronto, Ont

fDodge, F. E Private 14th Oct., 1914. . .Outlook Sask.

Killed in action 12th Oct., 1915.

Doiron, R. A Lieutenant M.M 22nd Nov., 1914. . .Antigonish, NJ5.

DonaW, D Lieutenant-Colonel 15th Dec., 1915. . .Head Office, Toronto. Ont

Donald. J. W Corporal May, 1916. . .Saskatoon, Sask.

fDonald, W. L Gunner Aug., 1914. . .Vermilion. Alta.

Killed in action SOth Sept., 1918.

•Donkin, F. D Private May, 1915. . .Delisle. Sask.

fDore. W. H Captain Jan., 1915. . .Winnipeg, M»n.

Killed in action 9th Aug., 1918.

Douglas, J. E Lieutenant Jan., 1916. . .Taber, Alt*.

•Douglas, W. G Gunner 7th Sept., 1916. . .Hanna, Alta.

Dow, J. C Corporal, M.M. and bar.. 10th June 1915. . .Revelstoke, B.C.

Downing, T. A Gunner Jan., 1918. . .Kingston. Ont

•Dowsley, C. G Captain llth Aug., 1914. . .Herbert. Sask.

Drake, P. C Lieutenant 7th Dec., 1915 . . .London. Lng

Dreher, E. F. . . .Corporal 24th Sept, 1918. . .Seattle. Wash..

Drummond, A. C Private 24th May, 1917. . .Kingston. Ont

fDrummond-Hay, E Lieutenant Aug., 1915 . . Moosejaw. Sask.

Killed in action 2nd Sept., 1918.

Dubuc, G. J. . . . .Second Lieutenant Dec.. 1916. . .Regina. Sask.

•fDuff, G Sergeant 14th Aug.. 1915. . .Alberton. P.E.I.

Killed in action 27th April, 1918.

fDuffus, G. C Lance-CorporaL Dec., 1915 . . .Kamsack. Sask.

Died of wounds 24th Dec.. 1916. , .

fDuley.L.T Lieutenant July. 1916... St Johns. N6d.

Killed in action 29th Sept., 1918.
fKffled or died. *Wounded.

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE OF BRANCH

NAME RANK ENLISTMENT ENLISTED FROM

Duncan, C. W Driver 16th Oct., 1916. . .Weyburn, Sask.

fDuncan, H. A Captain 4th Aug.. 1914 . . .Hamilton, Ont.

(Son of Captain H. C. Duncan) Killed in action 9th Oct.. 1916.

Duncan, H. C Captain 1st Nov., 1915. . .CoUingwood. Ont.

*Duncan, J Sergeant llth Nov.. 1914. . . Yellowgrass, Sask.

Duncanson, F. R Gunner 19th April, 1917. . .New Westminster, B.f '.

Dundas, A. L Sergeant. 12th June, 1915 . . .Kitsilano, Vancouver, B.C.

Dunn. D. S Lieutenant 16th June, 1916. . .Gilroy, Sask.

Dunn, J Private 17th Jan., 1918 Bassano, Alta.

Dunn, W. C Flight Cadet 9th Sept., 1918. . . Wiseton. Sask.

*Dunsford, M Captain 17th Jan., 1916. . .Peterboro' Ont.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Durrant, F. E Private 20th Nov., 1916 . . . Kitsilano, Vancouver, B.C.

Duthie, T. A Sergeant Slst Dec., 1915. . . Wadena, Sask.

*Duthie, W. S Lieutenant 24th June, 1915. . .Saskatoon, Sask.

Earner, L. R Driver 10th May, 1917. . .Cornwall, Ont.

Earle, C. W Gunner 18th Jan., 1917. . .Belleville, Ont.

Edgar, W. S Corporal 13th Aug., 1914. . .Portage la Prairie, Man.

**Edmonds, A Corporal 15th June, 1915. . .Saskatoon, Sask.

Edmunds, H. H Private 8th July, 1916. . .Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

*Egan, N. J. Lieutenant, M.C llth April, 1915 . . . Wellington St., Sherbrooke,

Mentioned in Despatches. Que.

fElderkin, W. A Private July, 1915. . .BlaineLake, Sask.

Killed in action 2/4th June, 1916.

Ellett, J. F Sergeant 16th May, 1916. . . Stony Plain , Alta.

Elliott, E. H. P Gunner Feb., 1918. . .Bloor & Yonge, Toronto.

Ont.

Elliott, G. T Corporal, D.C.M. and

Croix de Guerre

(Belg.) 23rd Aug., 1915. . .Ottawa, Ont.

Elliott, S. C Lieutenant Nov., 1917. . .Watson, Sask.

Ellis, R. H Second Lieutenant 12th Jan., 1918. . . Alberton, P.E.I.

*Ellis, W. D Private 4th Feb., 1916. . .Foreign Department, Head

Office, Toronto, Ont.

fElsley, L Lieutenant Dec., 1915. . .CoUingwood, Ont.

Killed in action 5th April, 1917.

Elwood, J. Y Gunner 20th July, 1916. . .Regina, Sask.

*Emerson, G. M Captain, O.B.E. (Mili-
tary Division) 22nd Sept., 1915. . .Windsor, N.S.

fEmmerson, F. L Private Aug., 1915. . .Moncton, N.B.

Killed in action 1st May, 1917.

*Emtage, G. N Bombardier 20th Dec., 1915. . . Mansonville, Que.

Evans, F. C. S Private 16th May, 1918. . . Walkerville, Ont.

Evans. N. F .Second Lieutenant 12th Oct., 1917. . .Market, Toronto, Ont.

*Evans, T. H Corporal 14th Aug., 1915. . .Lethbridge, Alta.

fExshaw, E. H Private Sept., 1914. . .Salmon Arm, B.C.

Died of wounds 16th Aug., 1917.
Eyres, L. H Gunner Mar., 1917. . .Winnipeg, Man.

Facey, A. J Lieutenant 3rd Jan., 1916 . . .Briercrest, Sask.

Faichney, W. S Gunner 26th Dec., 1916 ... Ottawa, Ont.

•Falconer, I. C Lieutenant, M.C Dec., 1915 . . .San Francisco, Cal., U.S.A.

**Falkner, I. P Lieutenant 13th Feb., 1915. . .Elbow, Sask.

fFalkner, W. H Second Lieutenant 20th May, 1916 ... Ottawa, Ont.

Killed in action 20th Oct., 1917.

fKilled or died. *Wounded.

xzvi

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE or BRANCH

NAME RANK ENLISTMENT EHLUTEO raoM

•Falle, T. de C Captain, M.C 17th Nov.. 1914. . .Pbcfaer Creek. Alt*.

Mentioned in Despatches. Parchment Certificate for Gallantry in the Field

fFane, R. F Private Jan., 1916. . .Vermilion, Alt*.

Killed in action 1 1th, Nov. 1917.

Fanner, D. E Sergeant 3rd June, 1916. . .Grand Fork*, B.C.

•Fee, J. R Company Sergeant-

Major 7th July, 1915 . . . Saskatoon. Saak.

Fennell, J. F Corporal 14th Feb., 1916. . .High River, Alta.

Ferguson, J. A Flight Cadet 24th Mar.. 1918. . .Sherbrooke, Que.

f Ferguson, H. M Second Lieutenant Oct. 1914 ... Kingston, Ont.

Killed in action 13th Nov., 1916.

•Fernie. F Sergeant 15th Aug., 1914 . . . Innisfail. Alt*.

Fernie, W. H Lieutenant llth Mar.. 1916. . .Inspector's Department,

Winnipeg, Man.

Fice, P. W Lieutenant May, 1916. . .Toronto, Ont.

Fidler, E. W Staff Sergeant 20th May, 1917. . .Parry Sound, Ont.

Field, C. A Gunner 27th Nov., 1916. . .Vernon, B.C.

Findlay, H. F. G Lieutenant 7th June, 1915. . .Riven, Man.

••Findlay. J. M Private 80th Aug.. 1915. . .Swift Current Saak.

fFindlay, K. C Lance-Corporal Aug., 1915. . .Retlaw. Alta.

Killed in action 7th Oct., 1916.

•Findlay, W. H Second Lieutenant 14th Aug.. 1914. . .Calgary, Alt*.

Finlay, G. B Second Lieutenant 1st Dec., 1916. . .New Westminster. B.C.

fFisher, I. M Lance-Corporal 25th Oct.. 1915. . .Monitor, Alt*.

Died of wounds 16th Aug., 1917.

Fisher, R. O Gunner Sept., 1917. . .Greenwood. B.C.

Fisher, S. E Sergeant 4th Aug.. 1915. . .London. Ont

fFitton, E Private Oct., 1914. . .Nelson. B.C.

Died of wounds 29th July. 1916.

Fitton, H. M Lieutenant 3rd June, 1916. . .Winnipeg, Man.

•Fitzgerald, M. L Corporal 8th Mar., 1916. . .Elfros, Sask.

Fitegerald, T. D Second Lieutenant Left the Bank to

undertake military
service 17th May,

1916 Parry Sound. Ont

Flann. J. D Sergeant 5th April, 1918. . .Peterboro, Ont

Fleming, K. L. Private July, 1915. . .Vernon, B.C.

Fletcher, K. P. Sergeant 25th Mar., 1915. . . Charlottetown. rJU.

fFlower, F. G Second Lieutenant Aug., 1915 . . . Prince Arthur and Park.

Killed in action 18th Dec., 1917. Montreal Que.

••••Floyd. T. C. . . . . Major, M.C 28th Nov., 1915 . . .Department of The Super-

intendent of Central
Western Branchea, Win-
nipeg, Man.

•Foley. E. G Corporal June, 1915. . .Melville, Saak.

Folk, D. C Private 5th April 1916. . .Carmangay, Alta.

Forbes, D Flight Cadet 19th Mar., 1918. . .Moosomin, S**k.

fForbes, I. G Flight Cadet 15th Aug.. 1918. .Vancouver, B.C.

Died on active service 30th Oct., 1918.

fForbes, J. A. M Private 20th Dec., 1915. .Humboldt S»ak.

Killed in action llth Sept.. 1916.

•Forbes, R. J Lieutenant 27th Nov., 1914. . .Medicine Hat Alt*.

••Ford, H. A Lance-Corporal, M.M. . . 19th Oct., 1915 . . Seattle, Wash.. U.S.A.

Ford. J Sapper 6th Mar., 1916. . .Watrous, Sask.

Forder, G. A. C Staff Sergeant 26th Aug., 1915 . . .Lethbndge, Alt*.

Forhan, L. G. H Lieutenant 26th Dec., 1915. . .Strathcona, Alta.

tKilled or died. 'Wounded.

rxvii

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE OF
NAME RANK ENLISTMENT

•Forster, W. B Major, M.C., Croix de

Guerre (Fr.) 3rd Dec., 1914.

Mentioned in Despatches (twice).

Fortye, A. V Private April, 1918.

Foster. J. R Gunner 18th May, 1917.

BRANCH

ENLISTED FROM

.1st Street West, Calgary,

Alta.

.Exeter, Ont.
.Bloor and Lippincott,
Toronto, Ont.

Fowler, J. C. M Lance-CorporaL Jan., 1916 . . . Fort William, Ont.

*Fowler, J. G Sergeant 10th Aug., 1914. . . Moosejaw, Sask.

Fowler, R. T Regimental Sergeant-

Major 20th Aug., 1914 . . .Edmonton, Alta.

Fowler, W. A Captain May, 1915. . .Montreal, Que.

fFowler, W. H Private Aug., 1914. . .Herbert, Sask.

Killed in action 27th April, 1915.

*Fox, C. J Sergeant 5th Jan., 1915. . .Edmonton, Alta.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Fox, E. S Lieutenant. Returned to

England to enlist. May, 1915 ... Elbow, Sask.

Foxall, E Sapper 29th Jan., 1916. . .Grandview, Man.

*Fraser, A..^ Captain Nov. 1915. . .Sherbrooke, Que.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Fraser, G. H. B Bombardier 14th June, 1916. . .Kerrobert, Sask.

fFraser, G. W. A Sergeant Aug., 1914. . .Winnipeg, Man.

Killed in action 13th June, 1916.

*Fraser, J. A. C Captain 81st Oct., 1914. . .Kindersley, Sask.

*Fraser, P. W Gunner 16th June, 1916. . .Kerrobert, Sask.

Freeman, H. A. C Sergeant 16th June, 1916. . .Department of The Super-
intendent of Pacific
Coast Branches, Van-
couver, B.C.

fFreeman, J Private Jan., 1915. . .Outlook, Sask.

Died on active service 26th Feb., 1917.

fFrijs, Count O.K.J.V Private Oct., 1914 . . .Hafford, Sask.

Killed in action 15th Nov., 1915.

Frost, R. H Cadet (Sergeant) 31st May, 1916 ... Queen East, Toronto, Ont.

Fuke, H. J Private 15th April, 1918. . .Parkhill, Ont.

Game, A Lieutenant 23rd Nov., 1914. . .Keremeos, B.C.

*Gair, W. R Private 1st Mar., 1917. . .Shaunavon, Sask.

fGalaugher, W. N Lieutenant 4th Aug., 1914. . .Chatham, Ont.

Killed in action 20th Mar., 1915.

Galbraith, J. F Second Lieutenant 9th May, 1918. . .Red Deer, Alta.

*Galbraith, J. H Sergeant 5th Sept., 1915. . .Edmonton, Alta.

*Galbraith, W. J. B Lance-Corporal Left the Bank to

undertake mili-
tary service 4th

Aug., 1915 Winnipeg, Man.

fGarden, C. S Lieutenant 4th Aug., 1917. . .Yonge & College, Toronto,

Killed on active service 2nd June, 1918. Ont.

***Garden, R. B Private 30th Sept., 1915. .Head Office, Toronto, Ont.

•Gardner, J. H Private 16th Aug., 1916. .Vancouver, B.C.

Gear, C. M. H Private 21st Jan., 1917. .London, Eng.

Geddes. H. E Second Lieutenant llth May, 1917 . . Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Geddes, R Flight Cadet llth Apnl, 1918. .Innisfail, Alta.

Geddes, W. C Private 24th April, 1918. .Dresden, Ont.

*Genest, M. A Lieutenant 9th Aug., 1917. .St. Joseph de Beauce, Que.

George, E. H Gunner 3rd Jan., 1917. .Macleod, Alta.

fKilled or died. *Wounded.

xxvui

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE or
NAME RANK ENLISTMENT KMJSTED M«.M

••Gibson, A. J. E Lieutenant M.C 88th July, 1915. . .Red Deer, Alt*.

Gibson, A. S Sapper 3rd Mar., 1916. . .Elgin. Man.

fGibson, D. P Second Lieutenant 83rd Mar., 1917. . .Gait, Ont

Died on active service July, 1918.

Gibson, H. M Second Lieutenant 17th Feb., 1916. . . Blaine T*V». Saak.

Gibson, O. T Private «0th May. 1918. . .Ayr, Ont

Gibson, R. B Lieutenant, M.C, M.M..18th Feb., 1915. . .Sherbrooke. Que.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Gifford. J. S Lieutenant 8th Feb., 1915. . .Sherbrooke. Que.

•Gilbert, I. W Gunner 7th Oct. 1916. . . Maisonneuve. Montreal.

Que.

•Gilbert, W. A Cadet, D.C.M 27th Aug., 1915 . . . Dauphin, Man.

fGildea, J. A. K Second Lieutenant 7th July, 1915. . . Wetaskiwin. Alta.

Killed in action llth July, 1916.

Gillespie, J. W Lieutenant Oct., 1916. . .College and Dovercourt,

Toronto, Ont

fGillespie. N. A Private 5th Aug., 1914. . .Yonge Ic Queen. Toronto,

Died in a German hospital 25th April, 1915. Ont

fGUlespie, V. A Private 1st Dec., 1915. . .Monitor. Alt*.

Died of wounds 1st Oct., 1917.

Gillespie, W. W Private Oct. 1916. . .Duncan, B.C.

Gillies, R. G Driver 28th Dec., 1917. . . Walkerville, Ont

Gilmore, L. E Private Left the Bank to

undertake mili-
tary service 26th

Feb., 1916 Toronto, Ont

•Gilmour, C. R Private 12th Nov., 1914. . .South Porcupine, Ont

Girling, R. C Gunner 7th Aug., 1917. . .Cranbrook, B.C.

Gisborne, F. N Sergeant 24th April, 1918. . .North Victoria, B.C.

Gisborne, L. R Gunner 24th Nov., 1916. . .Ottawa, Ont.

••Glasgow, A. P Lieutenant 8th Sept, 1914. . .Wadena, Sask.

Glazbrook, H. M Flight Cadet 12th May, 1918. . .Cumberland, B.C.

Glenn, J. F Private 24th June, 1915. . .Kamloopa, B.C.

Glover, P.S.C Lieutenant 4th Aug., 1914. . .London, Eng.

•Godden, B Lieutenant 1st Mar., 1916. . .Elbow, Sask.

fGodsman, F. F Private Feb., 1915. . .Granum, Alta,

Died of wounds 21st June, 1917.

•fGodwin, A. G. H Private 12th Oct. 1915. . .New Westminster. B.C.

Killed in action 21st Aug., 1917.

••Golden, A. D Lieutenant M.C 18th Feb., 1915 . . . Prince Rupert, B.C.

••Golden, T. L Lieutenant 12th Aug., 1914. . .Wetaskiwin, Alta.

Gomez, E. P Private 27th April, 1918. . . Cowansville, Que.

fGoodale, W. H Lieutenant 4th Aug., 1914 . . . Wadena, Sask.

Killed in action 1st Aug., 1918.

Goodchild, C. H Private 28th May, 1918. . .London, Eng.

Goodfellow, J. K Private 3rd Jan., 1918. . .Montreal. Que.

Gooding, W. K. Gunner 24th April, 1917 ... New Westminster. B.C.

fGordon, C Lieutenant Oct., 1914. . .Calgary, Alta,

Killed in action 26th Sept., 1916.

•fGordon, D. E Second Lieutenant 9th Aug., 1914. . .Saskatoon, Saak.

Killed in action 14th July. 1916.

•Gordon, G. N. . . Captain 6th Aug., 1914. . .Stratford, Ont

Gordon, J. A Sergeant 19th April, 1918. . .Milestone, Sask.

Gordon, W. T Flight Cadet April, 1917. .Winnipeg. Man.

Gossage, B. F Lieutenant M.C 8th April, 1915. . .Bloor & Yonge, Toronto,

Ont.

tKilled or died.

•Wounded.

nix

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE OP

BRANCH

NAME RANK

ENLISTMENT

ENLISTED FROM

Gossel, D. A Flight Cadet

. 8th May, 1918. .

.Regina, Sask.

Gowdy, N. S Sergeant

.26th Mar., 1918..

.Toronto, Ont.

•*Graham, F. A Sergeant, M.M

.28th Aug., 1914..

.Sydney, N.S.

Graham, H. W Sergeant

.29th Oct., 1915..

.Rainy River, Ont.

Grainger, J Gunner

. 1st Sept., 1916..

.South Hill, B.C.

Grant, J Corporal

. 4th Nov., 1917..

.Saskatoon, Sask.

Grasett, J. E Private

. 1st Sept., 1916..

.Bengough, Sask.

Gravel, C. A Signaller

. 1st Dec., 1917..

.Treherne, Man.

*Graves, A. F Lieutenant

. 1st April, 1915..

.Nelson, B.C.

Gray, J. C Private

.28th May, 1918..

.Parkhill, Ont.

fGray, J. E Lance-Corporal

. 4th Oct., 1915..

.Weyburn, Sask.

Died of wounds 28th Dec., 1917.

Gray, W. J Lieutenant

. 6th Aug., 1914..

.Edmonton, Alta.

**Greacen, R Lieutenant

. 5th April. 1915..

.Langham, Sask.

**Greacen, T Captain

. 1st Feb., 1915..

.Elgin, Man.

Green, P. A Bombardier

April, 1916..

.London, Eng.

Greey, P. B Lieutenant

.22nd Feb., 1916..

.Toronto, Ont.

Gregory, C. R Signaller

.17th April, 1917..

.Fredericton, N.B.

Grieve, G. B Sapper

. 1st Nov., 1914..

.Greenwood, B.C.

•Griffith, W. F Lieutenant

.10th Oct., 1914..

.Lloyd minster, Sask.

*Grover. J. K Private

.27th Nov., 1915..

.Parksville, B.C.

Grover, T. M Lieutenant

.25th Jan., 1916..

.College & Dovercourt,

Toronto, Ont.

Guay, R Private

.19th April, 1918..

.Willow Bunch, Sask.

Gubbins, H. P. N Corporal

.10th Jan., 1916..

.Elgin, Man.

Gudgin, H. O Lieutenant

.18th May, 1916..

.Wadena, Sask.

Gunn, A. M Lieutenant

.12th Jan.. 1915..

.Watrous, Sask.

*fGuy. F. J Private

Aug., 1914 . .

.Saskatoon, Sask.

Killed in action 9th April, 1917.

*Gwyther, R. E. W Second Lieutenant

.25th Sept., 1916..

.N. Vancouver, B.C.

fHales, G. R Private

Jan., 1916..

.Radisson, Sask.

Killed in action 15th Sept., 1916.
Halliday, H. A Lieutenant

Nov., 1917..

.Herbert, Sask.

Hamilton, A. L Colonel, C.M.G

Aug., 1914..

.Quebec, Que.

Mentioned in Despatches.

'Hamilton, E Lieutenant

Aug., 1914..

.Princeton, B.C.

Hamilton, R. L Lieutenant. 13th Dec., 1915

•Hamilton, W. T Private 25th Mar., 1916.

*Hampton, P. R Lieutenant 6th June, 1917.

fHanna, R. N Private Oct., 1915.

Killed in action 28th April, 1917.

fHarding, A. W Private 1st Mar., 1916.

Killed in action 6th Nov., 1917.

•Hardyman, F. N Lieutenant 19th Aug., 1914.

Harley, G. E Captain 29th Nov., 1914.

Harlow, A. A. G Major 7th Oct., 1914.

Hannan, G. M. M Petty Officer,R.N.C.V.R.10th May, 1918.

Harragin, A. R. T Lieutenant 28th Dec., 1914.

Harrington, A. G Lieutenant 30th Oct., 1915 .

•Harris, A. D Sergeant 7th Aug., 1914.

fHarris, C. A Second Lieutenant July, 1915.

Died of wounds 3rd Nov., 1916.

Prince Arthur and Park,

Montreal, Que.
.Vermilion, Alta.
.Balmy Beach, Toronto,

Ont.
.Bassano, Alta.

.Vancouver, B.C.

.Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
.Windsor, N.S.
.Alexander Avenue, Winni-
peg, Man.
.Vancouver, B.C.
.Nokomis, Sask.
.Windsor, N.S.
.Vancouver, B.C.
.London, Eng.

tKilled or died.

•Wounded.

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DAT* or BRANCH

EMUmcXNT KM.IHTM.

Harris, H. K. H™*^ , *** S^1- lfllc- Montreal. Que.

tHamson, C. D Flight Cadet 14th Oct. 1914. . .Vancouver. B.C.

Died of injuries 27th June, 1918.

tHarrison. F Sergeant Aug., 1914. . .Toronto. Ont

Killed in action 23rd May. 1915.

Harrison. H. J Sergeant 27th June, 1918. . .Gleichen. AlU..

tHarrison, H. W. Second Lieutenant Mar.. 1915. . . Niagara Falls, Ont

Mentioned in Despatches.
Died of wounds 9th June, 1917.

Harrison, P. R Corporal 27th Oct. 1916. . .Parkdale, Toronto, Ont.

Harrison, T. R. K Trooper 13th Oct. 1917. . . . Bengough, Sask.

Hart,A.G Sapper Oct. 1914. . .New York, N.Y.. DAA.

Discharged as
medically unfit Slst
Dec.. 1914; re-en-
listed 15th Jan..
1917.

**Hart,H Private 4th Jan., 1916. . .Stationery Dept, Head

Office, Toronto,, Ont

tHart. V. O. A Private April, 1917. . .West Toronto, Ont.

Died of wounds llth Aug., 1918.

•Hartle, D. B Lieutenant 4th Mar., 1917. . .Orangeville. Ont

Hartwick, H. E Lieutenant 2nd Mar.. 1016. .. West End, Sault Ste. Marie.

Ont

Harvie, A. K Captain. M.C ISth Nov., 1915. . .Department of The Super-
Mentioned in Despatches. intendent of Central

Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

*Hawkins, L. A. S Lieutenant 15th Nov., 1915 . . . Niagara Falls, Ont

Hayes, L. J Private Mar., 1916. . .Vermilion, Alta.

Hayes, R. J 1 Private 4th Mar., 1916. . .Milestone, Sask.

Hayward, E. G Flight Cadet 22ndDec., 1917. . . Yonge and College. Tor-
onto, Ont

**Hazelton, H. G Lieutenant 14th Sept., 1915. . . Waterloo, Ont

Hazelwood, R. E Private 13th Oct., 1917. . .Market Toronto, Ont

Heard. A. C. D Private 29th May, 1916. . .Phoenix. B.C.

*Heaslip, R. E Captain, M.C 5th Jan., 1915. . .Cayuga, Ont

Mentioned in Despatches.

Heathcote, R. L Gunner 4th Aug., 1918. . .Seattle, Wash.. U.S.A.

Heffernan, M. R Lieutenant Dec., 1915. . .Strathcona, Alta.

Began, J. B Gunner 9th Nov., 1917. . .Middleton. N.S.

•fHenderson, J. A. C Signaller Feb., 1917. . .London. Eng.

Died on active service 28th Oct., 1918.

Henderson, J. L Captain 30th Nov., 1915. . .Queen East Toronto, Ont

Henderson, J. S Driver 18th Mar., 1916. . .Milestone, Sask.

fHenderson, W Sergeant Jan.. 1916. . .Portage la Prairie, Man.

Killed in action 12th Nov., 1917.

Hennessy, D. J Gunner 1st May, 1918. . .Head Office. Toronto. Ont.

Henry, H. M Captain 1st Mar., 1916. . .Middleton. N.S.

•fHenry, R. E. G Corporal 1st Dec.. 1915. . .Paris, Ont

Killed in action 28th Sept., 1918.

*Henry, R. I Private 7th June, 1915. . .Shellbrook. Sask.

Herd. A. H Corporal Slst May, 1916. . .Kerrobert, Sask.

Heric, R. J Private 1st Mar., 1918. . .Lindsay, Ont

•Herne, L. C Lieutenant 15th May, 1915. . .East Vancouver, B.C.

Heron. V. E. . . .Flight Cadet 25th Mar., 1918. . .Bloor and Yonge, Toronto,

Ont
tKilled or died. 'Wounded.

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE OF

ENLISTMENT

BRANCH
ENLISTED FROM

NAME RANK

Heroux, J. A Flight Cadet 15th April, 1918. . .St. Johns, Que.

Hess, C Second Lieutenant 3rd Jan., 1918. . .Toronto, Out.

Heston, A. W Corporal Mar., 1917. . .Portland, Ore., U.S.A..

Hewat, A. R Gunner 15th Mar., 1916

Heyland, A. T Private 26th Jan., 1918

Hicks, R. S Lieutenant 1st Feb., 1915

*Hicks-Lyne, R. T. E Captain, M.C 10th Jan., 1916

Higgins, J. R Sergeant 17th April, 1918.

Higgs, J. A. D Lieutenant Feb., 1916.

Highmoor, W. H Gunner llth Nov., 1917.

Hill, A Signaller ,

Hill, H. V. B Major, 9. B. E. (Military

Division)

Hill, H. E Sergeant.

•Hill,J. C Signaller..

16th Aug., 1914.
Aug., 1914.

.llth Jan., 1916.
1st April, 1916.

Hill, N. M Private 1st May, 1918

Hill, W Driver, M.M 22ndSept., 1914

fHillary, R. S Signaller 14th June, 1916

Died of wounds 4th April, 1917.

*Hilliard, R Signaller, M. M 19th Aug., 1915

Hillman, A. D Private 22nd May, 1918

***Hillyard, H. B. L. A Lieutenant 20th Oct., 1914

Hilton, A. D. C Gunner 14th May, 1917

fHoad, W. E Gunner 1st Sept., 1915

Killed in action 30th March, 1918.

fHoare, J. T Lance-Corporal

Died 24th Jan., 1915.

*fHodge, S Private

Killed in action 14th Sept., 1918.
*Hogg, R. J. J Lieutenant, M.C

.North Winnipeg, Man.

.Greenwood, B.C.

. Gleichen, Alta.

.Yonge & College, Toronto,
Ont.

.Kingston, Ont.

.South Porcupine, Ont.

.Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

.Kelowna, B.C.

.Fort Rouge, Winnipeg,

Man.

.Toronto, Ont.
.Gerrard & Pape, Toronto,

Ont.

.Windsor, Ont.
. Bengough, Sask.
.Toronto, Ont.

.Toronto, Ont.
.Campbellton,N.B.
, .Rivers, Man.
. Courtenay, B.C.
. Montreal, Que.

Oct., 1914... Biggar, Sask,
Nov., 1915. . .Winnipeg, Man.

July, 1915.

Holder, J. W Gunner 8th Oct., 1917.

Holdsworth, M. V Gunner 5th Sept., 1916.

May, 1915.

, MountPleasant, Vancouver,

TJ /">

St. John, N.B.

Foreign Department, Head

Office, Toronto, Ont.
Market, Toronto, Ont.

fHolland, G. K Lieutenant

Killed in action 6th Nov., 1917.

**Holmes, J. E Corporal 16th Jan., 1916. . .Toronto, Ont.

Holmes, R. J Lieutenant, M.C Aug., 1916. . .Milestone, Sask.

Holmes, S. F Captain, Russian Order of

St. Stanislaus; Italian
Croce di Guerra;
Italian Red Cross
Bronze Medal; Rou-
manian Medal for

Merit Feb. 1916. . .Regina, Sask.

**Holmes, W .F Lance-Corporal 9th Nov., 1914. . .Bengough, Sask.

Holmes, W. P Lieutenant Returned to Eng-
land to enlist

Jan., 1916 White Horse, Y.T.

Holt, J Gunner 24th Dec., 1917. . .Toronto, Ont.

fKilled or died.

*Wounded.

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE or BE

R4MII«i» cu ?*"* ENLISTHWT EHLVTBD nmi

'Honeyman, H.R Sergeant June. 1915. .WatervilJe. Que

Hood. A. M Private 10th April, 1918. . .Souris, P.E.I.

Hood. G. A Lieutenant 1st Sept.. 1915. . Rut Vancouver. B C

Hoole, J. R Private Sept. 1915. . Regina, Sask..

•fHope, D. B Driver lat Oct. 1918. . .Vancouver, B.C.

Killed in action 13th Aug., 1917.

Hope, Miss H. C V.A.D 3rd July. 1918. . .Vancouver, B.C.

Hopkins, S. J Private Feb., 1916. . .Regina, Sask.

Hopkinson, W. D Lieutenant 7th Aug., 1914. . .London, Eng.

Hornby, A Private Aug., 1914. . .Winnipeg. Man.

Home, G. C Lieutenant 7th Dec., 1916. . .Stratford, Ont

Hornibrook, F. B Gunner 9th Nov., 1917. . .Cranbrook, B.C.

••Horspool, G. F Sergeant llth May, 1915. . .Cranbrook. B.C.

Houle, W. E Corporal 10th May, 1918. . .Bedford. Que.

'Houston, A. S Lance-Corporal 22nd Aug., 1914 . . . Bloor & Dufferin, Toronto,

Ont

Houston, R Captain Oct., 1914 . . . Winnipeg, Man.

•fHuehn, I. H Private 17th Aug., 1915. . .Market, Toronto, Ont

Killed in action 4th June, 1916.

Huff, H. H Private July. 1918 . . .Sarnia, Ont

Hughes, J. H. C Gunner 19th Nov., 1917. . .Grand Fork*. B.C.

Hughes, R. P Lieutenant Dec., 1914. . .Edmonton. Alta.

Hughes, V Gunner 31st Jan., 1918. . .White Hone. Y.T.

Hunt B. C. S Private 14th Feb., 1916. . .Champion, Alta.

Hunt H. M Chief ArtiBcer Engineer,

R.N.C.V.R 28th Aug., 1917. . .Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

Hunt H. S Sapper 6th Feb., 1918. . .Compton. Que.

Hunter, D. R. Gunner 3rd Sept., 1917. . .Cumberland. B.C.

*Hunter, J Sergeant 28th June, 1915. . .Penticton. B.C.

Hunter, J. G Sergeant Oct. 1918. . .San Francisco, Cal., U.S.A.

Hunter, R. H Private Sept., 1915. . .Lethbridge, Alta.

•Hunter, S. J Lieutenant 15th Feb., 1915. . .Crossfield. Alta.

Hunter, W. A. T Lieutenant 30th June, 1915 . . .Gilroy, Sask.

Hurrell, E. G Flight Cadet 13th Sept., 1918. . .Oak Bay Avenue, Victoria.

Hutcheson. J. B Lieutenant Left the Bank to

undertake military
service 4th Mar,

1916 Kerrobert, Sask.

Hutchison, R .Second Lieutenant 8th Mar., 1916. . .Kelvin Street Winnipeg.

Man.

••Hutson, F. R. Captain 4th Aug.. 1914. . .London, Eng.

Hydes, A Private Sept, 1915. . .Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

flbbotson, E . . Second Lieutenant, M.C. Aug., 1914 . . Revelstoke, B.C.

Killed in action llth April. 1917.

Illingworth, H. E Captain Aug.. 1914. . .Winnipeg. Man.

Inglia, L. W Bombardier 3rd Feb., 1917. . . Collingwood. Ont

flngmire, G. M. . ..Assistant Paymaster

R.N.R 28th Aug., 1914. . .London, Eng.

Died on active service 7th Aug., 1916.

Ingram, A. E Flight Cadet 24th April, 1918. . .Lindsay, Ont

tKilled or died. 'Wounded.

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE OF
NAME RANK ENLISTMENT

' Ingram, A. R Staff Sergeant 3rd June, 1915 .

*Inkster, C. L. Corporal 25th Aug., 1914.

fclnnes, M. A Flight Cadet 27th April, 1918.

Ireland, D. C Private 9th Oct., 1918.

flrvine, W. P Private

Killed in action Srd May, 1917.

Irwin, F. A Private

Irwin, W. L Staff Sergeant.

.18th Nov., 1915.

.20th Sept., 1915.
.2Srd April, 1918.

fJackson, G. H Gunner

Killed in action 27th Mar., 1916.
Jackson, T. S Lieutenant. .

Aug., 1914.
7th July, 1915.

BRANCH
ENLISTED FROM
..Toronto, Ont.
. . North Winnipeg, Man.
. . St. Catharines, Ont.
. .Portage Avenue, Winnipeg,

Man.
. .Head Office, Toronto, Ont.

. .Kelowna, B.C.
. .Bloor & Dufferin, Toronto,
Ont.

. .St. Catharines, Ont.

. .Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

. . Hamilton, Ont.

. .Yonge & College, Toronto,
Ont.

. .Winnipeg, Man.

. .Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

.Winnipeg, Man.

, . Moosejaw, Sask.

. Vancouver, B.C.

.Toronto, Ont.

.Alexander Avenue, Winni-
peg, Man.

.Milk River, Alta.

.Vegreville, Alta.

.Kerrobert, Sask.

.Willow Bunch, Sask.

.Brockville, Ont.

.Vermilion, Alta.

.Provost, Alta.

.Mount Royal, Calgary,
Alta.

.Yorkton, Sask.

.Saskatoon, Sask.

.London, Eng.

.Toronto, Ont.

.Alexander Avenue, Winni-
peg, Man.

.Nutana, Sask.

.Crossfield, Alta.

.St. Catherine & Metcalfe,
Montreal, Que.

.Mount Pleasant, Vancou-
ver, B.C.

Kail, T. W Lance-Corpora! 2nd May, 1916. . .Swift Current, Sask.

Kathan, E. W Private 3rd May, 1918. . .North Hatley, Que.

Jackson, W. A Second Lieutenant 5th Nov., 1917 .

*Jackson, W. S Gunner April, 1916.

James, G. C Captain 2nd Aug., 1915.

James, T. W Honorary Lieutenant,

Bandmaster Aug., 1914.

Jardine, R. S. P Sergeant 14th Mar., 1916.

Jarvis, J. E Lieutenant, M.C 16th Aug., 1914 .

Jeffares, R. J Corporal 4th Aug., 1914.

Jeffrey, C. J Bombardier 29th July, 1916.

fJessop, J. R Captain May, 1915.

Killed in action 6th Oct., 1916.

•Johnson, B. R Corporal 20th Oct., 1915.

**Johnson, C Second Lieutenant 10th Aug., 1914 .

*Johnston, A. I Private 17th Mar., 1916.

Johnston, H. T Private 31st Mar., 1916.

Johnstone, E. M Lieutenant, M.C Srd Mar., 1916.

Johnstone, R Private 19th July, 1917.

**'*Jolley. S. R. E Lieutenant 31st Dec., 1914.

**Jones, C. B. F Captain, M.C 31st Jan., 1916.

Jones, C. W Private 12th June, 1916.

*Jones, E. W Private 1st May, 1917.

*Jones, H. A Lieutenant 12th July, 1915.

Jones, N. S Lieutenant 27th April, 1917.

fJones, R. E. N Lieutenant Nov., 1914.

Killed in action 6th April, 1916.

Jones, T. C. M Private 10th June, 1916.

Jones, W. T. D Private 25th Nov., 1916.

Joy, H. C Gunner April, 1918.

* Julian, R. G.

.Private 6th Jan., 1917.

tKilled or died.

'Wounded.

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATB or BRANCH

NAM* RANK ENLMTMKWT ENLIMBD nou

Kearns. S. S. . Cadet. 28th May, 1817. . . St Johns, One.

Keeling, W. N Second Lieutenant 1st Oct. 1917 Victoria, B C

Keeping, M. F. . . . . . Lieutenant 19th Oct.. 1915. . .'New Glasgow.' N.S.

Mentioned in Despatches.

fKeith, J. R Company Sergeant-

Major Aug.. 1914. . .Herbert, Sask.

Died on active service 17th Feb., 1915.

Kelly, W. M Cadet (Gunner) 88th Dec., 1918. . .Huntingdon. Que.

•Kennedy, G. W Private 29th May. 1918. . .North Battleford, Saak.

'Kennedy, J. A. C '. . .Captain 80th Sept., 1914. . . Summerland, B.C.

Kenney. T. V Gunner 26th Sept. 1917. .. Bank Street, Ottawa. Ont

Kent, J. M Lieutenant 13th Feb., 1915. . .Regina, Saak,

Kent, W. H Signaller 25th Feb.. 1918. . .Coleman, Alta.

fKerr, A. M Corporal Nov., 1914 Regina, ?*ik

Died of wounds 26th Sept. 1916.

Kerr. D. M. G Private 16tb May, 1917. . .Keremeos. B.C.

Kerr, F Second Lieutenant 15th Nov.. 1917. . .Port Arthur. Ont

Kerridge, A. W Second Lieutenant 14th Jan., 1918. . .West Shefford, Que.

Kesten. S. W Cadet Nov.. 1917. . .Herbert, Saak.

Kettle, F. H Lieutenant 3rd Feb.. 1916. . .Smith's Falls, Ont

Kewley, B. H Lieutenant 27th Aug.. 1914 ... Elmwood, Winnipeg. Man.

Key, G. B Private 5th April, 1917. . .Peace River, Alta.

Kidd. H. W Private 1st June, 1916. . .Radisson. Sask.

Kidd, R. W : . First Air Mechanic 19th May, 1917. . .Fort William. Ont

Kidd. W. C. E Private 8th May, 1916. . .Edam, Sask.

Kiddle, D. C Private 30th Dec., 1914. . .Medicine Hat. Alta.

Killip, R. S Gunner 15th Mar., 1918 ... Page & Queenston. St.

Catharines. Ont

King. E Lieutenant 23rd Nov., 1917. . .Watrous, Sask.

King, E. G Sergeant 26th July, 1918 ... Broderick. Sask.

•King, J. J. A Private Aug., 1914. . .Edmonton, Alta.

fKinghan. A. E Lieutenant Aug., 1914 . . .Toronto. Ont

Two Parchment Certificates for Gallantry in the Field.
Killed in action 6th Sept., 1916.

*Kinnear, A. M Captain, M.C., A.F.C. . . Dec., 1916 . .Sherbrooke, Que.

•Kinsley, A. A Private 31st Jan., 1918. . .Phoenix, B.C.

Kirkpatrick, D. C Gunner 16th June, 1916. . .Inspector's Department,

Head Office, Toronto,
Ont.

Kirkwood, A Sergeant 21st Dec., 1914. . .Montague. P.E.I.

Knight. F. H Lieutenant 8th Sept, 1914. . .St John's. Nfld.

Knight, G. S Corporal 13th Oct., 1915. . .Head Office, Toronto, Ont

•Knill, J. H Lieutenant 14th Aug., 1914. . .Dundas. Ont

••Knott, E. C. M Second Lieutenant 15th Aug., 1914. . .Shaunavon, Sask.

KnowUon, W. M Lieutenant 4th Oct., 1915 . . . Inspector's Department.

Head Office, Toronto.
Ont

Kranz, C. R Sergeant 1st Nov.. 1916. . .New York, N.Y, O.S.A.

••Kress, G. H Lieutenant, M.C 4th Dec., 1915. . .Forest, Ont

Kydd, B Rifleman 6th Sept., 1918. . .Portland, Ore^ DAA.

L'Abbe. E. E.. . . .Sergeant 23rd May, 1918. . .St Catherine & City Hall,

Montreal. Que.

Lacasse. A. . . . .Flight Cadet 15th Mar., 1918. . .St Catherine & City Hall.

Montreal, Que.

fKilled or died. *Wounded.

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE OF BRANCH

NAME RANK ENLISTMENT ENLISTED FROM

*Ladd, W. A Private 7th April, 1916. . .Ormstown, Que.

Ladner, R. T Flight Cadet Oct., 1918 . . . Mission City, B.C.

*Lafferty. L. J Gunner llth Nov., 1916. . .Belleville, Ont.

fLamb, G. C Corporal Feb., 1916. . .Kamsack, Sask.

Died of wounds 24th March, 1918, while a prisoner of war.

Lamb, T. C Major 28th Oct., 1914. . . Walkerville, Ont.

Lambkin, J. J Corporal Sept., 1914. . . Swift Current, Sask.

*Lamont, F Lieutenant, M.C llth Jan., 1916 ... Taber, Alta.

Lane, G. F. S Sapper Mar., 1916. . .North Winnipeg.Man.

fLane, M. P Lieutenant July, 1915. . .Revelstoke, B.C.

Killed in action 28th Sept., 1916.

Langille, R. M Sergeant Feb., 1916. . .Truro, N.S.

fLatimer, G. E Private Mar, 1916. . .Winnieg, Man.

Died of wounds 9th April, 1917.

*Lauder, D. G Private 30th May, 1916. . .Mount Pleasant, Vancou-
ver, B.C.

*Lawrence, E. G Private Sept, 1915. . . Amherst, N.S.

Lawrence, H. S Corporal 80th Sept., 1915. . .Sherbrooke, Que.

Lawrence, J Sergeant 22nd April, 1918. . .Innisfree, Alta.

*Lawrie, T. B Sergeant 10th Feb., 1916. . .Herbert, Sask.

Lawrie, T. R Cadet(Squadron Quarter-
master Sergeant) 25th Aug., 1914. . .The Pas, Man.

**Lawson, N. E. W Lieutenant 4th Aug., 1914. . .London, Eng.

Layton, J. G. G Second Lieutenant 26th April, 1917. . .Portage la Prairie, Man.

Mentioned in Despatches.

*Leach, J. H Private 12th Aug., 1914. . .Outlook, Sask.

Leader, W. K. M Captain, M.C Aug., 1914 ... Queen East, Toronto, Out.

Leask, H. S Flight Cadet Aug., 1918. . .Calgary, Alta.

Leather, E. R Captain, M.C Sept., 1914. . .1st Street West, Calgary.

Alta.

Leavitt, H. R Private May, 1918. . .Lougheed, Alta.

LeDain, E. G. B Gunner 25th Sept., 1916. . .Montreal, Que.

Lee, A. A Flight Cadet Feb., 1918. . .Brockville, Ont.

*Lee, D. W Corporal 22nd June, 1916. . .Crossfield, Alta.

fLefroy, F. K Second Lieutenant Nov., 1915 . . . Yonge & Eglinton, Toronto,

Died of wounds 7th April, 1917. Ont.

Leggat, W. Lieutenant-Colonel, M.C. Sept., 1915 . . Montreal, Que.

Mentioned in Dsepatches.

Legh- Jones. G Lieutenant, M.B.E 4th Aug., 1914. . .London, England.

(Military Division)

Legh-Jones, W. W Lieutenant April, 1917. . .London, Eng.

*Leigh-Bennett, H. G Second Lieutenant 20th Aug., 1914. . .Gerrard & Pape, Toronto,

Ont.

Leighton, J. M Staff Sergeant, M.S.M.. .llth Nov., 1915. . .Danville, Que.

*Leishman. G. E Lieutenant 10th Sept., 1915. . .Queen & Bathurst, Toronto,

Ont.

fLeitch, E. G Bombardier 1st Jan., 1916. . .Kitsilano, Vancouver, B.C.

Killed in action 10th July. 1917.

Le Lievre, S. St. J Private 28th April, 1918. . .Wellington Street, Sher-
brooke, Que.

Lepper, R. H Conducteur Sergeant .... 80th May, 1917 . . . Bassano, Alta.

(French Army). Certificate
of Honour awarded by
French Government.

Leslie, C Bugler Jan., 1916. . .Calgary, Alta.

Leslie, T. E Private 12th Jan., 1918. . . Gilbert Plains, Man.

fKffled or died. *Wounded.

xxx vi

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATB or BBANCI

NAME RANK ENUBTMXNT KNLUTKD no*

fLe Thicke, G. M Second Lieutenant 5th Aug.. 1914. . . Danforth it Broadrirw

Killed on active service 23rd July, 1915. Toronto, Ont

Lewis, E. G Private 16th April, 1917. . Ri^hm/^ Q,re

*Lewis, F. I Lieutenant l«t June, 1916. . Orangeville. Ont.

Lewis, G. T Staff Sergeant 31st July. 1915. . .Winnipeg. Man.

Lewis. J. D Lieutenant 16th Dec.. 1916. . .Department of The Sopor

intenclent of Pacific
Coatt Branches. Van-
couver, B.C.

•Leybourae, A. D. J Private 29th Mar., 1916. . . Watrous. Sask.

fLindsay, W. S Private 27th Feb., 1916. . .Peterboro, Ont

Died of wounds llth June, 1917.

Linnett, A Private 5th Jan., 1918. . .Head Office, Toronto. Ont

tLipsham, C. W Private Aug., 1914. . .Vancouver. B.C.

Killed in action 17th May. 1915.

fLitchfield, R. W. R Flight Cadet Nov., 1917 . . . New Westminster. B.C.

Killed on active service 2nd May, 1918.

'•Little, F. J Second Lieutenant 16th Nov., 1914. . . LJoydminster, Sask.

Livingston, F. I Private Feb., 1916. . Winnipeg, Man.

Livingston, S. L Private 8th June, 1918. . .Schumacher, Ont

t Livingstone, R. M Private Aug., 1915 . . . Champion. Alta.

Died of wounds 27th Oct., 1916

*Lloyd, A. B. F Captain Aug., 1915. . . New Westminster. B.C.

fLloyd, St. G. O.. Sergeant June, 1915. . .Winnipeg. Man.

Mentioned in Despatches.
Killed in action 19th Feb., 1917.

•fLlwyd. C. D Captain, M.C Sept, 1914. . .Halifax. NS.

Killed in action 1st Oct.. 1918.

Lobley. A. C Lieutenant May, 1916. . .Saskatoon, Saak.

Lobley, 0. R Lieutenant-Colonel,

O.B.E. (Military Divi-
sion) Aug., 1914 . . . Winnipeg. Man.

Mentioned in Despatches.

*Lockerby. J. E Private 6th Aug., 1914. . .Vancouver, B.C.

fLogan, W. B Private April, 1916. . .Kamsark, Sask.

Killed in action 9th Oct., 1916.

Long, A. E. R Flight Cadet May, 1918. . .Morse, Sask.

Lorden, J C Flight Cadet 17th May, 1918. . .Rock Island. Que.

Lorimer, J Lieutenant 29th Feb., 1916. . . Vegreville, Alta.

Loughrin, J. P Gunner 17th Dec., 1917. . .Toronto, Ont

***Lovett J. H Lieutenant-Colonel, M.C. Aug., 1914 . . . Alexander Avenue, Winni-
peg, Man.

fLow, J Private Aug., 1914. . .Winnipeg, Man.

Killed in action 18th May. 1915.

•Lowther. J Staff Sergeant 25th Oct. 1914. . .Winnipeg. Man.

Lugsdin, H. J Flight Cadet 30th May, 1918. . . Amberet N.S.

Lumb, F. V Captain 21st Mar., 1916. . .Calgary, Alta.

*Lunan, J Private 19th Jan., 1916. . .Briercrest Sask.

fLupton, M. M Company-Sergeant-Major Aug., 1914 . Victoria, B.C.

Killed in action 9th April. 1917.

fLyall, W. H Private May. 1916. . .Princeton, B.C.

Killed in action 29th Sept., 1918.

fLynch. C. A Private April, 1916. . Lloydmmster, Sask.

Killed in action 24th March, 1918

•fLyon. L. G Lieutenant Aug., 1914. . .Kitscoty. Alta.

Died of wounds 1 1th Sept, 1918.
fKilled or died. *Wounded.

xxx vii

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

NAME RANK

fMacardle, K. II. C Second Lieutenant.

Killed in action 9th July, 1916.

*Macaulay, J Corporal

IMacCallum, E. C Lieutenant

Killed in action 31st Oct.. 1917.
MacCallum, L. C Bombardier.

DATE OF
ENLISTMENT
Jan.. 1915.

.28th Aug.. 1915.
Aug., 1915.

Mar., 1916.
MacConnell, I. G. C Gunner 15th Mar., 1917.

MacDiarmid, R. S Private, 1st Class (U.S.

Army) 29th May, 1918.

Macdonald, D. J Cadet, M.M. & Bar 13th Mar., 1915 .

Macdonald. G. W Flight Cadet 15th Mar., 1918 .

*Macdonald, N. J Lieutenant Aug., 1914 .

Macdonald, R Bombardier 8th Aug., 1914.

Macdonald, W. D Corporal Feb., 1918.

*Macdougall, J. W Lieutenant 1st Aug., 1916.

fMacDuff, W. B Second Lieutenant 18th June, 1915 .

Killed in action 2nd Dec., 1917.

MacEachern, R Flight Cadet 26th Jan., 1918.

MacFeeters, W. G Flight Cadet llth Mar., 1918 .

MacGillivray, H. D Gunner 10th Sept., 1917.

*MacIlroy, V. L Lieutenant Aug., 1915.

Mackay, C. M Gunner 18th Nov., 1917.

*Mackay, E. M Quartermaster Sergeant.. 16th Mar., 1915.

Mackay, J. A Second Lieutenant Aug., 1917.

*MacKay, W. B Lieutenant Aug., 1915.

MacKechnie, C. W. C Air Mechanic Oct.. 1917.

•fMackedie. A. R Captain 4th July, 1915.

Killed in action 28th Aug., 1918.

MacKellar, G. A Private 14th Mar., 1918.

MacKenzie, T. P Major, M. C 27th Dec., 1915.

t MacKenzie, W. A. G Lieutenant

Killed in action 29th Sept., 1918.

MacKnight, E. A. C Gunner

MacLean, A. K Private

*MacLean, H. F Lance-Corporal. . .

*MacLean, S. de B Lieutenant

MacLellan, G. R Private.. .

MacLennan, A. M Bombardier

****MacLeod, E. V Gunner

Macleod, N. S Lieutenant

MacLoughlin, S Lieutenant

*MacMahon, E. T Sergeant

*fMacMillan, A. P Lieutenant, M.C..

Killed in action 26th Aug., 1918.

.14th

!llth

. 9th
.10th
.17th
.25th
.29th
.24th

'. 7th

Sept., 1914..

Oct., 1916..
Oct., 1918..
May, 1916..
Feb., 1915..
Mar., 1917..
Mar., 1916..
Sept., 1914..
Sept.. 1917..
Feb., 1916..
Dec., 1915..
June, 1915 . .

MacMillan, G. A Flight Cadet 19th Aug., 1918 .

MacPhee, N Staff Sergeant 13th Oct., 1915.

*Macpherson, J. C Major 17th Nov., 1914.

fKilled or died. *Wounded.

BRANCH

ENLISTED FROM

.San Francisco, Cal., U.S.A.

.. High River, Alta.
. . Winnipeg, Man.

. Fort Rouge, Winnipeg, Man.
. Spadina & College, Toronto,
Ont.

. Summerside, P.E.I.

. Inspector's Department,

Sherbrooke, Que.
.Swift Current, Sask.
. Portage la Prairie, Man.
.Regina, Sask.
.Dresden, Ont.
.Vancouver, B.C.
. Gleichen, Alta.

.Saskatoon, Sask.

.Dauphin, Man.

.Halifax, N.S.

. Milestone, Sask.

.Halifax, N.S.

.Vancouver, B.C.

.Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

.St. Thomas, Ont.

.Toronto, Ont.

.Vancouver, B.C.

.St. Thomas, Ont.

. Inspector's Department,
Head Office, Toronto,
Ont.

.Prince Arthur & Park,
Montreal, Que.

.Lewvan, Sask.

.Turtleford, Sask.

.Cobalt, Ont.

.Sherbrooke, Que.

.Charlpttetown, P.E.I.

.Winnipeg, Man.

.Windsor, N.S.

.Lethbridge, Alta.

.Guelph,Ont.

. Watrous, Sask.

. Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

.Toronto, Ont.

. Dan forth & Broadview,
Toronto, Ont.

.Calgary, Alta.

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATB or
, Etnimmn Eirumn no*

Macpherson, R. H Lieutenant 30th April. 1015. . . Amherst, NA

MacQuaig, E. D Private Oct. 1918. . .Chatham. Ont

,!}*»««. H. A Private 15th May. 1915. . .Winnipeg. Man.

•fMacRae, M Lieutenant, M.C July, 1815. . Kindenley °iifr

Killed in action 29th Sept., 1918.

Mactaviah, I. F Lieutenant 5th Aug.. 1914. . .Vancouver. B.C.

Macvie, A. C Second Lieutenant July, 1917. . .London. Eng.

Maeder, R. A Sergeant 8th Jan., 1918. . .Smith's FalU, Ont

'•Maginn. F. J Lieutenant. D.S.O June, 1915. . .Marcelin. Saak.

••Mahon, T. C. G Private 6th Aug., 1914. . .Vancouver. B.C.

Main. J Sapper 10th June, 1916 ... Elgin. Man.

fMaitland, G.R.A Lance-Corporal Oct.. 1915. . .Gleichen. Alta.

Killed in action 3rd May, 1917.

Malouin, H. E Flight Cadet 15th April, 1918. . .Ford. Ont

•Manifold, C. C Private Jan.. 1918. . .Golden. B.C.

Mann, H. G. T Flight Cadet 15th May, 1918... Edam. Saak.

•Manners, G. E Private 18th May, 1915. . .Calgary, Alta.

Manning, F. L Gunner 5th April, 1918. . . Walkerville, Ont

Marchand, J. R Second Lieutenant 18th April, 1918 ... Farnham. Que,

Marlatt. J. L Flight Cadet £lst Mar.. 1917. . . Grimsby. Ont

Marlow. R. H Captain 88th Dec.. 1915. . .Toronto. Ont

Mentioned in Despatches.

•Marriott, G. W Colonel 17th Aug., 1914. . .Strathcona, Alta.

Marshall. G. L. Lieutenant July, 1915. . .Stationery Dept. Head

Office, Toronto, Ont.

Marshall. J. M Second Lieutenant 1st Aug., 1915. . .Edam. Saak.

Martin, C Private Jan., 1918. . .Princeton. B.C.

Martin, F. J Private Aug., 1916. . .Windsor. Ont

•Martin. G Corporal. M. M 22nd July, 1915. . .Lake Saskatoon. Alta.

Martin. J Private April, 1916. . .Head Office, Toronto, Ont.

fMartin, K. L. Lance-Corporal 30th June, 1916. . .North Battleford. Saak.

Killed in action 14th Feb., 1918.

f Martin-Da vey, A Left Branch to return to England to under-
take military duty, April, 1915. Drowned
in the "Lusitania" disaster 7th May, 1915.. Kitsilano. Vancouver. B.C.

•Mason. C. A Private 1st Aug., 1915. . .Stationery Dept. Head

Office. Toronto. Ont.

•Mason. H. E Second Lieutenant 12th Oct.. 1916. . .London. Ont

fMatheson. C. A Private April, 1916. . .Humboldt, Sask.

Killed in action 26th Oct, 1917.

Matheson. F. A Lieutenant, M.C 2nd Jan., 1916. . .Hafford. Sask.

Matheson. J. C Major, M.C 15th Aug., 1914. . .Medicine Hat Alt*.

••Mathias, F. M Captain (Acting Lieu- Returned to Old

tenant-Colonel) D.S.O. Country to enlist

Mentioned in Despatches. Dec., 1914. En-

listed 28th Feb.,

1915 Mexico City, Mexico.

•Matkin, J. H Company-Sergeant-Major 9th Nov., 1914. .Kindersley, Sask.

Maw, E. H Second Lieutenant 1st Oct., 1917. .Sherbrooke, Que.

Mawhinney, J. R Corporal Aug.. 1015 . . 1st Street W., Calgary. Alta.

Maxwell, A. C Signaller 8th Dec., 1915. . Wetaskiwin. Alta.

Mayers, H. R Private 15th June, 1916. .Vancouver, B.C.

Mayrs. J. C Private 2nd Dec., 1915. .InnisfaU. Alta.

Mearns. J. A Gunner 8th May, 1916. .Market Toronto, Ont

fMee, E. C Lieutenant Left Branch to re-
Killed in action 3rd Sept, 1916. turn to Old Coun-
try to enlist 19th
fKilled or died. *Wounded. Feb., 1915 Edmonton. Alt*.

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE OF BRANCH

NAME RANK ENLISTMENT ENLISTED FROM

***fMee. J. N Lieutenant 15th Mar., 1915. . .Peace River, Alta.

Killed in action 25th June, 1918.

*Merriam, B. G Private llth Oct., 1915. . .Middleton, N.S.

Merrix, A. R Private July, 1918 . . . Oak Bay Avenue, Victoria,

B.C.

Messenger, C. B Flight Cadet 24th Nov., 1917. . .Middleton, N.S.

Metcalfe, A. E Private Jan., 1916. . .Kelvin Street, Winnipeg,

Man.

Miles, C. R Lieutenant 4th Aug., 1914. . .Vancouver, B.C.

fMiles, R. D Second Lieutenant, M.C. Nov., 1914. . .Carmangay, Alta.

Died of wounds 17th Aug., 1917.

Millar, H. I Major. 20th Nov., 1915. . . Wetaskiwin, Alta.

Millar, H. L Sergeant (U.S. Army; . . 1st Jan., 1918. . .Vancouver, B.C.

*Miller, A. L Sergeant 27th Aug., 1914. . . North Winnipeg, Man.

•Miller, D. H Lieutenant 7th Aug., 1914 . . .London, Eng.

*Miller, D. K Sergeant, Croix de Guerre

(Belg.) 3rd Aug., 1915. . .St. Catherine & Metcalfe,

Montreal, Que.

Miller, G. C Private 9th Mar., 1916. . .Winnipeg, Man.

Miller, G. T Sergeant 25th Mar., 1916. . . Bridgewater, N.S.

**Miller, H. E Private Sept., 1915. . .Toronto, Ont.

Miller, J. I Corporal 18th June, 1918. . .Dawson, Y.T.

Miller, P. W Lance-Corporal, M.M. . ..21at Dec., 1915. . .Thedford, Ont.

fMiller, R. B Corporal Nov., 1915. . .Mexico City, Mexico.

Killed in action 3rd Aug., 1916.

Miller, R. H Private 25th July, 1916. . . Three Rivers, Que.

*Milligan, A Captain, M.C Slst Mar., 1915 . . . London, Eng.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Milne, D Corporal 12th July, 1915. . .Peace River, Alta.

*Milne, G. C Private 15th Sept., 1915. . .Lougheed, Alta.

Minnitt, E. A Corporal Nov., 1917. . .Regina, Sask.

Mitchel, V Lieutenant 19th April, 1915. . .Prince Arthur & Park,

Parchment Certificate for Montreal, Que.

Gallantry in the Field.

Mitchell. E. H Flight Cadet 5th May, 1917. . .Wetaskiwin, Alta.

Mitchell, H. C Lieutenant Dec., 1917. . .Queen & Bathurst, Toronto,

Ont.

Mitchell, J. S Flight Cadet 20th July, 1918. . .Brandon, Man.

fMockler, E. C. W Lance-Corporal Aug., 1914. . .Humboldt, Sask.

Died of wounds 7th May, 1915.

Moffat, Miss R. I V.A.D 27th Feb., 1918. . .Paris, Ont.

•Moffatt, J. R. C Battery-Sergeant-Major.

M.M 15th Aug., 1915. . .Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

fMogg, C. K. B Lieutenant Dec., 1914. . .Seattle, Wash., U.S.A.

Killed in action llth Nov., 1917.

•Montizambert, K. B. P Lieutenant 5th Oct., 1915. . .Beebe, Que.

Montle, F. J Lieutenant 22nd Dec., 1915. . .Sherbrooke, Que.

Moore, C. M Signaller. 10th May, 1918. . .Stenbridge East, Que.

Moore, G. J.. . Corporal 22nd May, 1918. . .Niagara Falls, Ont.

Moore, J. R . . .Mate, R.N.C.V.R 5th Sept., 1917. . . Yonge & Queen, Toronto,

Ont.

•Moore, J. S Corporal 18th Nov., 1916. . . Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Moore, M. L.. Second Lieutenant 12th Feb., 1918. . .Rock Island, Que.

fKilled or died. *Wounded.

xl

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE or

ENLUTMBMT

26th Aug.. 1015.

lit June. 1918.

Autumn, 1017..

NAMK RANK

••Moore, T Sergeant

Moore. T. F Corporal

fMoore, W. V Lieutenant

Died on active service 3rd March, 1010.

•Moorhead, W. G Private 10th Dec.. 1015.

Moorman, D. J Lieutenant Mar., 1010

*Moran, J. E Lance-Corporal 5th Feb., 1010 .

•Moran, W. C Corporal 5th Feb., 1016 .

Mordy, A.A Bombardier 7th May, 1017.

•'Mordy, A. G Major, D.S.O Dec. 1014,.

Mentioned in Despatches (twice).

More, C. M Private 46th Jan.. 1018.

•Moreton, C Gunner 80th Jan., 1015.

Morgan, F. L Private 18th Jan., 1016.

•fMorgan, H. P Lieutenant, M.M Nov., 1014

Killed in action 6th Oct.. 1018.

•*Morkill. A. B Captain, M.C. & Bar . ... 12th Jan., 1016

Oct.. 1017.

BRANCH

EMLBTBD mm
.Salmon Ann. B.C.
.Peace Hirer, Alta.
.Madeod.Alta.

. Elbow. Sa*k.
Winnipeg, Man.
.Toronto, Ont
.Kingston, Ont.
.St. Catherine It MeU-aUV.

Montreal. Que.
.Winnipeg, Man.

Radisson, Sack.

Thedford. Ont
.Radvill.-, Sask.
.Calgary, Alta.

.Oak Bay Avenue, Victoria.
B.C.

Crossfield. Alta.

fMorley, E. L. Lieutenant

Killed on active service 26th July, 1018.
fMorris, A. G Second Lieutenant Returned to Scot-
Died of wounds 10th June, 1916. land to enlist

Dec.. 1014 Elgin. Man.

•Morrison, A. E. S Staff Sergeant 12th Aug., 1014 . . Youngstown. Alta.

Morrison, D. R Gunner Sept., 1017. . .Gleichen, Alt*.

*tMorrison, H Major Aug., 1014. .Winnipeg. Man.

Mentioned in Despatches.
Killed in action 23rd April. 1018.

Morrison, K. R. M Lieutenant. 22nd Mar., 1915. . . Rainy River, Ont

•Morrison, W. M Sergeant M.M 15th Feb.. 1915 . . . Vancouver. B.C.

•Morrow, F. D. C Sergeant 23rd Sept., 1914. . .Briercrest Sask.

•Mortimer, L Cadet 8th Dec.. 1915. . .Portage Avenue, Winnipeg.

Man.

fMorton, A. E. B Lieutenant 15th Sept., 1915. . .Windsor. Ont.

Killed in action 24th Sept., 1916.

•Morton, F. M Private 19th Dec., 1914. . .Regina, Sask.

Morton. J. H Fireman (U.S. Navy) . . . April, 1918. . .Ford, Ont

•Mountain, W. R Lance-Corporal Oth Nov., 1015. . .Acton Vale, Que.

Mullen, L. W Gunner 1st April, 1016. . . Charlottetown, P.E.1.

•Munro, J Second Lieutenant M.C. 10th Mar., 1015. . . Yorkton, Sask.

Munroe, A. H Lieutenant Aug., 1016. . .Broderick, Sask.

Munroe, D. T Cadet (Sergeant) 8th Aug., 1016. . .Swan River, Man.

fMurphy, F. M. Lieutenant Dec., 1015. . .Toronto, Ont

Mentioned in Despatches.
Died of wounds 2nd Sept., 1018.

•Murphy, G. P. Private 12th July, 1015. . .Paris, Ont

•Murray, F. C Corporal, M.M 23rd Sept, 1915. . .Moncton. N.B.

Murray, F. G Private.. . . . .14th Feb.. 1916. . . West End, Sault Ste. Marie.

Ont

Murray, H. G Lieutenant Sept., 1914. . .London. Eng.

•Murray. J Lance-Corporal 10th Jan., 1016. . . Portage la Prairie, Man.

Murray, R. V Sapper Nov., 1015. . . Fredericton, N.B.

Murray, W Company Sergeant-

Major 31st Aug., 1016. . .New Westminster. B.C.

Mutch, T. W. L Sergeant M.S.M 1st Nov., 1014. . .Victoria. B.C.

fKilled or died. "Wounded.

xli

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE OF BRANCH

NAME RANK ENLISTMENT ENLISTED FROM

*Myers, C. R Captain 80th Oct., 1914. . .East Vancouver, B.C.

McAllister, J May, 1916. . .Toronto, Ont.

*McArthur, G. A Private 81st Jan., 1916. . .Kamloops, B.C.

McBain, J. H Private 3rd June, 1918. . .Hafford, Sask.

McBain, R. N Signaller April, 1916. . .Goderich, Ont.

*McBride, D Gunner 12th Oct., 1915. . .Montreal, Que.

McBride, W. A Gunner Aug., 1915. . .Pincher Creek, Alta.

•McCann, R. T Corporal Feb., 1916. . .Yorkton, Sask.

McCarthy, C. J Private May, 1916. . .Dauphin, Man.

McCarthy, C. L. J Captain 20th Jan., 1915. . .Shaunavon, Sask.

Parchment Certificate for
Gallantry hi the Field.

fMcCarthy, R. B Lieutenant Dec., 1915. . .Winnipeg, Man.

Killed hi action 9th April, 1917.

'McCarthy, R. K Captain 24th Jan., 1916 ... Inspector's Department,

Vancouver, B.C.

*McClafferty, F. S Cadet, M.M 17th Jan., 1916. . .Winnipeg, Man.

McClafferty, R. K Gunner Aug., 1917 ... Summerside, P.E.I.

McClatchie, J. L Private 29th April, 1918. . .Stanbridge East, Que.

McClintock, A .H Corporal 1st June, 1918. . .Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

fMcClure, J. A. B Captain 1st July, 1915. . .Winnipeg, Man.

Killed in action 21st Aug., 1917.

*McConkey, T. W Lieutenant, M.C 22nd Dec., 1915 . . .Fort Rouge, Winnipeg,

Man.

McConnell, C. G Bombardier 25th May, 1918 ... Bloor & Yonge, Toronto,

Ont.

McConnell, R. W Lieutenant 28th Jan., 1915. . .Vermilion, Alta.

McCrea, W. J Sergeant 20th April, 1918. . . Wiseton, Sask.

McDade, R. H Gunner 17th Oct., 1917. . .Vulcan, Alta.

fMcDonald, A. A Flight Cadet 9th April, 1918. . .Kamloops, B.C.

Died on active service 5th Jan., 1919.

McDonald, A. H Lieutenant 1st Dec., 1917. . . New Glasgow, N.S.

*McDonald, E. D Lieutenant 7th Aug., 1915 . . . Moosejaw, Sask.

McDonald, R. F Private 1st Aug., 1916 . . . Sherbrooke, Que.

McEachern, J. B Flight Cadet 10th Jan., 1917. . .Halifax, N.S.

fMcEachern, J. J Gunner Mar., 1916. . .Emo, Ont.

Died on active service 24th March, 1917.

**McFarlan, A. R Second Lieutenant 16th Nov., 1914. . .Edmonton, Alta.

fMcFarland, J. W Private 23rd Aug., 1915 . . . Strathmore, Alta.

Killed in action 3rd June, 1916.

McGill, T. C Captain, M.B.E 30th June, 1915 ... Kingston, Ont.

Mentioned in Despatches (three times).

McGown, J. M Captain Jan., 1916. . .Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

McGregor, J. A Lieutenant, M.C., M.M..15th Sept., 1915. . .New Westminster. B.C.

McGregor, R Bombardier llth Feb., 1916 . . . Montague, P.E.I.

*McGregor, W. J. Private Sept., 1915. . .Lake Saskatoon, Alta.

McGuffin, S. J Gunner. 8th Aug., 1915. . .Portage Avenue, Winnipeg,

Man.

fMcHarg, L. H Lieutenant. May, 1917. . .Cookshire, Que.

Killed in action 31st July. 1918.

fKilled or died. *Wounded.

ilii

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATS or BRANCH

NAMB RANK ExumuNT Exuan

•McHenry. E. H Private. 15th Mar, 1917. . . Yoofe 4 Queen. Toronto,

(hit

fMcInnea, H Private Jan 1916. . .Brandon. Man

Killed in action SOth Oct., 1917.

Mclnnis. G. H. Signaller ut June, 1917. .Collingwood. Ont

Mclntoah. H. E Signaller Sept, 1917. .Bloor & Dufferin. Toronto.

OnL

•Mclntosh. R. B Gunner Ut Mar., 1919. .Toronto, Ont

•Mclntyre, D Private 9th Feb., 1917. .Smith's Falls, OnL

Mclntyre, W. G Private 26th Jan., 1917. .Wadena, Saak.

Mclver. A. R Staff Sergeant Aug., 1915. .Parkiville. B.C.

Mentioned in Despatches.
Russian Cross of St

George.

Russian Medal (4th
Class) Order of St

Stanislaus

fMcKenna, F. C Private Aug., 1914 . . . Portage la Prairie, Man.

Killed in action 2nd Oct., 1918.

*McKenzie, J. A Lieutenant 16th Nov., 1914. . .Edmonton, Alta.

McKeough. G. G Sub-Lieutenant, R.N.V.R. 10th Nov.. 1915. . .Chatham. Ont

••McKinley, A. N Cadet (Battery Sergeant-
Major) Jan., 1916... Weyburn. Saak.

McLean, H. M Private July. 1918. . .Windsor, N.S.

McLean. M Private Dec., 1915 . . . Gilroy. Sask.

McLean, R. G Private 8th May, 1918. . .Ottawa. Ont

McLeish. R. J '. Sergeant 31st May, 1916. . .Cobalt. Ont

McLellan. N. A Sergeant 12th Feb.. 1916. . .Lashburn. Sask.

McLeod, H. J Flight Cadet 31st May, 1918. . .Shdlbrook. Saak.

McMahon, R. J Flight Cadet July, 1918. . .Humboldt Saak.

McMeekin. R. F Flight Cadet 8th May, 1918. . .Vulcan. Alta.

McMillan, C. H Cadet (Sergeant) llth Oct. 1915. . .Milk River, Alta.

McMillan, J Gunner 8th Mar., 1918. . .Market Toronto, OnL

McMillan, J. M Gunner Jan., 1915. . .Seaforth, Ont

(discharged)
Re-enlisted: May, 1918. . .

McMillen. A. G Bombardier 21st April, 1916. . .Barrie. Ont

McMorris, H. B Flight Cadet 27th April, 1918. . . Provost Alta.

•McMurray, J. L. Private 2nd Jan.. 1915. . . Moosejaw. Sask.

McNally, O. J Second Lieutenant SOth Sept., 1917. . . Brockville, Ont

McNaughton, G. P Lieutenant Sept., 1917. . .Quebec. Que.

McNeill, G. T. A Signaller 17th May, 1916. . .Port Arthur. Ont

*McNeill. M. I Private 15th April, 1916. . .Hafford. Sask.

McNiece, H Sergeant 3rd June, 1915. . .Winnipeg. Man.

fMcNulty, J. D Gunner Dec., 1916. . .Edmonton. Alta.

Killed in action 25th May, 1917.

•McQuarrie, D. A Private 25th Aug., 1914. . .Kelvin Street Winnipeg.

Man.

••McQuoid, J Lieutenant Oct. 1914 ... Phoenix. B.C.

•McRobert, C Gunner 18th Aug . 1915. . .Toronto, Ont

McRoberts, J. N Flight Cadet 28th Nov.. 1917. . .Sudbury. Ont

McRorie, C. K Lieutenant 5th Aug., 1914. . .Regina, Saak.

•fMcTaggart, T. G Gunner 1st Sept, 1915. . .Portage Avenue, Winnipeg,

Killed in action 27th Sept., 1918. Man.

Neary, W. C. O Warrant Officer.

R.N.C.V.R. Nov., 1917. . . Courtenay. B.C.

fKilled or died. 'Wounded.

zlifi

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE OF BRANCH

NAME RANK ENLISTMENT ENLISTED FROM

Neelin, G. F Private 14th Feb., 1917. . .Port Arthur, Ont.

Neely, C. R Trooper Sept., 1918. . .Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

tNeil, H. P Gunner July, 1915. . .Blake Street, Winnipeg,

Killed b action 12th Dec.. 1917. Man.

Neilson, R. H Captain 2ndNov., 1915. . .Orangeville, Ont.

Nelson, H Sergeant 6th May, 1918. . .Kelowna, B.C.

Nesbitt, P. H Sergeant, M.S.M 15th Sept., 1915. . .North Vancouver, B.C.

Nevill, C. D Captain 12th Nov., 1915. . .Cayuga, Ont.

*Newdick, T. W Corporal 12th Aug., 1914. . .Queen & Bathurst, Toronto,

Ont.

Newland. E. W Lieutenant 1st Feb., 1915. . .Pincher Creek, Alta.

Newton, F. G Captain Sept., 1914. . .Windsor, Ont.

Nicholson, D. M Gunner 1st April, 1917. . .Blenheim, Ont.

*Nickerson, W. A. L Private 18th Sept., 1914 ... Windsor, N.S.

Nicol, C. R. S Gunner 81st Aug., 1915. . .Winnipeg, Man.

Nicol, M Second Lieutenant 16th Aug., 1915 . . . Athabasca, Alta.

Niemeier. R. H Sergeant (U.S. Army) . .22nd Aug., 1917. . .New York, N.Y., U.S.A.

*Nixon, J. E Flight Cadet 26th Feb., 1915. . .Sherbrooke, Que.

*Noblett, W. J Lance-Corporal 13th Sept., 1915. . .Kindersley, Sask.

Norris-Elye, C. L. S Lieutenant Mar., 1917 ... Yorkton, Sask.

*Norsworthy, J. W Lieutenant 29th May, 1916. . .New York, N.Y., U.S.A.

Northcott, W. R Lance-Corporal 23rd April, 1918. . .Turtleford, Sask.

Notman, R. C Gunner.. 20th Sept., 1915. . .Woodstock, Ont.

Nunns, G. S Private May, 1918. . .Sherbrooke, Que.

Nurcombe, G. C. A Flight Cadet 18th April, 1918. . .Red Deer, Alta.

fNuttall, I. L. K Private Aug., 1914 . . .Strathcona, Alta.

Killed on active service 3rd Oct., 1915.

Oag, H Lieutenant, M.M 20th Dec.. 1915. . .Keremeos, B.C.

Oakley, H. S Private 8th Jan., 1916. . . Lennoxville, Que.

Odell, G. M Driver 7th June, 1917. . .Bank St., Ottawa, Ont.

Ogg, S Third Air Mechanic 13th Sept., 1918. . .Winnipeg, Man.

O'Kelly, J. T. D A.B., R.N.C.V.R 7th Oct., 1917. . . Willowbrook, Sask.

*Oldaker, B. G Lieutenant Aug., 1914 . . . Brandon, Man.

*Olive, G Company Quartermaster

Sergeant 5th Aug., 1914 . . . Vancouver, B.C.

*Oliver, R. R Lieutenant, M.C 3rd April, 1915. . .Bloor & Yonge, Toronto,

Mentioned in Despatches. Ont.

**Oliver, W. M Lance-Corporal 28th Dec., 1915 . . . Calgary, Alta.

O'Loughlin, A. E Sergeant Sept., 1915. . .Pincher Creek, Alta.

O'Loughlin, J. J Lieutenant 13th Jan., 1916. . .Vancouver, B.C.

**O'Neill, H. L Private 20th Mar., 1916. . .Winnipeg, Man.

O'Neill, W. G Private Nov., 1914. . .Victoria, B.C.

Ormiston, F. H Private 4th Aug.. 1916 . . . Admiral, Sask.

*O'Rorke, G. J Lieutenant 25th Nov., 1914 . . . Strathcona, Alta.

**Orr, J. C Lieutenant 4th Aug., 1914. . .Ladysmith, B.C.

Board of Trade Silver Medal.

fOrr, J. R Lieutenant June, 1916. . .Hamilton, Ont.

Killed in action 9th Aug., 1918.

*Orr,S. W Lieutenant 22ndNov., 1915. . .Barrie, Ont.

Osborne, J. G Signaller 3rd Jan., 1917. . . Fredericton, N.B.

Osmond, W. L Gunner 10th Feb., 1918 . . . Sherbrooke, Que.

O'Sullivan, D. E Private 13th Oct.. 1915. . .Macleod, Alta.

fKilled or died. *Wounded.

xliv

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

NAMB
Owen, P. R. .

RANK

Cadet.

DATB or

KNUHTMKNT
23rd Oct.. 1910.

Bl«\N< II

. Wetaakiwin, Alta.

Jan., 1910. . Sault Ste. Marie. Ont

tPae, P. R. Lieutenant

Died of wounds 1st Oct. 1918.

Page, L. C Second-Lieutenant Left the Bank to

undertake mili-
tary service 2nd
Oct. 1917 Drinkwater, Sask.

Palmer, J. D Air Mechanic 4th Aug., 1914.

Palmer, R Sergeant 3rd Mar., 1916.

•Palmer, R. V Private 82nd April, 1910.

•Pangman, R. P Gunner 14th Mar., 1917.

Parke, E. S Gunner July, 1910.

fParker. G. W Private 12th July, 1918.

Died 20th Jan.. 1919.
Parker, R. L Gunner.

London, Eng.
I Angham, Sack.
South Porcupine, Ont
Windsor. Ont
Saskatoon, Sask.
Kitscoty. Alta.

20th April, 1917

Parker. W. T Second Lieutenant 6th Dec., 1917.

Parnell, C. S Private 2nd May. 1918.

••Parsons, A. M Lieutenant. M.C 29th Nov., 1915.

Parsons, F. S Lieutenant ted June, 1915.

*Parsons, H. D .Private ted Dec., 1915.

•Parsons, J. D Lieutenant 8th Jan., 1910.

•Paterson, G. F Lieutenant Sept, 1915.

*Patereon, J Sergeant Jan,. 1910.

tPaterson, N. T Private 21st Oct., 1915.

Died of wounds 23rd Sept., 1916.

•••Patereon, W. A. Private 10th Feb., 1915.

*Patman. V Sergeant Aug., 1914.

fPaton, F. W Lieutenant Jan., 1916.

Killed in action 16th Aug., 1917.

**Paton, R Lieutenant 80th June, 1915.

Patrick, D. J. W Sergeant 10th Dec.. 1916.

fPatterson, G. Stewart Private Aug., 1914.

Died on active service 8th Mar., 1915.
•Patterson, J. K Captain 5th Jan., 1915.

fPatton. N. E Private 3rd Sept.. 1915.

Killed in action 4th June, 1916.

Peacocke, H W Second Lieutenant 8th Jan., 1916.

Pearce, C. H Private 5th Jan., 1918.

Peare, R. H Sergeant 14th May, 1917.

Pearson. E. G Driver 31st July, 1916.

Pearson, F. B Gunner 1st June, 1915.

fPearson, M. A Bombardier 10th Aug., 1915.

Killed in action 6th Aug., 1918.

Peers, M. M Corporal tedFeb., 1918.

••Peirson, F. R Captain, M.C & Bar. . . . June, 1915.

•Penney, G. G Signaller 3rd Jan., 1917.

Pentreath, H. E. A Lieutenant 29th July, 1915.

Perry, M. H Corporal Sept., 1917

Persons, L. W Bombardier Dec., 1917

Peters, S. A Army Field Clerk, U.S.

Army 15th May, 1916.

Petipas. H. E Second Lieutenant 25th Nov., 1915.

. Victoria. B.C.
.Edam. Sa.sk.
Sherbrooke, Que.
. Charlottetown, P.E.I.
. Moosomin. Sask.
. Sberbrooke, Que.
.Gait Ont

.San Francisco, Cat. U.S.A.
. Swift Current Saak.
. Vermilion, Alta.

.Prince Rupert B.C.

.SuttotuQue.
. Edmonton, Alta.

. Biggar. Sask.
San Francisco, Cal., U.S.A.
.St. Catharines, Ont

1st Street West Calgary,

Alta.
.St Catharines. Ont

Halifax. N.S.

Head Office, Toronto, Ont.

Elf ros, Sask.
. New Westminster, B.C.
.Stratford. Ont
.London, Ont

.Charlottetown. P.E.I.
.Wellington Street, Sber-

brooke, Que.
.Truro, N.S.
.East Vancouver, B.C.
.Oak Bay Avenue, Victoria,

B.C.
.Toronto, Ont

Portland, Ore, U.S.A.
Moncton. N.B.

t Killed or died.

•Wounded.

ilv

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE OF
NAME HANK ENLISTMENT

Peto, E. J Corporal 1st Dec., 1915.

Petrie, Miss H. V Nursing Sister 29th Feb., 1916.

BRANCH

ENLISTED FROM
.Central Butte, Sask.
. Inspector's Department,

Winnipeg, Man.
.Vancouver, B.C.
. Knowlton, Que.

Petrie, S. S A.B., R.N.C.V.R Oct., 1917 .

fPettes, J. C Private 27th Sept., 1917.

Killed in action 19th May, 1918.

fPhair, T. H. O Flight Cadet 8th May, 1918. . .Fort Fiances, Ont

Died on active service 14th June, 1918.

Pheeney, H. H Second Lieutenant. .

Philips, J. C Flight Cadet

*Philips, T. B Lieutenant

Sept., 1917.

May, 1918.

6th Feb., 1916.

Phillips, H Sergeant..

.Broderick, Sask.

.Dundas, Ont.

.Yonge & College, Toronto,

Ont

.25th Mar., 1915... Yonge & Queen, Toronto,
Ont.

Philp, W. G Private (VS. Anny) .. . . 7th May, 1917. . .Portland, Ore., U.S.A.

Pickard, H. T Gunner 25th Sept., 1916. . .Brandon, Man..

**Picken, E. K Sergeant Aug.. 1914. . .Calgary, Alta.

•Pike, W Private 12th May, 1916. . .Saskatoon, Sask.

fPirie, G. M Private 14th Aug., 1914. . . Yonge & Eglinton, Toronto,

Died of wounds 1st July, 1915. Ont.

fPittendrigh, D. M Private Mar., 1915. . .Phoenix, B.C.

Died of wounds 2nd May, 1916.

fPlayne, L Second Lieutenant Aug., 1914. . .Sarnia, Ont.

Killed in action 27th Mar.. 1918.

Plimmer, F. T. Cadet 9th May, 1918. . .Crescent & St. Catherine,

Montreal, Que.

•fPole, A. D Private 4th Mar., 1916. . .Vermilion, Alta.

Killed in action 2nd Sept., 1918.

Pollock, J. W Driver 28th Mar., 1916. . .Montreal, Que.

Pollock, L. W. H Private 16th Jan., 1918. . .Milk River, Alta.

Poison, N. S Lieutenant April, 1916. . .Toronto, Ont.

Ponton, A. I Private Nov., 1915. . .Edmonton, Alta.

Pope. H. W Captain 23rd Nov., 1915. . .London, Eng.

Porrior, H Quartermaster Sergeant. . Nov., 1914 ... Alberton, P.E.I.

Poupart, J. H Private 4th May, 1918. . .Eastman, Que.

Powell, H. C Private 15th Nov.. 1915. . .Yonge & Queen, Toronto.

Ont.

Power, P. J Private 2ndNov., 1917. . .Rainy River, Ont.

*Poynton, A. R Private 8th Feb.. 1916. . .Emo, Ont

Pratt H. E Private 20th Aug., 1915. . .Nokomis, Sask.

fPratte, M. A Private Sept., 1916. . .Sutton, Que.

Killed in action 9th Aug., 1918.

Priestman, H. L. E Lieutenant 26th Oct., 1916 ... Vernon, B.C.

Pringle. T. J Lance-Corporal Left the Bank to

undertake mili-
tary service, llth

Nov., 1915 Hamilton, Ont.

Pritchard, R. E Sergeant 20th Mar., 1916. . .Melfort, Sask.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Proctor, G. C Lieutenant 17th Dec., 1914. . . Lloydminster, Sask.

fProudfoot W. Lieutenant 12th May, 1916 . . . Bloor & Lippincott Tor-
Killed in action 27th Sept., 1918. onto, Ont

Pugsley, T. A Flight Cadet 27th Nov., 1917. . .Swift Current Sask.

*Purdon, A Corporal 9th Nov., 1914. . .Rock Creek, B.C.

fPurdy, C. C Flight Lieutenant R.N. . 22nd Nov., 1915. . . Prince Rupert, B.C.

Killed in action 15th Feb.. 1918.

fKilled or died. *Wotmded.

xlvi

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

HANK

Km

Purdy, J. R Captain

•Pyke. D. P Lieutenant

Quinton, S Lieutenant. M.C.

DATE or
ENLUTMENT
5th Aug.. 1914.
May. 1914.

May. 1916.,

.Winnipeg, MM.

«..L.»~w. O..I

Department of The SUJHT-
intendent of Central
Western Branch**, Win-
nipeg, Man.

•Raddyffe, G Second Lieutenant Oct.. 1914. . .Grand Fork*. B.C.

Rafuse, L. E Flight Cadet 17th Jan.. 1918. . .New GUugow. N5.

•Ramage, E. J Private 22nd Nov.. 1918. . .Port Peny, Ont

Rambaut H. W. R Sergeant 15th Sept., 1918. . .Lewvan. Saak.

Randall, T. B Lieutenant 31st July. 1917. . .San Francisco, CaL. U.S.A.

' TH,|, >,,D. S. H Private Aug., 1914. . .Toronto, Ont

Died of wounds 8th May. 1917.

RaU, L Private Jan., 1916.. Herbert, Sask.

•fRawIe, C. W. F Second Lieutenant Oct., 1914. . . Inspector'! Department.

Killed in action 4/5 April, 1916. Head Office, Toronto,

Ont

fRaymond. H. G Sergeant 80th Nov., 1914. . .St. John. N.B.

Died of wounds 27th June. 1916.

Reaburn. G. W Private 25th Mar.. 1918. . .Smith's Fall*. Ont

Read. P. C Lance-Corporal, D.C.M. 5th Dec.. 1916. . .Rainy River. Ont

fRead. S. T Private July. 1915. . .Saskatoon, Sask.

Died of wounds 24th April, 1916.

Redman, S. V. H Private 9th May. 1918. . .North Victoria. B.C.

Reed, C. H Corporal 8th Dec., 1915. . .Blaine Lake. Sask.

•Reed. W Sergeant Nov., 1914. . .Stavely. Alta.

Rehn, C. H Yeoman. U.S. Nary. . . . Mar., 1918. . .San Francisco. CaL. U.S.A.

Reid, A. A Private 10th Sept. 1915. . .Stony Plain. Alta.

•Reid. A. G Private 18th May. 1915. . .Nelson, B.C.

fReid, A. J Private Aug., 1914. . .North Battleford, Sask.

Killed in action 23rd March, 1918.

Reid, A. P Regimental Sergeant- 4th Aug., 1915. . .Goderich, Ont

Major, W.O.I

Reid, F Private Oct., 1917. . .Coleman, Alta.

Reid, G. E Gunner Sept., 1917. . .London, Ont

*Reid,K. H Bombardier 9th Nov.. 1915. . .Toronto. Ont

Rennison, G. G Gunner llth April, 1916. . .Lethbridge, Alta.

Renwick. H. S Sergeant 10th May, 1918... .London. Ont

Renwick, L. Private June. 1916 . . . North Winnipeg. Man.

Reuter. F. C Gunner 20th Mar., 1918. . .Hamilton. Ont

Rhodes, A. D. G Flight Cadet 16th May. 1918. . .Warner. Alta.

••Riach, C. C Sergeant 20th April, 1915. . .Port Arthur. Ont

tRichards. C. A Private Left Branch to

Died of wounds 2nd June, 1916. return to Old

Country to enlist
16th Nov.. 1914. Red Deer. Alta.

Richards, W. H. E Second U eutenant Mar., 1918 ... North Vancouver, B.C.

•Richards, W. L. Lieutenant June, 1915 . . . Montreal, Que.

Richardson, T Corporal 9th Sept, 1915. . .Sydney, N.S.

tRicketta, N. H Lieutenant Aug., 1914. . .Spadina & College. Toroo-

Died of wounds Slst Dec., 1915. to, Ont

•Ridge, N. M. . . . . .Private 24th Mar., 1916. . .Shaunavon, Saslc.

•••Rigsby. A. C Private 3rd Aug.. 1915. .Toronto, Ont

'•Rippingale. E. S Sergeant 18th Mar.. 1915 . . . Alexander Avenue. Winni-
peg. Man.

fKilled or died. 'Wounded.

xlvii

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE OF BRANCH

NAME RANK ENLISTMENT ENLISTED FROM

Ritchie, J. A Second Lieutenant 10th Nov., 1917. . .Peterboro. Ont.

Ritchie, W Private 15th Oct., 1917. . .Macleod, Alta.

*Ritchie, W Sergeant Oct., 1915. . .Hafford, Sask.

Roberts, A. K. M Corporal Jan., 1918. . .Keremeos, B.C.

Roberts, G. L A. B 4th Nov., 1916. . .Bengough, Sask.

*Robertson, H Captain 3rd April, 1916. . . Wiseton, Sask.

Robertson, J Flight Cadet 27th Mar., 1916. . . Wilcox, Sask.

•Robertson, J. S Staff Sergeant 27th Sept., 1915. . .North Hatley, Que.

Robertson, R. V Private 18th Jan., 1918. . . Lloydminster, Sask.

Robinson, B. H. P Lieutenant 10th June, 1915 . . . Vernon, B.C.

Robinson, E. L Corporal 23rd Dec., 1915. . .Walkerton, Ont.

•Robinson, J Lieutenant July, 1915 . . . London, Eng.

•Robinson, J. D Lieutenant 28th Jan., 1915 . . .Portage Avenue, Winnipeg,

Man.

Robotham, G. H Flight Cadet 25th Jan., 1918 . . . West End, Sault Ste. Marie,

Ont.

•Robson, J. S. M Private May, 1915. . .Nelson, B.C.

Roche, G. L Private April. 1918. . .Hanna, Alta.

•Rodger, J. R Lieutenant 1st April, 1916. . .Lougheed, Alta.

tRodgerson, J. S Lieutenant Feb., 1916. . .Strathmore, Alta.

Killed in action 13th May, 1917.

fRogers, G Corporal May, 1915. . .Calgary, Alta.

Killed in action 6th June, 1916.

•Rogers, T. R Sergeant, M.M 6th April, 1915 ... Bawlf, Alta.

•Ronaldson, T. S Sergeant, M.M 10th Aug., 1914 . . . Fort Frances, Ont.

Roop, A. N Sergeant 12th April, 1916. . .Lewvan, Sask.

Rosborough, R. V Sergeant 17th Jan., 1916 . . . Halifax, N.S.

•Rose, H. E Major, M.C 2nd Sept., 1915. . . Collingwood, Ont.

Ross, B. F Lieutenant llth Oct., 1916. . .Grimsby, Ont.

Ross, F. M Captain, M.C 15th Nov., 1915 . . .Head Office, Toronto, Ont.

•Ross, G. H Lieutenant 2nd Nov., 1915. . .Hanna, Alta.

•Ross, G. M Lieutenant 15th Nov., 1917. . .Moosomin, Sask.

Ross, H Gunner 15th Jan., 1916. . .Strathroy, Ont.

•Ross, J Corporal 12th Jan., 1915. . .Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

•Ross, R. S Lieutenant 19th July, 1915. . .Department of The Super-
intendent of Pacific
Coast Branches, Van-
couver, B.C.

Ross, T Private June, 1916. . .Granum, Alta.

Ross, W. T. L Staff Sergeant 10th June, 1915 . . . Winnipeg, Man.

•••Rothwell, N Lieutenant 9th Aug., 1914. . .West Side, Saskatoon, Sask.

•fRouleau, H. J Private 16th May, 1916. . .Calgary, Alta.

Died of wounds 13th Sept., 1917.

•Roy, A. T Corporal 1st Nov., 1915 . . .Richmond, Que.

Roy, J. A Private 8th Mar., 1918. . . Vonda, Sask.

fRubery, G Lance-Corporal May, 1915. . .Rainy River, Ont

Died on active service 29th May, 1918.

•Ryder, J Private Mar., 1916. . .Innisfree, Alta.

tRyerson, J. E Captain, D.S.0 1st June, 1915. . . Wychwood, Toronto, Ont.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Killed in action 19th Sept., 1916.

D.S.O. Gazetted two days after Captain Ryerson's death in action.

No posthumous award made.

fRymal, W. A Second Lieutenant 14th July, 1917 . . .Toronto, Ont.

Killed on active service 5th Sept., 1918.

fKilled or died. •Wounded.

xlviii

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

NAM*

RAW*

fRyrie, E Lieutenant.

Killed in action 18th July. 1917.

DAT* or

ENLMTMKNT

. Fall. 1914. . .

BRANCH
EWLIBTBO

. Spadina It College, Toronto.
Ont.

•Sadleir. M. V Lieutenant Ut Nov.. 1915. . . West Sbefford. Que.

•Sadler. L Private Aug.. 1914. . Montreal, Que.

Samson, J. R Captain 13th May, 1915. . .Danville. Que.

fSands, L. A Flight Lieutenant 22nd Sept., 1915. . .Moncton. N.B.

Killed in action 22nd Mar.. 1918.

Sapte, D Second Lieutenant 25th Mar., 1918. . .North Winnipeg. Man.

Sattin. A Lieutenant Aug., 1914. . .Calgary. Alta.

•Saunders, B. M Gunner Dec., 1916. . .Toronto. Ont.

•Saunders, G. C Company Sergeant-
Major Jan., 1915. . .Grouard. Alta.

Saundereon, W Flight Cadet 10th May, 1915. . .Stavdy, Alta.

••Savage, I. B Lieutenant M.C Aug., 1914. . . Montreal. Que.

Saxon, F. H. B Staff Sergeant April, 1915. . .Sault Ste. Marie, Ont

•Say. S. R Captain, M.C Jan., 1915. . .Vancouver. B.C.

•Scanlon, J. R Private 29th Mar., 1916. . .Port Colborne, Ont

Schnur, C. C .Gunner 18th Feb., 1918. . .Queen East Toronto, Ont

Schollick, J. M Lieutenant June, 1917 . . . Waterville, Que.

•Scott A. C Lieutenant M.C 24th May, 1915. . .InnisfaO. Alta.

Scott A. S. B Private 16th April. 1917. . .Saskatoon. Sask,

•fScott C. V. C Private 14th Sept. 1915. . llegina. Sask.

Died of wounds, 5th Dec.. 1916.

fScott, J. R. D Private Feb., 1915. . .Vancouver. B.C.

Accidentally drowned 23rd Dec.. 1915.

Scott L. B Private 19th Feb., 1918. ..Winnipeg. Man.

•Scott N. B Second Lieutenant llth Sept, 1916. . .Penticton, B.C.

Scott W. G Private 15th July, 1915. . .Toronto, Ont

Scroggie, G. E Captain, M.C 1st Feb., 1915. . . Walkerville, Ont

Scully, D Second Lieutenant 28th Aug., 1914. . .North Winnipeg. Man.

•Seddall, C. G Lieutenant 7th Aug.. 1915. . .Calgary, Alta.

•Sewell, A. V Lieutenant 22nd Sept., 1914. .1 H.m;U^, n^

IstJai., 1917.JHamilton.Ont

Discharged on both
occasions as
medically unfit
Re-enlisted May.
1918.

Shadwell, H. L. F Bombardier 31st July, 1916. . .New Westminster. B.C.

Shannon. A. E Gunner May, 1917. . . Ayer's Cliff, Que.

Shannon, A. G. M Corporal 12th Aug., 1914. . .Edmonton. Alta.

Sharp. D. D Sergeant Jan., 1915. . .Vancouver, B.C.

Sharp, P. W Second Air Mechanic. . . 19th June, 1917. . .East Vancouver. B.C.

Shaw, F. B Lieutenant, < 'mix de

Guerre (Fr.) 18th April, 1917. . .Yonge & College, Toronto,

Ont

••Shaw, G. T Captain 6th Feb., 1916. . .Youngstown, Alta.

•Shaw, J Lieutenant 4th Nov.. 1914. . .Saskatoon. Sask.

fShaw, P. B Gunner Nov., 1917. . .Penticton, B.C.

Died of wounds 13th Oct., 1918.

Sheard, R Flight Cadet M.M 18th Feb., 1915. . .Ottawa. Ont

Shepherdson, G. S Second Lieutenant Feb., 1915 . . . Moosomin. Sask.

Sheppard, H. S Bombardier. 22nd Aug., 1914. .Toronto, Ont.

tSheppard. J. D Lieutenant 1st Jan.. 1916. . .Toronto, Ont

Died on active service 7th Nov.. 1918.

jKilled or died. "Wounded.

xlix

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE OF BRANCH

NAME RANK ENLISTMENT ENLISTED FROM

Shiel. L. W Gunner 1st Nov., 1917. . . Claresholm, Alta.

Shink, J. A Flight Cadet 19th Aug.. 1914. . \Ouebec Oue

June. 1918..r!ue)ec'wue-

Shirley. J Flight Cadet June, 1918. . .Vonda, Sask.

Short, W. S Private 1st Jan.. 1915. . . Medicine Hat, Alta.

Shuttleworth, W. G Lance Corporal 9th Mar., 1916. . .Toronto, Ont.

Sifton, L. B Second Lieutenant 28th Feb., 1916. . .Seaforth, Ont.

*Simpson, A. N Sergeant 12th Aug., 1914. . .Calgary, Alta.

Simpson, D. S Signaller Dec.. 1916. . .Red Deer, Alta.

*Simpson, E. F Sergeant 6th Feb., 1915. . .Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

Simpson, H. A Gunner 20th May, 1916. . .Montreal, Que.

Simpson, J. H Private 6th Aug., 1914. . .Gerrard & Pape, Toronto.

Ont.

**Simpson. J. K Captain 3rd Aug., 1914 . . .Victoria, B.C.

*fSimpson, S. B Lieutenant June, 1915. . .Montreal, Que.

Mentioned in Despatches.
Killed in action 1st Oct., 1916.

Sinclair, A Private 2nd April, 1918. . .North Winnipeg, Man.

*Sioclair, G. F Lance-Corporal 16th Sept., 1915. . .Toronto, Ont.

fSinclair, N. F. Sergeant-Major 18th Aug., 1914. . .Edmonton, Alta.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Died on active service 22nd Sept., 1917.

Size, D. C Signaller 19th April, 1918. . .Transcona, Man.

fSkead. G. C. M Sergeant April, 1915. . .Bridgewater, N.S.

Killed in action 17th Sept.. 1916.

fSkelton, G. F Private Oct., 1915. . .Vermilion, Alta.

Died of wounds 12th Sept., 1916.

Slaker, C. G Second Lieutenant July, 1915 . . .Pandora & Cook, Victoria,

B.C.

fSmall, G. F Flight Cadet 1st Jan., 1918. . .Kingston, Ont,

Died on active service 12th May. 1918.

fSmillie, C. B Sergeant Sept., 1914 . . .Saskatoon, Sask.

Died of wounds 14th Nov., 1917.

*Smith, Alex Private 21st June, 1916. . .Fernie, B.C.

Smith, Andrew Trooper Jau,. 1915. . .Claresholm, Alta.

Smith, A. C A.B., R.N.C. V.R Jan., 1918 ... Middleton, N.S.

Smith, A. L Lieutenant 15th Jan., 1916. . .Hamilton, Ont.

Smith, C. F. W Flight Cadet 17th Sept., 1918. . .Pincher Creek, Alta.

*Smith, C. G Second Lieutenant 3rd July, 1916. . .North Battleford, Sask.

*Smith, C. S Private 2nd Feb., 1915. . .Rocykford, Alta.

Smith, D. B First Sergeant U.S.

Army 29th July, 1918. . .Nokomis, Sask.

fSmith, D. R. M Second Lieutenant Aug., 1916. . .Gerrard & Pape, Toronto,

Killed in action 27th May, 1918. Ont

Smith, H. R Bombardier, M.M June, 1916 ... Lindsay, Ont.

Smith, J. A. H Cadet, M.M 24th Dec., 1915. . .Broderick. Sask.

*Smith, J. D Private 31st Oct.. 1917. . .North Victoria, B.C.

*fSmith, L. C. D Private Aug., 1915 . . . Alexander Avenue, Winni-

Died of wounds 30th Sept., 1918. peg, Man.

*Smith, M. H Private 29th July, 1915. . .Neepawa, Man.

Smith, M. N Private 25th July, 1916. . .Edmonton, Alta.

Smith, N. D Corporal Sept., 1915. . .Kamloops, B.C.

Smith, W Private 7th Mar., 1918. . .Transcona, Man.

Smith, W. T Flight Cadet Jan., 1918. . .Toronto, Ont

*Smyth, R. C Second Lieutenant 20th Oct., 1915. . .Kincaid, Sask.

Smyth, R. R Corporal, M.M Mar., 1916 ... Ponoka, Alta.

fKilled or died. *Wounded.

1

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DAT* or

KNI.IMTMENT
.24th July. 1915.
.15th Oct. 1015.
Dec.. 1915.

NAIOB RANK

*Smyth«, J. C Lieutenant.

•Sneddon, D. H Sergeant

tSnyder. W. H Lieutenant

Killed in action 24th Mar.. 1918.
"Sohier. A Sergeant

Somerville, J Staff Quartermaster

Sergeant W. O. II 10th July. 1915 .

"Soper, V. D Corporal llth Mar.. 1918.

•Spankie, H. V Captain, M.C 5th Aug., 1914.

Sparhatn, G. A Second Lieutenant 3rd July, 1917.

Spellman, J. J Corporal 46th Feb.. 1918.

Spence, J. G Second Lieutenant 1st Oct. 1917

Spracklin, R Flight Cadet 28rd Mar., 1918.

Sprague, W. F Bombardier 7th Oct. 1915

BRANCH
KNLUTTBO FBOM
Montreal. Que.
Milestone, Sask.
.East Vancouver. B.C.

•Sprpule, R. C Sergeant

**Stainton, E Second Lieutenant

Stairs, H. M Lieutenant, M.C

«flthJan., 1916... Simcoe, Ont.

. .Nutana,Sa«k.
. . Edmonton, Alt*.
. . North Winnipeg, M
. .Chatham, Ont
. . Vegreyille. Alta.
. .Timmins, Ont
..Windsor, Ont
. . Prince Atrhur

Montreal, Que.
. .Taber. Alta.
. .London, Eng.
to

ft Park.

Aug.. 1915
31st July, 1915.
Left the Bank
undertake military
service, 4th Dec.,

0 , „ 1»1« New Glasgow. N&

Stanley, H. D Second Lieutenant 30th April, 1918. . .Shellbrook, Saak,

Stanley, H. M Sergeant 5th Oct. 1915. . . Charlottetown. P.E.I.

fStanway. J. W Sergeant Aug., 1915. . .Cudworth. Sask.

Killed in action 29th Aug., 1918.

Starkey, P. D Private 15th Aug.. 1918. . . Marcelin, Sask.

Steacy, G. W Flight Cadet 22nd April, 1918. . .Shellbrook. Saak,

Steele, T Lieutenant, M.C 5th July, 1915. . .Vancouver. B.C.

Stephens, A. W Pay Sergeant 28th Sept.. 1915. . .Swift Current. Saak.

Stephenson. C. J Private 27th Sept, 1918. . .New York, N.Y, U.SJL

Stephenson, J Gunner. M.M July, 1916. . .Seaforth. Ont

Sterns, H. D Gunner 2ndNov., 1917. . .Ottawa, Ont

Stevens, F. S Regimental Sergeant-
Major. M.S.M 4th Aug.. 1914. . .Vancouver. B.C.

•Stevens. G. H Sergeant 10th Oct., 1915. . . .Crescent & St Catherine,

Montreal, Que.

Stewart, B. A Private 14th Mar., 1918. . .Kincaid, Sask.

Stewart, C. C Private. 1st May, 1916. . .Powell Street. Vancouver,

B.C.

Stewart, C. H Gunner 19th Oct., 1916. . . West Toronto, Ont

•Stewart, H. F Staff Sergeant 3rd June, 1915. . .Hanna. Alta.

tStewart, H. J Sergeant Jan., 1915. . .Moosejaw, Saak.

Died on active service 5th July, 1918.

tStewart J Sergeant 5th Aug., 1914. . .Moosejaw, Saak.

Died of wounds 27th May, 1915, while prisoner of war.

tStewart, T. E. W Lance-Corporal Jan.. 1915. . .Montreal. Que.

Killed in action l/2nd Oct.. 1916.

Stewart, T. G Signaller 6th April, 1918. . .Parry Sound. Ont

Stewart, W. J Private. 26th June. 1915. . .Hanna. Alta.

Stilt J Captain, O.B.E 14th Aug., 1914. . .Delia. Alt*.

Mentioned in Despatches.

tStockwell, S. H Sergeant Dec., 1915. . .Richmond, Que.

Killed in action 15th Aug.. 1917.

Stone, G. G Corporal April, 1917. . .Department of -The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches. Win-

fKilled or died

•Wounded.

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

NAME RANK

fStoner, A. T Lance-Corporal .

Killed in action 16th Nov.. 1917

Storr, F. C Lance-Corporal .

Storrey, L. E Gunner

Stott, R Lieutenant

DATE OF

ENLISTMENT

.13th Aug., 1915.

.27th Nov., 1915.

.19th May, 1916.

9th Aug., 1914.

St radian, A Second Lieutenant Jan., 1918 .

***Strange, G Lieutenant July, 1915.

fStriker, F. H Private 5th May, 1915.

Killed in action 4th June, 1916.

Stuart, S. J Second Lieutenant Sept., 1917 .

•Stuart, S. W Private 6th Jan., 1916.

Stubbins, G. A Sergeant 5th April, 1915.

Stubbs, H. J Corporal 21st May, 1918.

Studd, W. G Sergeant 20th Mar., 1918.

Sturgeon, R. B Sergeant Mar., 1918.

Suddaby, H. H Gunner. 80th Oct., 1917.

Summers-Gill, H. R Sergeant llth July, 1916.

fSuter, G. W Lieutenant Aug., 1915.

Killed in action 2nd Sept., 1918.

Sutherland. C. S First Lieutenant U.S.

Army 25th Aug., 1917.

fSutherland, D. A Lieutenant 15th Oct., 1915.

Killed in action 15th Oct., 1917.

Sutherland, L. J Private 20th April, 1916.

Swalwell, J. A Gunner 30th Oct., 1917.

Sweet, H. C Gunner 16th May, 1917.

*Sweetlove, C. F Private 15th Jan., 1916 .

•Swinyard, B. J Sergeant 28th Mar., 1916.

Swinyard, W. E Private 1st Sept., 1918.

Sydal, D. W. C Pay Sergeant April, 1918.

fSyddall, G. B Captain July, 1916.

Killed in action 4th Jan., 1918.

Symon, W. J. Private. .

Jan.. 1916.

BRANCH
ENLISTED FROM
.Crediton, Ont.

.London, Eng.

.Edam, Sask.

.Prince Arthur & Park.

Montreal, Que.
.Delisle, Sask.

Itmisfuil. Alta.
.Prince Arthur & Park,

Montreal, Que.
.Olds, Alta.
.Vegreville, Alta.
.Langham, Sask.
. Megantic, Que.
.1st Street West, Calgary.

Alta.

.St. Johns, Que.
.Paris, Ont.
.Nutana, Sask.
. Collingwood, Ont.

.New York, N.Y.. U.S.A.
. Montreal, Que.

. Canora, Sask.

.Sudbury, Ont.

.St. Chrysostome, Que.

.Retlaw, Alta.

.Oshawa, Ont.

.Oshawa, Ont.

. Crossfield, Alta.

.Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches, Win-
nipeg, Man.

.Walkerton, Ont.

tTainsh, G. D. M Private

Killed in action 28th April, 1917.

••Tandy, P. K Private July, 1915.

Tannahill, A. F Private 19th April, 1918.

Tannahill, J. A Lieutenant 15th Sept., 1915.

Tanner, A. B. W Gunner 20th Mar., 1916.

**Tanner, F. I Major 8th Nov., 1914.

Taylor, A. H Lieutenant 25th Oct., 1915.

*Taylor, C. H Corporal 3rd May, 1916.

•Taylor, J Private 12th Aug., 1914.

Taylor, J. T Second Lieutenant Sept., 1917.

Mar., 1915. . .Pincher Creek, Alta.

••Taylor, N. V Lieutenant. .

Taylor, R Gunner

fKilled or died. * Wounded.

,12th Aug.. 1914.
Mar., 1918.

. Winnipeg, Man.

. Bloor & Yonge, Toronto,
Ont.

.Charlottetown, P.E.I.

.Alexander Avenue, Winni-
peg, Man.

. Briercrest, Sask.

.Fredericton, N.B.

.Toronto, Ont.

. Fort Frances, Ont.

.Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Western Branches. Win-
nipeg, Man.

.Hanna, Alta.

.New Westminster, B.C.

Hi

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE or BRANCH

NAME RAMK ENUBTMKNT KMJMTCD

Taylor, S. W Lieutenant <l»t Sept.. 1916. . .Vancouver. B.C.

•Taylor, W. J Corporal 4th Mar.. 1015. . Golden. B.C.

Templeton, A. H Sergeant «5th May, 1915. . .Gleichm. Alia,

fTempleton, E. C Private Aug., 1914. Moowjaw. Sack.

Killed on active service 25th May. 1917.

Tennant D. G Corporal l«th May. 1916. . .Granum. Alta.

Thayer, W. L Gunner 6th Sept.. 1915. . .Granby. Que.

Therien, J. H Private 17th April, 1918. . .Granby, Que.

Thermaenius, J. W Private 10th Dec.. 1916. . .Edmonton. Alta.

Thomas, E. K Gunner 84th Nov., 1916. . .Nelson. B.C.

•Thomas, G. N Gunner Dec.. 1916. . .Lennoxvilie, Que.

Thompson, D. S Captain 6th Jan., 1915. . .Niagara Falls, Ont

Thompson, E. F Flight Cadet April, 1918. . .Parliament Street. Toronto.

Ont.

Thompson, F. H Private. 7th June, 1916. . .Dawson. Y.T.

Thompson, G. C Gunner April. 1918. . . Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

••Thompson, J. H Private 13th Oct.. 1915. . .Bassano, Alt*.

Thompson. M Flight Cadet Jan., 1918. . Nelson. B.C.

•Thompson, O. F Corporal «0th Mar., 1916. . . Amhent, N.S.

Thompson, R. E Flight Cadet 8th Feb., 1915. . .Sherbrooke, Que.

Thompson, V. W Lieutenant. «7th Sept., 1916. . .Ottawa. Ont.

Thomson. I). C Captain Nov.. 1914. . Shaunavon, Saak.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Thomson. J. R Lieutenant Dec., 1915. . .Toronto, OnL

Thomson. J. W Staff Sergeant. 1st Feb., 1916. . .Taber. Alta.

•fThorne. A. B Lieutenant Oct., 1914. . .Gilbeit Plains. Man.

Killed on active service 8th May. 1918.

Thome. W. E Gunner 3rd Nov.. 1915. . . Head Office, Toronto, Ont.

Thornton. C. W Lieutenant Dec.. 1915. . .Winnipeg. Man.

Thouret, A. C Sergeant. April, 1918. . .St. Catherine It City Hall,

Montreal, Que.

Thursby, M. H Lieutenant, M.M 6th July, 1915 . . . Herbert, Sask.

Tidy, S. E Lieutenant Dec., 1914 ... Mount Royal. Calgary.

Alta.

Tipper, P. A Flight Cadet tadOct, 1917. . .Brantford. Ont

Todd, S. K Signaller April, 1918. . Barrington. NS.

Toomey, W. G Lieutenant Nov., 1914. . .Edmonton. Alta.

Touchburn. K Gunner 7th Aug.. 1916. . Regina, Sask.

Tranmer. F. B Staff Sergeant 16th Dec.. 1917. . .Toronto, Ont.

Trant J. F. . .Bombardier 8th Dec.. 1916. . .Bloor It Yonge, Toronto.

Ont

•Trenouth, B. W Signaller 1st Feb., 1916. . . Orangeville, Ont

Tribe, F. F Private 17th April, 1918. . .Fort Rouge. Winnipeg.

Man.

•fTripp, C. C. H Second Lieutenant Dec., 1914. . .London, Eng.

Killed in action 13th Nov., 1916.

Troop, J. D. E Lieutenant 14th Feb.. 1916. . .Toronto, Ont.

Trow. E. M Private 6th May. 1918. . .Bloor It Lippincott Tor-
onto, Ont

fTucker, W Lance-Corporal 1st Dei-.. 1914. . .St John'a. N8d.

Died of wounds 25th Oct.. 1915.

fTuckwell, H. A. H Lieutenant «8th Feb.. 1917. . .North Victoria, B.C.

Killed in action 4th July, 1918.

Tuckwell, H. T Private 14th Feb.. 1916. . .Department of The Super-
intendent of Central
Weatern Branchea. Win-
nipeg, Man.
t Killed or died. •Wounded.

Itii

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

NAME
*Turk,S

RANK

.Lieutenant.. .

DATE OF

ENLISTMENT
.13th Sept., 1915.

Turnbull. N. M Bombardier 4th Feb., 1910.

Turner, A Private.

*Turner, H. M Sergeant

***Tweedy, C. O Private

*Tydd, E. F. P Lieutenant

fTydd, W. J. S Lieutenant

Died of wounds 22nd Jan., 1917.
Tylor, H. E Captain.

Jan., 1916.
16th Nov., 1914.
4th April, 1915.
... Sept., 1914.

Aug., 1915.

80th Sept., 1915.
Tyrwhitt, J. A. G Corporal, M.M 15th Feb., 1917.

BRANCH

ENLISTED FROM

. MountPleasant, Vancouver,

B.C.

.Tugaske, Sask.
.Calgary, Alta.
.Athabasca, Alta.
.Saskatoon, Sask.
.Strathcona, Alta.
.Hardisty, Alta.

.St. Thomas, Ont.

. Department of The Super-
intendent of Pacific Coast
Branches, Vancouver,
B.C.

Ure, W Private May, 1917. . .Vancouver, B.C.

Usher, W. R Flight-Lieutenant Nov., 1917 ... Kingston, Ont.

Valleau, E. H Second Lieutenant Feb., 1917. . .Bank Street, Ottawa, Ont.

•Van de Water, J. P Sergeant 15th Nov., 1915 . . . Calgary, Alta.

Vane-Yarrow. R. G Captain 20th Nov., 1915. . .Nanaimo, B.C.

*Van Someren, A. W. E. . . .Lieutenant 6th Mar., 1916. . .Brantford, Ont.

Verity, R. E Gunner Feb., 1918. . .Thorold, Ont.

*Vid!er, A. G. A Lieutenant, M.C 4th Aug., 1914. . .Vancouver, B.C.

•Vidler, N. W Staff Sergeant 31st Oct., 1915. . .Rivers, Man.

*Vining, J. G Lieutenant July 1916. . .Sherbrooke, Que.

*Vipond, H. K Second Lieutenant Oct., 1915. . .London, Eng.

tVradenburg, W Gunner Oct., 1916. . .North Hatley, Que.

Killed in action 3rd Sept., 1918.

Vradenburgh, J. C Second Air Mechanic. . . . 15th Oct., 1917. . .Regina, Sask.

Walcot, H. C Captain, M.C 15th June, 1915. . .Winnipeg, Man.

Waldron, L. T Corporal 15th Sept., 1916. . .Kamloops, B.C.

*Walkden, H. St. J Lieutenant 15th Aug., 1915. . .Watson, Sask.

*Walker, D. R. A Lieutenant. July, 1916. . .Bloor & Yonge, Toronto,

Ont.

Walker, J. C. E Lieutenant Dec., 1914 . . .New Westminster,' B.C.

*Walker, J. V Lance-Corporal 19th Feb., 1915. . .Strathcona, Alta.

Walker, R. L Second Lieutenant 4th Jan., 1918 . . . Monitor, Alta.

Walker, T. F. B Corporal Aug., 1917. . .Toronto, Ont.

Walker, W Flight Cadet Sept.. 1918. . .Calgary, Alta.

*Walkinshaw, W Corporal 22ndFeb., 1916. . .Hardisty, Alta.

•Wallace, P. M Second Lieutenant Nov., 1917 ... Moosejaw, Sask.

Wallinger, G. A Private Left the Bank to

undertake mili-
tary service, 25th

July, 1916 Cranbrook, B.C.

**Walthew, F. S Lieutenant. Dec., 1914. . .London, Eng.

*Walton, F. H Lieutenant 13th Aug., 1914 ... North Battleford, Sask.

•Walton, J. M Lieutenant Oct., 1914. . .Saskatoon, Sask.

Ward, C. N Driver 24th July, 1916. . .Toronto, Ont.

fWard, F. E Private 26th Mar., 1918. . .Halifax, N.S.

Died on active service 2nd March, 19i9.

fWard, L. C Private Feb., 1916. . .Dunham, Que.

Killed in action 5th November, 1917.
Ward, R. J Private Sept., 1915. . .Lethbridge, Alta.

fKilled or died. *Wounded.

liv

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

NAMB

fWard, W. G

RANK

Signaller

DATS or
ENLISTMENT
Sept 1917

BRANCH
ENLISTED FBOM

Killed in action
Warner, H. S

fth November. 1918.

....19th Sept 1918

Waterman. A. H...

. . Captain . .

AoriLl915..

H*atinn & CamKi* V.n.

Waters, D. S Private 17th Jan., 1918.

•Watkins, L. S Lance-Corporal 26th June, 1916.

Wateon. C. D Sergeant tad Oct., 1915.

Wateon. C. H. A Private July. 1918.

Wateon, H. C Signaller 6th April, 1918.

•Watson. H. R Private May. 1915 .

tWaLson. J. S Corporal Left the Bank to

couver, B.C.
KHscoty, Alt*.
Toronto, OnL
New Glaagow. N.S.
Youngstown. Alt*.
Stratford, Ont
MooMJaw, Saak.

Died of wounds 5th May, 1918.

Watson. M. E .Bombardier.

return to Old
Country to join
the R.N.R.
April. 1915...
April, 1918.

Park.

Aug.. 1914.

April, 1915.

Peterboro, Ont

Prince Arthur fc
Montreal, Que.

Alexander Avenue, Winni-
peg, Man.

Elaine Lake. Saak.

fWateon. N. C Second Lieutenant. . . .

Killed in action 24th April, 1917.

fWatson, P. B Corporal

Killed in action 27th June. 1916.
•Wateon. R. J Sergeant 31st July, 1916.

Watson, R. M Major 9th Nov., 1914. . .Smith's Falls, Ont

Watson, W Gunner Mar., 1918. . .Vancouver, B.C.

Watson. W. Leslie Sergeant llth Mar., 1918. . .Vancouver, B.C.

Watson, W. Linton Lieutenant Nov., 1915. . .Strathcona, Alt*.

•Watson, W. M Gunner Aug., 1914.

•Watt, A. M Second Lieutenant «lst Aug., 1915.

•Watt, F. J Lieutenant Aug., 1915.

Watte, C. A. L Lieutenant Irt Feb.. 1916.

•Watte. H. T Lieutenant June 1917.

Weber. L. L Flight Cadet Slst April, 1918.

.Saskatoon. Saak.

.Bengough, Saak.
. Nanton, Alta.
.Gait Ont
.Toronto, Ont
.Riverhurst Saak.
Belleville, Ont

fWebster, F. C Sergeant July. 1917. . .Tflbonburg. Ont

Accidentally drowned 19th July. 1918.

fWebster, R. L. Corporal 80th Dec., 1914. . .Calgary, Alta.

Killed in action 18th Nov., 1916.

Wedd, G. M Gunner 28th Feb., 1917. . .Head Office, Toronto, Ont.

*Weddell, W. A Sergeant 20th May, 1916. . .Montreal. Que.

••Weir. J. W. O Private Aug., 1914. . . Watrous, Saak.

Weir, N. B Signaller 15th Mar., 1918. . .Hamilton. Ont

Wells, L. G Private «0th Oct. 1915. . .Dresden. Ont

•Wells, N. L Captain 22nd July, 1915. . .Regina, Saak.

Mentioned in Despatches.

Wells, T. H Flight Cadet 6th Feb., 1918. . .Kitchener, Ont

Wells, W. J Coxswain, U.S. Navy . . . 18th July, 1918. . .Portland. Ore.. U.S.A.

West, M. C Sergeant 9th May, 1918. . .Biggar, Sask.

•West R. D Lieutenant July, 1915. . .Winnipeg. Man.

•••West W. C Lieutenant 29th July, 1915. . .1st Street West, Calgary,

Alta.

••Whaley. C. D Lieutenant 17th June, 1915. . .Delisle. Saak.

Whaley. G. B Corporal 8th Dec., 1917. . .Vancouver, B.C.

tWheadon, N. A Lance-Corporal, M.M. . . Oct., 1914 . . . Market Toronto, Ont.

Died of wounds 10th April, 1917.

Wheeler, A Flight Cadet June, 1916 ... Winnipeg. Man.

•White, C. S Signaller 19th Feb., 1916. . .Carmangay, Alta.

fKilled or died.

•Wounded.

IT

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE or BRANCH

NAMK RANK ENLISTMENT ENLISTED FROM

White, M. F Flight Cadet 1st Mar., 1918. . .Vulcan. Alta.

White, M. H Gunner 25th Oct., 1917. . .Vulcan, Alta.

White, T. M Flight Cadet 3rd Jan., 1918. . .Ingersoll, Ont.

Whitehead, G Company Quartermaster-
Sergeant 24th Aug., 1915 . . . Penticton, B.C.

Whiteside, G. M Private May, 1918. . .Rivera, Man.

*Whittaker, C. G Lance-Corporal Jan., 1915 ... Market, Toronto, Ont.

*Whittaker, R. H Lieutenant Aug., 1914. . .Toronto, Ont.

Whyte, F Gunner Jan., 1917. . .Gilbert Plains, Man.

Whyte, J. G Sergeant Oct., 1917. . .Delia, Alta.

**Whyte, M Corporal 12th Aug., 1914. . .Youngstown, Alta.

Wickham, B. R Gunner 1st Jan., 1917. . .Belleville, Ont.

Wigle, C. E Gunner 5th April, 1917. . . Windsor, Ont.

fWilbraham-Taylor, H Private Aug., 1914 . . . Fernie, B.C.

Killed in action 24th April, 1915.

••Wilcox, E. R. C Major, M.C 15th June, 1915 . . . Melfort, Sask.

Mentioned in Despatches.

*Wilde, J. P Private 2nd Sept., 1916. . .Yellowgrass, Sask.

Wilkinson, A. B Lieutenant 12th Aug., 1914 . . .Kingston, Ont.

Wilkinson, J Private June, 1916. . .Stationery Department,

Head Office, Toronto,
Ont.

Willet, R. L Private 14th Mar., 1918. . .Moncton, N.B.

fWilliams, A. P Private 25th Sept., 1915. . . Cowansville, Que.

Killed in action 19th Nov., 1916.

Williams, E. A Flight Cadet 7th May, 1918. . .Provost, Alta.

Williams, H. C Flight Cadet 10th Sept., 1918. . .Gait, Ont.

Williams, H. P. Captain, M.C

Mentioned in Despatches.
Two Parchment Certificates for Gallantry in the Field.

Aug., 1915 . . . Grouard, Alta.

Williams, J. S Captain Feb., 1915 . . .Winnipeg, Man.

'Williams, J. W Private 9th Mar., 1916. . .Yellowgrass, Sask.

Williams, V CompanySergeant-Major24th Jan., 1916. . .Beebe, Que.

'Williamson, H. C Corporal Mar., 1916. . . Athabasca, Alta.

"tWilliamson, J Private Oct., 1914. . .Hanna, Alta.

Killed in action 26th Sept., 1916.

Wilson, Adam Captain 8th Feb., 1915. . .West End, Sault Ste.

Marie, Ont.

*Wilson, Alex Lance-Corporal 23rd June, 1915. . .Melville, Sask.

Wilson, A. G Lieutenant 26th Nov., 1917. . .London, Eng.

"tWilson, A. M Corporal May, 1916. . .Springhill, N.S.

Killed in action 15th Aug., 1917.

"Wilson, C. W Private 12th Feb., 1915. . . East Vancouver, B.C.

**Wilson, D. A Lieutenant Oct., 1914 Montreal, Que.

Wilson, D. E Sapper 17th Nov., 1915. . .Barrie, Ont.

Wilson, G. P Lieutenant. 10th Sept., 1916. . .Saskatoon, Sask.

fWilson, H. F. Private May, 1916. . .Winnipeg, Man.

Killed in action 30th Oct., 1917.

*Wilson, H. J. M Driver 15th Dec., 1916. . .Market, Toronto, Ont.

*Wilson, J Private Aug., 1915 . . .Stationery Department,

HeadOffice,Toronto,Ont.

*tWilson, J. W Lieutenant 1st Sept, 1915. . .Cranbrook, B.C.

Killed in action 27th Dec., 1917.

**Wilson, R. W Private 8th Feb., 1917. . .Smith's Falls, Ont.

*Winnall, E. I Captain 4th June, 1915. . Bedford, Que.

fKilled or died. 'Wounded.

Ivi

ENLISTMENTS FROM THE BANK

DATE or
NAIM RANK EKLUTMBCT ENUVTKD rmm

•Winning. II A Privmte 7th Mar.. 1910. . . Yonge ft Queen. Toronto.

(hit

•Winning, J. P Sergeant, M.S.M 7th Nov.. 1914. . Bengough. Sank.

•fWittet A. C Private Sept, 1915 . . LethbndM. Alta.

Killed in action 21st July. 1917.

Wood, C. M Lieutenant 12th Feb.. 1916 Toronto. On t.

Wood. Miss E V.A.D.. St John Am-

bulance Brigade 14th May. 1918. . .Vancouver. B.C.

Wood. J Corporal 24th Sept, 1914 . . . Port France*. Ont

Woodard, R. M Private 10th July. 1918. . .Tugaake, Sack.

•Woodcock, D Captain Aug., 1914. . .Wetaskiwin, Alta.

Woods. A. R Private 28th Dec , 1915. . .Calgary, Alta.

••Woods, H. M Lieutenant 12th April, 1915. . ReUaw. Alta.

•Woods, T. P Private 7th Mar.. 1916 . Yonge It College. Tomato,

Ont.

tWoodward, I Private April, 1916. . . Vegreville. Alta.

Killed in action 10th Aug., 1918.

Woodward, K. B Sergeant 6th May, 1918. . .Nanaimo, B.C.

Woolley, D. B Lieutenant Returned to Eng-
land to enlist

Oct., 1914 EarUcourt Toronto, Ont.

Woolley. S. V Private 8th Aug., 1914. . .Montreal. Qu«.

Wray. E. J Private 2nd Jan.. 1915. . .Edmonton, Alta.

••Wray, W. L. Lieutenant July, 1915 ....Prince Albert, Saak.

Wright, D. E Private (U.S. Army). . .21st May, 1917. . Portland, Ore., U.S.A.

••Wright, H Lieutenant 24th Aug., 1914. . .Fort Frances, Ont

Wyatt F. M Captain 15th Feb., 1916. . .Department of The Super-
intendent of Eastern
Township Branches,
Sherbrooke, Que.

Wylde, H. G Private 2nd Aug.. 1915. . . Halifax. N.S.

Wylie, J. H. Sapper 28th Mar., 1916. . .Stony Plain, Alta.

•Wynne, W. D Lieutenant M.C 25th Mar., 1915. . . Mount Royal, Calgary, Alta.

Wynne-Roberts, Miss B. A.Nurse V.A.D 13th Sept.. 1916. . .Toronto, Ont.

Yeats, F. W Sergeant June, 1917. . .Stonv Plain, Alta.

fYeo, E. L Second Lieutenant Aug., 1914. . .London, Eng.

Died of wounds 7th Oct., 1916.

Young, C. E Sergeant 24th Feb., 1915. . . Tillsonburg. Ont.

Young, E. C Gunner May. 1918. . .St Catherine & City Hall.

Montreal. Que.

Young, W Private 4th Mar.. 1916. . . Milk River. Alta.

Young, W. R Lieutenant Sept, 1917. . .Swift Current Saak.

Enlistments from The Dominion Realty Company,
Limited, Toronto.

Bennett E Sergeant Jan., 1916

Graham, C. W Lance-Corporal 12th Nov., 1914

Jeceph, E Private 23rd April, 1918

Jones, D. E Private 10th April, 1916

Knott E Sergeant 15th Mar., 1916

MacRae, A. G Private 12th Jan.. 1916

•McLean, A. D Regimental Quarter-
master Sergeant 18th Oct. 1914

Nicoll, J Captain 18th Dec,, 1915

Radcliffe, W Corporal 19th Nov.. 1914

fKilled or died. *Wounded.

Ivii

We publish portraits of those of our staff who gave their

lives in the War, and of those who were decorated

or mentioned in despatches.

THE LATE SECOND LIEUTENANT EDMUND DE WIND. V.C.

(MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES)
15th BATTALION, ROYAL IRISH RIFLES

Killed in action on 21st March. 1918.
NOTIFICATION or VICTOBIA CROSS AWARD FROM THE LONDON GAIRTE or 15m MAT. 1919.

"For most conspicuous bravery and •elf-sacrifice on the 41«t March. 1918, at the Race
Course Redoubt, near Groupie.

"Forseven hours he held this most important post, and though twice wounded and practically
single-handed, he maintained his position until another section could be got to his help.

"On two occasions, with two N.C.O.'s only, he opt out on top under heavy machine-gun and
rifle fire, and cleared the enemy out of the trench, killing many.

"He continued to repel attack after attack until he was mortally wounded and coUapard.
Hi* valour, self-sacrifice and example were of the highest order."

Ixi

A. W. AITCHISON

Lieutenant, Military Cross. Died of wounds
13th May, 1916.

M. S. ALDRICH

Private. Killed in action
15th August, 1917.

A. M. ALEXANDER

Second Lieutenant. Killed in action

8th December, 1917

(Brother of the late Second Lieutenant

P. M. Alexander).

P. M. ALEXANDER

Second Lieutenant. Died of wounds

30th July, 1916.

Ixii

G. F. ALLAN

La nee- Corporal. Killed in action
13th June. 1010.

ARTHUR H. ALLEN

Second Lieutenant. Killed in action
4th October. 1*17.

B. S. ANDERSON

Signaller. Killed in action

eeth August. 1*17

R. ANDERSON

Private. Killed in action

«Mh May. 1915.

Ixiii

R. M. APPLEBY

La nee-Corpora I. Killed in action
22nd August, 1917.

W. R. ARCHIBALD

Second Lieutenant. Killed in action
27th June, 1918.

R. D. ARDEN

Second Lieutenant. Killed in action
7th October, 1916.

G. H. ARMSTRONG

Lieutenant. Died on active service

28th October, 1918.

briv

S BAD LEY

Private. Killed in action

8th May. 1015.

C. T. BALDERSTON
Second Lieutenant Died of
««th June. 1917.

L, H. BARNARD

Lieutenant. Killed in action
«Mh August, 1010.

F. F. BARNES

Private. Killed in action

ttnd May. "I*.

Izv

F. L. BATEMAN
Gunner. Died on active service
llth December, 1918.

L. M. BEAN

Private. Killed in action
2SrdIApril, 1915.

R. S. M. BEATSON

Lieutenant. Killed in action
2nd July, 1916.

J. H. BEATTY

Private. Killed in action

lit April, 1918.

bcvi

G. A. BECK

Lieutenant. Killed in action
9th April. 1917.

D. H BELL

Captain. Military Croa.. Killed in action
8th October. 1*16.

J. M G. BELL

Lieutenant. Military Cro§§. Died of wounds
llth October, 1918.

A. W. BBVAN

Private. Killed in artioa
9th Au«ujt, 191*.

livii

F. BLACK

Corporal. Killed in action
2nd December, 1015.

F. P. BLACKLAY

Private. Killed in action

26th Oct., 1915.

H. BLACKWOOD

Private. Killed in action

25th February, 1017.

W. M. BLOTT

Lieutenant. Died of wounds, while a prisoner of war
l.Sth May, 1917.

Ixviii

P. E. O. BOOTH

S-. .UK! lieutenant. Killed in action
lit July. 1010.

F. C. J. BRAKK

Second Ijeutrnant. Killni in action
<1M March. 1018.

II. I.. BREAKEY

Lieutenant. Killed on active service
15th July. 1918.

D. P. BRKNNAN
Lieutenant. Died on active aerrire
Hlli November. 1918.

Ixix

R. D. BRISCOE

Lieutenant. Killed on active service
6th January, 1915.

R. R. P. BROWN

Lance-Corporal. Died of wounds

27th October. 1917.

A. E. BROWNE

Lieutenant. Killed in action
9th April, 1917.

H. R. V. BUCHANAN

Private. Died of wounds
27th September, 1918.

Ixx

C. E. BUZZELL

Lance-Corporal. Died on active Mnrice
<4th December. 1910.

1. CAGNEY

Private. Died of wound*
30th March. 1016.

L. E. CALLAGHAN

Private. Killed in action
1 Sth October. 1018.

P. B. CAMERON

Lieutenant Died of vouadt

l»th Aon*. »•>••

Ini

G. J. CAMERON

Private. Killed in action

1st October, 1018.

D. J. M. CAMPBELL

Lieutenant. Killed in action

12th July, 1916.

W. L. CARMICHAEL

Lieutenant. Killed in action
17th August, 1917.

J. M. CHILD

Captain. Military Cross, Mentioned in Despatches.

Belgian Order of Leopold, Belgian Croiz de Guerre.

Killed on active service 23rd August, 1918.

Ixxii

T. A. CHRISTIE

Sergeant-Major. Died of wounds

8th June, 1910.

J. O. CLARINGBOLD

Private Killed in action

3rd (Mober. 1018.

G. E. CLARKK

Second Lieutenant. Killed in action
<3r<l July. 1916.

j. am IK

Private. Killed in action
30th October. 1917.

Ixxiii

J. M. CRAM

Lieutenant. Killed on active service
etitli August, 1918.

J. CRAMP

Private. Died on active service
*7th October, 1918.

M. S. CRAWFORD

Corporal. Died on active service

12th October, 1918.

E. \V. A. CRONHELM

Gunner. Died of wounds

8th May. 1917.

Ixxiv

J. C. CURRIE

Private. Killed in action
9th April. 1917.

F. P. B. DARI.KY

Private. Died of wound*

ttnd November. 1BI«.

C. De FALLOT

Captain. Died of wound*

15th July. 1015.

R. S. DEfKI.

Laace-Corporal. Died in a Oman hocpiuL

while a priaoner of war.

«8th June. 1917.

htxv

C. F. DICK

Private. Killed in action

30th October, 1917.

F. E. DODGE

Private. Killed in action
mh October, 1915.

W. L. DONALD

Gunner. Killed in action

30th September, 1918.

W. H. DORE

Captain. Killed in action
9th August, 1918.

bucvi

K. IWt MMOND-HAY

Lieutenant. Killed in notion

<nd September, 1918.

G. DUFF

Sergeant. Killed in artion
«7th April. !•»

G. C. DUFFUS

Laoce-Corporal. Died of woundx
<4th Derember, 1916.

L. T. DULEY

Lieutenant. Killed in •rtioo
«Hh September. 1B1H.

Ixxvii

H. A. DUNCAN

Captain. Killed in action

9th October. 1916.

W. A. ELDERKIN

Private. Killed in action
2/4th June, 1916.

L. ELSLEY

Lieutenant. Killed in action
5th April, 1917.

F. L. EMMERSON

Private. Killed in action
1st May, 1917.

Ixxviii

E. H. KXSHAXV

Private. Died of wounds

18th Augu»t. 1917.

W. H. FALKNER

Second Ijeutenant. Killed in acti
*0th October. 1917.

R. F. FANE

Private. Killed in action

Mth November. 1917.

R. M. FERGUSON

Second Lieutenant. Killed in art ion

13th November. 1916.

Ixxix

K. C. FINDLAY

Lance-Corporal. Killed in action
7th October, 1916.

I. M. FISHER

Lance-Corporal. Died of wounds
16th August, 1917.

E. FITTON

Private. Died of wounds
29th July, 1916.

F. G. FLOWER

Second Lieutenant. Killed in action
18th December, 1917.

Ixxx

I. G. FORBES

Flight Cadet. Died on active service
80th October. 1918.

J. A. M. FORBES

Private. Killed in action

1 Ith September. 1916.

W. H. FOWLER

Private. Killed in action
«7th April, 1915

G. W. A. FRASER

Sergeant. Killed in action

13th June. 1916.

Ixxxi

J. FREEMAN

Private. Died on active service
«6th February, 1917.

O. K. J. V. FRIJS

(Count, Peerage of Denmark)

Private. Killed in action

15th November, 1915.

W. N. GALAUGHER

Lieutenant. Killed in action

20th March, 1915.

C. S. GARDEN

Lieutenant. Killed on active service
ind June, 1918.

Ixxxii

D. P. GIBSON

Second Lieutenant. Died on artive service
July, 1918.

J. A. K G1I.DKA

Second Lieutenant. Killed in action

lltli July. I9IB

N. A. Gil LESPIE

Prirate. Died in a German hospital

««h April. 1915.

V. A. GII.I.ESPIE

Private. Died of wounds

1st October. 1»17.

Izzxiii

F. F. GODSMAN

Private. Died of wounds

21st June, 1017.

A. G. H. GODWIN

Private. Killed in action

21«t August, 1917.

W. H. GOODALE

Lieutenant. Killed in action

1st August, 1918

C. GORDON

Lieutenant. Killed in action
26th September, 1916.

Ixxxiv

D. E. GORDON

Second Lieutenant. Killed in action
14th July. 1916

J. K. GRAY

Lance-CorporaL Died ol wouixli
<Hth December. 1917.

F. J. GUY

Private. Killed in action
'.ttli April. 1917.

G. K HALES

Private. Killed in action

15th September. 1916.

Ixxxv

" R. N. HANNA

Private. Killed in action
t • L*8th April, 1917.

A. \V. HARDING

Private. Killed in action

6th November. 1917.

C. A. HARRIS

Second Lieutenant. Died of wounds
3rd November, 1916.

C. D. HARRISON

Flight Cadet. Died of injuries

«7th June, 1918.

Ixxxvi

F. HARRISON

Sergeant. Killed in action
83rd May. 1015.

II \\ HARRISON

Second lieutenant. Mentioned in Despatches
Died of wounds
JMh June. 1917.

V. O. A.rHART

Private. Died of wounds

lltb August. 1818.

J. A. C. HENDERSON

Signaller. Died on active service

*8th October. 1018.

Ixxxvii

W. HENDERSON

Sergeant. Killed in action

12th November. 1917

R. E. G. HENRY

Corporal. Killed in action
28th September, 1918.

R. S. HILLARY

Signaller. Died of wounds.

4th April, 1917.

W. E. HOAD

Gunner. Killed in action
30th March, 1918.

Ixxxviii

J. T. in i \ If I

I.anre-Corporal. Died on

•24th January. 1915.

S. HODGK

Phvatr. Killed in motion
1 till September. 1918.

G. K HOLLAND

Lieutenant. Killed in action

eth November, 1017.

D. B. HOPE

Driver. Killed in artic
13th August. 1917.

Ixxxix

I. H. HUEHN

Private. Killed in action

4th June, 1916.

E. IBBOTSON

Second Lieutenant. Military Cross. Killed in action
llth April, 1917.

G. M. INGMIRE

Assistant Paymaster (R.N.It.)

Died on active service

7th August. 1916.

W. P. IRVINE

Private. Killed in action

3rd May, 1917.

G. H. JACKSON

Gunner. Killed in action
.'Tlli Marrh. 1916.

J. R. JESSOP

('•plain. Killed in art ion
fllh Ortober. 1*16.

R. E. N. JONES

Lieutenant. Killed in action

8th April. 1916.

J. R. KEITH

Componx Sergeant -Major. Died on artiv* aenrice
17th February. 1913

A. M. KERR

Corporal. Died of wounds

26th September, 1916.

A. E. KINGHAN

Lieutenant. Two Parchment Certificates for Gallantry

in the Field. Killed in action

6th September, 1916.

G. C. LAMB

I«ance-Corporal. Died of wounds while a

prisoner of war
24th March, 1918.

M. P. LANE

Lieutenant. Killed in action
28th September, 1916

G. E. LATIMER

Private. Died of wound*

»tli April, 1017

F. K. LEFROY

Second Lieutenant. IHed of mounds
7th April. 1917.

E. G. LEITCH

H»iiil>ardicr. Killed in action
10th July. 1917.

G. M. LtTHICD

Second Lieutenant. Killed on acti\-e •erviec
<Srd July. 1915.

W. S. LINDSAY
Private. Died of wounds
llth June, 1917.

C. W. LIPSHAM

Private. Killed in action

17th May, 1915.

R. W. R. LITCHFIELD
Flight Cadet. Killed on active service
2nd May, 1918.

R. M. IJV1NGSTONE

Private. Died of wounds

27th October, 1916.

St.G. O. LLOYD

Sergeant Mentioned in Deipatches. Killed in met ion
I'.ttli February. 1917.

C. D. LLWYD

Captain. Military Croaa. Killed in art ion
lit October. 1918.

W. B. LOGAN

Private. Killed in action

9th October. 1910

J. LOW

Private. Killed in MUM
18th May. 1915.

M. M. LUPTON

Company Sergeant-Major. Killed in action
9th April, 1917.

W. H. LYALL

Private. Killed in action
29th September, 1918.

C. A. LYNCH

Private. Killed in action
24th March, 1918.

L. G. LYON

Lieutenant. Died of wounds
llth September, 1918.

K. H. C. MACARDLE

Second Lieutenant. Killed in action

Oth July. 1916.

E. C. MacCALLUM

Lieutenant. Killed in arti.
Slit October. 1917.

W. B. MarDUKF

Second Lieutenant. Killed in action

•ind December. 1917

A. R. MACKEDIE

Captain. Killed in action
*8th August. 191*.

W. A. G. MacKENZIE

Lieutenant. Killed in action

20th September. 1918

A. P. MacMILLAN

Lieutenant. Military Cross. Killed in action
26th August, 1018.

M. MacRAE

Lieutenant. Military Cross. Killed in action
20th September, 1918.

G. R. A. MAITLAND

Lance-Corporal. Killed in action
3rd May, 1017.

K. L. MARTIN

Lance-Corporal. Killed in action
Htli February. 1918.

MR. A. MARTIN-DAVEY

Drowned in the "Liuitania" disaster oa Tib May. 1915.

while returning to Kmrland lo undertake military

duty.

C. A. MATHESON

Private. Killed in action

<8th October. 1917.

E C. MKK

Lieutenant. Killed in action
3rd September. 1916.

XC1X

J. N. MEE
Lieutenant. Killed in action

25th June, 1018.

(Brother of the late Lieutenant

E. C. Mee)

R. D. MILES

Second Lieutenant. Military Cross Died of wounds
17th August, 1917.

R. B. MILLER

Corporal. Killed in action
3rd August, 1016.

E. C. W. MOCKLER

Lance-Corporal. Died of wounds
7th May, 1015.

( . K B. MOGG

I.iriitriuiiii. Killt-i) in action
llth November. 1917.

W. V. MOORE
Ueutenant. Died on active
Srd March. Itl9.

II P. MORGAN

Lieutenant. Military Medal. Killed in action
0th October. 1018.

E. L. MORI.KY

Lieutenant. Killed on active «i»k*
ttth July. 1918.

A. G. MORRIS

Second Lieutenant. Died of wounds
10th June, 1916.

H. MORRISON

Major. Mentioned in Despatches. Killed in action
23rd April, 1918.

A. E. B. MORTON

Lieutenant. Killed in action
24th September, 1916.

F. M. MURPHY
Lieutenant. Mentioned in Despatches. Died of

wounds
2nd September, 1918.

R. B. MCCARTHY

Lieutenant. Killed in action
9th April, 1017.

J. A. B. McCLURE

CapUin. Killed in action
«l«t August. 1(17

A. A. MCDONALD

Flight Cadet. Died on active service
5th January. 1919.

.1 .1 M.KM HI UN
Gunner. Died on active
«4th March. 1917.

J. W. McFARLAND

Private. Killed in action

3rd June, 1916.

L. H. McHARG

Lieutenant. Killed in action
31st July, 1918.

H. McINNES

Private. Killed in action

30th October, 1917.

F. C. McKENNA

Private. Killed in action

t2nd October, 1918.

J. D. McNULTY

iiiiirr Killed in art ion
Mth May. 1917.

T. G. MrTAGGART
Gunner. Killed in action
Ur. IB18.

H. P. NEIL

Gunner. Killed in action
l*th December. 1917.

I. L. K. MTTALL

Priviitc. Killed on active
Srd (Vtoiirr. 1915.

.1 R. ORR

Lieutenant. Killed in action
9th August, 1918.

P. R. PAE

Lieutenant. Died of wounds.
1st October, 1918.

G. W. PARKER
Private. Died on
«0th January, 1919.

N. T. PATERSON

Private. Died of wound*

23rd September, 1916.

F. W. PATON

Lieutenant. Killed in action
16th August. 1017.

G. STEWART PATTERSON

Private. Died on active wrvice

8th March. 1915.

N. K. PATTON

Private. Killed in art ion

4th June. 1016.

M. A. PEAUM)N

Bombardier. Killnl in m lion
6th Aufput. 1018.

J. C. PETTES

Private. Killed in action
19th May, 1918.

T. H. O. PHAIR

Flight Cadet. Died on active service
14th June, 1918.

G. M PIRIE.

Private. Died of wounds
1st July, 1915.

D. M. PITTENDRIGH

Private. Died of wounds

2nd May. 1916.

L. PLAYNE

Second Lieutenant. Killed in action
*7th March, 1918.

A. U. POLE

Private. Killed in action

tad September. 1918.

M. A. PRATTE

Private. Killed in action
Oth August, 1918.

w.

Ijcutrnant. Killed in action
<7th September. 19IK.

C. C. PURDY

Flight Lieutenant. Killed in action
15th February. 1918.

S. H. RAPSON

Private Died of wounds

8th May, 1917.

C. W. F. RAWLE

Second Lieutenant. Killed in action

4/5th April, 1916.

H. G. RAYMOND

Sergeant. Died of wounds

27th June, 1916.

' S. T. READ
Private. Died of wounds
•Mtli April. 1916.

A. J. RKII)

Private. Killed in action
ttrd Marrh, 1918.

C. A. RICHARDS

Private. Died of woundj

2nd June. 1910.

N. H. RICKKTTS

Lieutenant Died of wound*

Sltt December. 1915.

I

J. S. RODGERSON

Lieutenant. Killed in action
18th May, 1917.

G. ROGERS

Corporal. Killed in action
6th June, 1916.

H. J. ROULEAU

Private. Died of wounds

13th September, 1917.

G. RUBERY

Lance-Corporal. Died on active aervice
«9th May, 1918.

cxn

J. E. RYERSON

Captain. Distinguished Service Order. Mentioned in
Despatches. Killed in action
19th September. 1916.

W. A. RYMAL

Second Lieutenant. Killed on active
5th September. 1918.

E. RYRIE

Lieutenant. Killed in action
17th July. 1917

L. A. SANDS

Flight Lieutenant Killed in action
ttnd March. 1818.

C. V. C. SCOTT

Private. Died of wounds

5th December, 1916.

J. R. D. SCOTT

Private. Accidentally drowned

23rd December. 1915.

P. B. SHAW

Gunner. Died of wounds
13th October, 1918.

J. D. SHEPPARD

Lieutenant. Died on active service
7th November, 1918.

criv

S. B. SIMPSON
Lieutenant. Mentioned jn Despatches. Killed in

action
1st October, 1916.

N. F. SINCLAIR
Sergeant-Major. Mentioned in Despatches. Died on

active service
«nd September. 1917.

G. C. M. SKEAD

Sergeant. Killed in action
17th September. 1016.

G. F. SKELTON

Private. Died of wounds

Uth September. 1916.

» * G. F. SMALL

Flight' Cadet. Died on active service
12th May, 1918.

.; B. SMILL1E

Sergeant. Died of wounds

14th November, 1917.

D. R. M SMITH

Second Lieutenant. Killed in action

27th May, 1918.

L. C. D. SMITH

Private. Died of wound*
30th September, 1918.

W. H. SNYDER

Lieutenant. Killed in action
24th March. 1918.

J. W. STANWAY

Sergeant. Killed in action

*9th Auiru.t. I»IH.

H. J. STKWAKT

Sergeant. Died on active tervice

5th July. 1018.

J. STEWART
Sergeant. Died of wounds, while • priaooer of war in

Germany
<7th May. 1914.

T. E. W. STEWART
Lance-Corporal. Killed in action
lst-2nd October, 1916.

S. H. STOCKWELL

Sergeant. Killed in action

15th August, 1917.

A. T. STONER

Lance-Corporal. Killed in action
16th November, 1917.

F. H. STRIKER

Private. Killed in action

4th June, 1916.

G. W. SI.TER

Lieutenant. Killed in action

2nd September, 1918.

D. A. SUTHERLAND

Lieutenant. Killed in action
1Mb October. 1917

G. B. SYDDALL

Captain. Killed in action
4th January, 1918.

G. D. M. TAINSH

Private. Killed in action
<8th April. 1917.

E. C. TEMPLETON

Private. Killed on active service

25th May. 1917.

A. B. THORNE

Lieutenant. Killed on active service
8th May, 1918.

C. C. H. TRIPP

Second Lieutenant. Killed in action
13th November, 1916.

W. TUCKER

Lance-Corporal. Died of wounds
25th October, 1915

H. A. H. TUCKWELL

I Jeutenant. Killed in action
4th July. 1018.

W. J. S. TYDD

l.i.-utriintit. Died of wound*
**nd Jnimnry. 1017

\\ VRADENBURG

Gunner. Killed in action

3rd September. 1018.

F. E. WARD
Private. Died on act.ve
ind March. 1010.

L. C. WARD

Private. Killed in action

5th November, 1917.

W. G. WARD

Signaller. Killed in action
5th November, 1918.

J. S. WATSON

Corporal. Died of wounds

5th May. 1918.

N. C. WATSON

Second Lieutenant. Killed in action
24th April. 1917

P. B. WATSON

Corporal. Killed in notion

«7th June. 1918.

F. C. WKBSTKR

Servant. Accidentally drowned
l!Hli July. IBIS.

R. L. WEBSTER

Corporal. Killed in action
18th November. 1010.

N. A. \VHKADON

l-anrr-Corporal. Military Medal. Died of
10th April. 1917.

H. WILBRAHAM-TAYLOR

Private. Killed in action
24th April, 1915

A. P. WILLIAMS

Private. Killed in action
19th November, 1916

J. WILLIAMSON

Private. Killed in action

26th September, 1916.

A. M. \VILSON

Corporal. Killed in action

15th August, 1017.

H. F. WILSON
Private. Killed in action
30th October, 1917.

J. W. WILSON

Lieutenant. Killed in action
r7th December, 1*17.

A. C. WITTET

Private Killed in action
*l§t July. 1017.

Private. Killed in action
10th Auiniit . 1*18.

CXXV

E. L. YEO

Second Lieutenant. Died of wounds
7th October, 1016.

F. S. J. ADAMS
Captain. Military CroM.

W. P. ADAMS

Sererant. DiMinRuuiwd Conduct MedaL
Milil.ry Mfdal.

J. L. G ANNETT
Srrgeant Military Mrdal.

J. M. APPERSON

Lieutrnant. Military Cr

C. H. BARNES

Lieutenant. Military Cross.

H. G. BARNUM

Captain. Military Cross and Mentioned in Despatches.

J. P. BASTON

Regimental Sergeant-Major. Meritorious
Service Medal. Belgian Croix de Guerre.

.1. BLACK
Captain. Military Cross. French Croix de Guerre

O. BLACKLER
Lieutenant. Mentioned in Despatches.

I. H. BOWDEN

Sergeant Military Medal.

G. S. S. BOWERBANK

Major. Distinguished Service Order. Military Croat
Mentioned in Despatches.

G. M. BRA« I KV
Captain. Mentioned in Despatches.

OX MX

J. A. BRICE
Cadet (Sergeant). Meritorious Service Medal.

H. M. CALDER

Lieutenant. Mentioned in Despatches (twice).

C. CARMICHAEL
Lieutenant. Military Cross

W. R. CARNWITH

Lieutenant. Military Cross.

H S. CARROLL
Captain. Air Force Crow.

W. L. CLARKK
Sergeant M iliUry MedaJ.

A. COCKERAM

Captain. Distinguished Servire Order. Mentioned
in Despatches.

W. COTKERAM

Sapper. Miliunr Mwkl.

(Brother oTOiptjiin A. Corkeram. D.S.O.)

I. B. COREY

Lieutenant. Distinguished Flying Cross.

A. T. CROFT
Captain. Military Cross.

V. CURRAN
Captain. Military Cross. Mentioned in Despatches.

M. CURRIE
Major. Military Cr

CXXX11

N. D. DALTON

LirutriiMiii. Military Cr

E. H. DANIEL

Captmin. Military CroM.

R, J. DARCUS

Lieutenant. Military Cr

J. A. DAVIN

Lieutenant. Military Cro««.

CXXX1II

C. W. DAVISON
Bombardier. Military Medal.

R. A. DOIRON

Lieutenant. Military Medal.

J. C. DOW
Corporal. Military Medal and Bar.

M. DUNSFORD
Captain. Mentioned in Despatches.

CXXX1V

N. J. EGAN G. T. ELLIOTT

Lieutenant. Military Cross. Mentioned in Corporal. Distinguished Conduct Medal. Belgian

Despatches. Croix de Guerre.

I. C. FALCONER
Lieutenant. Military Cross.

T. de C. FALLE

Captain. Military Cross. Mentioned in Despatche*.
Parchment Certificate for Gallantry IB the rieW

cxxxv

T. C. FLOYD

Major. Military Cross.

H. A. FORD

Lance-Corporal. Military Medal.

W. B. FORSTER

Major. Military Cross. Mentioned in Despatches
(twice). French Croix de Guerre.

C. J. FOX

Sergeant. Mentioned in Despatches.

CXXXV1

A. PHASER
Captain. Mentioned in Despatches

A. J. E. GIBSON
Lieutenant. Military Cr

R. B. GIBSON

Lieutenant. Military Cross. Military Medal.
Mentioned in Despatches.

W. A. GILBERT
Cadet Distiniruished Conduct Medal.

CXXXV11

A. D. GOLDEN
Lieutenant. Military Cross.

B. F. GOSSAGE

Lieutenant. Military Cross.

F. A. GRAHAM

Sergeant. Military Medal

A. L. HAMILTON

Colonel. Companion of the most Distinguished Order

of St. Michael and St. George. Mentioned in

Despatches.

A. K. HARVIE R. E HEASUP

C*pUin. MiliUry Crow. Mentioned in Despatches. CapUin. MiliUry Crow. Mentioned in Detpttcac*.

R. T. E. HICKS-LYNE

CapUin Military Crow.

\\ HILL
Drivrr. Military MrdaJ.

CXXX1X

R. HILIIARD

Signaller. Military Medal.

R. .?. .1. HOGG

Lieutenant. Military Cross.

R. J. HOLMES
Lieutenant. Military Cross.

S. F. HOLMES

Captain. Russian Order of St. Stanislaus. Italian
Croce di Guerra. Italian Red Cross Bronze Medal.
Roumanian Medal for Merit.

cxl

J. E. JARVIS

Lieutenant. Military Crow.

E. M. JOHNSTONE
Lieutenant. Military Cra

C. B. F. JONES
Captain. Military Cn

M. K KM I'1N(.
Lieutenant. Mrntioned in

cxli

A. M. KINNEAR

Captain. Military Cross. Air Force Cross.

G. H. KRESS
Lieutenant. Military Cross.

F. LAMONT

Lieutenant. Military Cross.

J. G. G. LAYTON
Second Lieutenant. Mentioned in Despatches.

cxlii

W. K. M. LEADER

Captain. Military Cross.

E. R. LEATHER
Captain. Military CNN

G. LEGH-JONES

Lieutenant. Member of the Order of the British
Empire (Military Division) 1014 Star.

J. M. LEIGHTON

Staff Sergeant. Meritorious Service Medal.

cxliii

R. H. LEPPER

Conducteur Sergeant (French Army). Parchment

Certificate of Honour awarded by

French Government.

O. R. LOBLEY

Lieutenant-Colonel. Officer of the Order of the

British Empire (Military Division) Mentioned in

Despatches.

J. H. LOVETT
Lieutenant-Colonel. Military Cross.

D. J. MACDONALD
Cadet. Military Medal and Bar.

cxliv

T. P. MarKENZIE
Major. Military Cross.

F. J. MAGINN

Lieutenant. Distinituiiltrd Srrvirv Order.

R. H. MARLOW
Captain. Mentioned in Despatches.

G. MARTIN

Corporal. Military Medal

cxlv

F. A. MATHESON

Lieutenant. Military Cross.

J. C. MATHESON
Major. Military Cross.

F. M. MATHIAS

Captain (Acting Lieutenant-Colonel). Distinguished
Service Order. Mentioned in Despatches.

D. K. MILLER

Sergeant. Belgian Croiz de Guerre.

cxlvi

P. \V. MILLER

Lance-Corporal. Military Mednl.

A. MILUGAN

Captain. Military CroM. Mentioned in

J R. C. MOFFATT A. G. MORDY

Battery Sergeant-Major. Military Medal. Major. DistincuMoed *emce Order Mrotiooed in

Despatches (twice).

cxlvii

A. B. MORKILL
Captain. Military Cross and Bar.

W. M. MORRISON
Sergeant. Military Medal.

J. MUNRO

Second Lieutenant. Military Cross.

F. C. MURRAY

Corporal. Military Medal.

cxlviii

T. \V. L. MUTCH
Sergeant. Meritorioui Service Medal.

F. S. McCLAFFERTY
Cadet. Military Medal.

T. W. McCONKEY

Lieutenant. Military Crow.

T. C. McGILL

Captain. Member of the Order of the Britiah Empire.

(Military Division) Mentioned in Despatch?*

(three times).

cxlix

j. A. MCGREGOR A. R. MCIVER

Lieutenant. Military Cross and Military Medal. Staff Sergeant. Mentioned in Despatches. Russian

Cross of St. George. Russian Medal (Fourth Class)
Order of St Stanislaus

P. H. XESBITT

Sergeant. Meritorious Service Medal.

H. OAG

Lieutenant. Military Medal.

d

R. R. OLIVER

Lieutenant. Military Crons.

Mentioned in Despatches.

J. C. OHR

Lieutenant. Board of Trade Silver Medal.

•

A. M. I'VK-i
Lieutenant. Militi

F. R. PEIRSON
Captain. Military CroM and Bar.

cli

R. E. PRITCHARD

Sergeant. Mentioned in Despatches.

S. QUINTON
Lieutenant. Military Cross.

P. C. READ

Lance-Corporal. Distinguished Conduct Medal.

T. R. ROGERS

Sergeant. Military Medal.

clii

T. S. RONALDSON
Sergeant. Military Medal.

H. E. ROSK
Major. MiliUry Cr

1 M. ROSS
Captain. Militnry Crow.

I. B. SAVAGK
Lieutenant. Military Croa*.

cliii

S. R. SAY
Captain. Military Cross.

A. C. SCOTT

Lieutenant. Military Cross.

\

G. E. SCROGGIE

Captain. Military Cross.

R. SHEARD

Flight Cadet. Military Medal

cliv

H. R. SMITH

Bombardier Military Mednl.

J. A. H. SMITH

. "-• .

R. R. SMYTH

Corporal. Military Medal.

H. V. >IV\NKIK
('•plain. Military Crow.

civ

H. M. STAIRS
Lieutenant. Military Cross.

T. STEELE
I Jeutenant. Military Cross.

J. STEPHENSON
Gunner. Military Medal.

F. S. STEVENS

Regimental Sergeant-Major. Meritorious Service
Medal.

clvi

.1. STILL

Captain. Offii-er of the Order of the British Empire
(Military Division). Mentioned in Despatches.

I). ('. TIIOM-IIS
C.iptain. Mentioned in

M II Till KSHY

Lieutenant. Milil;iry Med.il.

J. A. G. TYKWHITT

( .,r|..r.,l Military Med*l.

clvii

A. G. A. VIDLER

Lieutenant. Military Cross.

H. C. WALCOT

Captain. Military Cross.

N. L. WELLS
Captain. Mentioned in Despatches.

E. R. C. WILCOX

Major. Military Cross. Mentioned in Despatches.

clviii

H. P. WILLIAMS

Captain. Military Cross. Mentioned in Despatch?*.
Two Parchment Certificates for Gallantry in the Field.

J. P. WINNING

Sergeant. Meritorious Service Medal.

W. D. WYNNE

Lieutenant. Military Crow.

clix

We regret that we have been unable to obtain

photographs of the following five members

of our staff who received decorations :

SERGEANT A. F. BOYLE
Meritorious Service Medal

CAPTAIN G. M. EMERSON

Officer of the Order of the British Empire

(Military Division)

MAJOR H. V. B. HILL

Officer of the Order of the British Empire

(Military Division)

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL W. LEGGAT

Military Cross
Mentioned in Despatches

LIEUTENANT F. B. SHAW
Croiz de Guerre (French)

The following two officers were awarded Parchment
Certificates for Gallantry in the Field:

LIEUTENANT V. MITCHEL

CAPTAIN c. L. j. MCCARTHY

The names of the following members of our staff

were brought to the notice of the Secretary

of State for War, for valuable services

rendered (administrative) in

connection with the War:

LIEUTENANT F. C. COLEMAN

CAPTAIN J. D. CRUICKSHANK

STAFF-SERGEANT D. B. DARLEY

SECOND LIEUTENANT W. H. FINDLAY

REGIMENTAL SERGEANT-MAJOR R. T. FOWLER

SERGEANT A. D. HARRIS

MAJOR J. C. MACPHERSON

CAPTAIN J. R. PURDY

MAJOR R. M. WATSON

LIEUTENANT A. B. WILKINSON

Letters from the Front

Letters from the Front

The first of the letters received were from members
of the London, Eng., staff who had naturally reached the
firing line at an earlier date than was possible for volun-
teers from Canada.

Lieutenant P. M. Alexander (British Expeditionary
Force) in a letter dated 21st November, 1914, describes
the first of the fighting at Messines.

(Lieutenant Alexander, before his death in July,
1916, affirmed that the fighting in this action at Messines
was not nearly so fierce as in some of his later engage-
ments and about which no scaring newspaper headlines
were forthcoming.)

**To begin with, I expect you would like to hear a little of my
point of view of our first battle, which caused such flaring headlines
and stirring accounts in all the newspapers. As far as I am con-
cerned personally, I moved forward with my Company into action
in extended order and came under fire for the first time as we
moved over the brow of a hill, across open ploughed fields and root
crops. Here, of course, we came into the view of the enemy and
were immediately met with terrific fire, including rifle and maxim,
and above all shrapnel and 'Jack Johnsons' or 'Black Maria*'
(as the huge shells are variously called) bursting everywhere. As
they seemed to have the exact range, the fire simply mowed down
our ranks, and I should think that quite half of our casualties
(i.e. 4G' Company) were caused in the first half hour. All we could
do was to lie down flat at once and make use of every scrap of
cover we could find, which was more or less nil. The first advance
was made at about mid-day. I, with the rest, lay I suppose some
ten minutes, which seemed more like hours, flattened on the ground,
bullets whizzing round my ears with a buzzing sound, just like so
many wasps and bees. Then the chap on my left was hit through
the body and lay groaning and various men around exclaiming
they were hit. Well, the only thing we could do was to advance,
so as the order came, up we jumped and dashed another thirty
or forty yards forward and down again. Our object was to rein-
force the trenches some way in front of us, rather on our left

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

flank, from which direction the maxim fire was heaviest. At this
time, as one of our officers and several N.C.O.'s were hit, we could
again get no actual orders passed down the line, so we were left
to act more or less on our own initiative. So up we got again,
still under the same terrific fire and made another dash, and a few
of us reached the trenches which were held by the Carbineers.
Others had to retire a little to a hedge, where they re-formed under
an officer and started to dig themselves in.

"I was one of the lucky ones among those who reached the
trenches first. I simply flung myself in (the trench was five feet
deep with three feet head cover in front) and was only too glad
to lie down in the bottom for a breather and to collect my
thoughts a bit. The regulars there were simply fine fellows and
soon bucked us up with their little jokes and kind attentions, and
very soon we were up again and blazing away at the German
trenches some four hundred yards in front, with the best. Well
there I remained all day (i.e. 31st October, Hallowe'en) potting
at Germans when they showed themselves, and our trenches were
simply bombarded with heavy shell and shrapnel fire. Part of
the trench was blown in by a 'J.J.' and we had to dig it out again,
and several of our chaps and the regulars too were hit. As it got
dark the shell fire slackened and almost ceased, and we were able
to move about a little to stretch cramped limbs and to fetch water
from a farm immediately on our left. We had some of our
wounded there, and I gave a hand to our medical officer dressing
one of our lieutenants who was shot through the cheek and ear,
and had a scalp wound, too, from shrapnel.

"At about eleven p.m. I lay down in the trench to try and
get a short rest, sentries being on the qui vive. At midnight we
were suddenly alarmed that the enemy were advancing in great
force all along the line and we immediately stood to our rifles.
It is at this point that our further doings coincide more or less with
newspaper reports. The enemy were swarming into the farm on
our left in no time, and out we rushed from the trenches we had
occupied all day and sprinted into the farmyard, and dodging
behind barns, haystacks and outbuildings, took pot shots at every
German we could see, at the same time fixing bayonets in readiness
for emergencies. We were only a handful of men here, so could
not attempt to hold the advance, merely to check it; so event-
ually fell back on another line of trenches immediately behind the
farm-house some fifty yards away. The whole farm, barns and
stacks were set alight by the enemy, and it burnt away as a huge
beacon, lighting up everything all round all night. The effect of

LETTERS FROM THE FRO N I

this fire was to break the frontal attack and to cause their line*
to advance each side of the farm along hedges, with our trenches
in the centre of them, and we had no difficulty in checking them
here, simply mowing them down with rifle fire as they advanced
en masse, lit up by the flames. What rifle fire would not do, we
found that a little persuasion with cold steel had the desired result.
We, ourselves, unfortunately, were suffering pretty badly all this
time, fellows falling all around. We held on to this trench until
seven a.m. the next morning (Sunday, 1st November) when, as
we were surrounded more or less on three sides, we had orders to
retire, which we did down a small valley through copses and across
fields for about two miles, through an inferno of maxim and rifle
fire. On our way back we met strong British re-inforcements, and
it turned out that we had held the German attack just long enough
for these to arrive in time to finish the repulse of the enemy.

"At the moment we are a safe distance from the firing line,
although we can still hear big guns rumbling away. I am in a
very comfortable billet in an old farm house. Just ten of us
together, and the good people who live here are just kindness and
hospitality itself. We are all fast reviving with the aid of plenty
of good food and sleep. I am feeling very fit now and quite
enjoying a country holiday."

The following is a description of the conditions at
St. Jean, near St. Eloi, in the Ypres salient, culled from
a letter from Mr. N. E. Lawson of the London, Eng.,
staff, dated 8th December, 1914:

"We have just come through three days absolute hell. For
two we were standing by, just behind the firing line. We had to
live in a ditch at the side of a road until the rain came down in
torrents and flooded us out. The only thing to do was to walk
up and down the road and risk the shell fire. At last they got
us into a shattered barn, but we were just settling down when the
word came to go up to the firing line. We set off, but the officer
guiding us was shot and we came to a standstill.

"Then the Germans opened a heavy fire and we made for
some trenches, but found them already occupied, so we had to lie
down behind for about two hours and freeze. After a bit all the
platoons went off to the firing line, except ours; we were to be in
support trenches. After a bit the regulars, whom we were relieving,
filed by. They were in a terrible state as the trenches were waist
deep in slush. Lots of them were crying with agony, others were
gibbering mad. We had to take their places— it wma a cheerful

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

prospect. Our Engineer officer gave our platoons leave, if we
liked to take the risk of fire to dig new trenches for ourselves,
but the regulars tried it the night before and lost a lot of men.
However, we took it on but luckily did not lose a man. We
simply worked like fiends. It was fine during the day, but later
the rain came down again and everything we had was soaked, our
clothes soaked to the skin. The water rose higher and higher,
and we had to stand for twenty-four hours in slush and water; it
came up over one's ankles and it was impossible to feel one's feet.

"When we were relieved we had a ten-mile march back to our
billets. It was not a march, but a shamble, with men dropping
down at the side of the road. The other platoons were worse
than we were; they had been waist deep in water all the time.
Lots of them were absolutely bent double with cramp, one died of
exposure. We had one shot, one wounded. I am all right myself
now. I think the march really saved me, as I could not stand up
when we first got out of the trench.

"We arrived home at three o'clock yesterday morning and just
flopped down in our wet things and slept. We had had no sleep
for three nights.

"I think neat rum and chocolate were the things that saved
our lives."

The following is an extract from a letter from Mr.
A. C. Caton to the Manager of the London, Eng., branch,
dated 20th February, 1915:

(The trenches adjoining the river were at Houplines
on the River Lys. The billets referred to in the second
paragraph were at Chapelle near Armentieres).

"Just before Christmas and the first half of January were the
worst times we had as regards water and mud. Since the New
Year we have been in trenches adjoining the river, and with a
fortnight's continuous rain, during the whole of which time we
were in the trenches, we were almost flooded out. In fact about
fifty yards of the trench next the river had to be abandoned.

"I think we are one of the very few regiments fortunate or
otherwise never to have been attacked, although we have several
times been under fairly heavy shell fire and rifle fire from snipers,
which go on all day and night. On one occasion when we were
in billets the Germans started shelling us. I was in one of the
upper rooms until I thought the shells were dropping rather close,
so I went down to our dug-outs. Just after I got there a shell
burst in the very room I had left. After the bombardment we

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

went up to see the damage and a strange thing had happened.
Of course the windows and almost all the furniture were smashed
to bits, but a small crucifix on the mantel-piece stood in exactly
the same place and was absolutely untouched. Several times in the
trenches I have had my loophole shattered, but so far have
managed to dodge all the bullets."

The following is an extract from a further letter
from Mr. N. E. Lawson to the London, Eng., Manager,
dated 1st March, 1915:

(This deals with the Kemmel Hill sector.)
"To say nothing of the horrors of being under fire and seeing
very good pals knocked out in front of you, the weather conditions
have been appalling. The waiting game we have had to play is
said to be more trying than an advance, and I can quite imagine
it is. We have had to sit in trenches and dug-outs for two or three
days at a time, soaked to the skin, and up to our ankles, knees and
even waists in water, keeping a sharp lookout on the opposing
trenches. When the German guns open fire on you, all you can
do is to sit tight and hope to God a shell does not drop in the trench.
Lately we have been working harder than usual, six days trenches
and two days rest. As a rule it is four days in and four out The
other day they moved us to some new trenches, not a pleasant
part of the world at all. Our losses were very heavy, and one
trench was blown all to pieces. As soon as we were relieved instead
of turning in we had to go back and fetch up barbed wire entangle-
ments in order to repair the damaged trench. The approach to
our trench was very difficult indeed. We had to cross a flooded
field up to our knees in water and slush. It was almost impossible
in full kit to drag one foot in front of the other. One night when
we were in the middle of it, a star shell went up and we were
spotted."

Mr. A. C. Caton writes a further letter to the
London, Eng., Manager, dated 2nd April, 1915, of which
the following is an extract, referring to the Houplines
sector on the River Lys, January-April, 1915:

"We are still doing trench work, four days in and four days
out, which is much better than it used to be, as in November the
line was so thin that all the regiments then out here were almost
continually in the trenches. At present we are in billets, but
although perhaps safer than the trenches it is by no means a rest.
The first morning out we have to get every particle of mud off our
clothes, which is no small job, and parade for rifle inspection,

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

followed by firing and bayonet practice and a route march. In
the evening we either have to carry rations, mails, etc., up to the
trenches or go digging reserve and communication trenches. The
other day I was one of a small party sent out in the afternoon to
deepen a communication trench immediately behind the firing line,
and as it was daylight the sniping at us was fairly heavy. We
were in two feet of water all the time and consequently got so wet
through that on returning to my billet I had to take off my trousers
and hang them up to dry, and sit with a blanket around me for the
rest of the day.

"With reference to your query, I am pleased to say that I
have not been troubled by the lice, although most of our fellows
have suffered terribly. Every time out of the trenches we have a
hot bath, in a factory usually, where large vats capable of holding
ten or twelve men at a time are filled with water."

The correspondence from members of the staff in
Canada commences with a letter, dated 6th April, 1915,
from Captain O. Lobley, Paymaster, formerly Assistant
Accountant at the Winnipeg branch. At this date the
division had been in action for but a short time, conse-
quently we are quoting only some short extracts from
the letter:

"Rumours that have reached you are founded on fact, and the
Canadian Division is now in France and has been in the firing
line. Needless to say they have acquitted themselves in every
respect in a manner worthy of Canada.

"I have come in contact to a certain extent with some of the
Territorial Forces which have come over from England, and while
I do not for one minute wish to imply that they are anything but
the good old English fighting men, they cannot, in my humble
opinion, compare with the Canadians as regards discipline,
efficiency or physique. This, of course, is perhaps easily under-
stood when we consider that the Canadians come from probably
one of the most healthy countries in the world, totally devoid of
crowded cities, unhealthy conditions and all those things which
tend toward a deterioration of physique and fighting qualifications.

"I think we should feel ourselves deeply honoured when we
realize that we are the first irregular division to be entrusted with a
portion of the line, and when one considers just what this means
and the awful possibilities that would ensue were we to be found
wanting, it is indeed gratifying to realize what confidence has been
placed in us.

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"There is of course one supremely single idea in the minds of
everyone here as regards the final outcome of the war, but I am
inclined to think that the Johnnies on the spot believe it will take
a great deal longer to finish than was originally anticipated."

Lieutenant R. H. Whittaker of the 3rd Battalion,
a member of the staff of the Toronto branch, writes
in part as follows:

This refers to the famous orchard at Festubert,
May, 1915:

(Mr. Harrison, whose death is herein recorded, was one of the
senior officers in the Toronto branch.)

"You will be sorry to hear of the death of Frank Harrison.
He was killed by shrapnel on Sunday, May 23rd, 1915. We were
standing together when a shell burst overhead. He was struck in
the throat and never spoke again, but I escaped unhurt.

"This is our ninth day in the trenches — five in the firing line
(a worse hell than old John Knox ever dreamed of) and four in
reserve, where I am writing this. These trenches up to a few weeks
ago belonged to the Germans and they are constantly shelling us."

Trooper W. J. Gray, a member of the staff of our
Edmonton branch, in this letter, dated 6th March, 1915,
contributes the following items on different subjects:

"You have no idea how much I longed for a good pair of
Canadian boots. The British army boots with which we were
issued on leaving England are very good wearing boots, but each
boot weighs about five pounds. The heels and soles arc all ironclad
and the leather in them has absolutely no stretch. My feet are
all blistered.

"We had a big sports day on Easter Sunday. We had games
between troops and games with outside regiments, etc., etc.

"One thing we have found out is the fact that the people in the
districts where the Germans have visited are much more congenial
and hospitable than those in the districts that have not been so
favoured. It looks as if the latter did not realize the work we are
doing for them. The people residing where the Germans have
been are very friendly and treat us like men, but some seem to
think we are intruders and try to give us all the trouble they can."

Sergeant J. C. Matheson, formerly Accountant at
Medicine Hat branch, writes a letter under date of 20th
March, 1915. The letter is quoted at length:

"Just a few lines to inform you that Penny and I are still in

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

the big game. As you have no doubt been informed, we have been
in the trenches for over a month. We have four day spells and
then we move back a mile or two and rest up for four days. All
our movements are made at night of course. Some nights it is
quite exciting, bullets flying around in all directions. We have to
do all the fatigue work during the night — packing rations and
firewood, barbed wire, etc., into the trenches.

"We have little dug-outs where we have to snatch forty winks
when we get a chance, when off duty. The last trip in I hadn't a
dug-out so I had to content myself with dozing over a fire. Some
days the fire is heavy and continuous through the night as well as
the day. In fact most of the shooting is done in the early morning.
We were under heavy shell fire last trip. Some of them landed a
little too close to be pleasant, but they didn't just hit the range,
so 'our casualties were light. The German trenches are only four
hundred yards from us at this point. The most exciting duties at
present are when we go out in front of the trenches on listening
patrols, endeavouring to find out what work is going on around
the enemy's trenches; also improving our own wire entanglements
and patching them up after being cut by the enemy. Of course
we do this work at night on our hands and knees. The worst
feature of this is when the star shells go up. There is a possibility
of our being seen, in which case it's pretty warm work."

Company Sergeant-Ma j or J. R. Keith, formerly
of Herbert branch, wrote in part as follows on 2nd
January, 1915. (Mr. Keith was with the Princess
Patricias and subsequently died of meningitis. The
point where this party of officers and N.C.O.'s first
reached the front line was near Kemmel in the Ypres
salient) :

"We have been in France about a couple of weeks, but have
not yet gone into the firing line. On 30th December two officers
and two sergeants were sent up to see how the reliefs, etc., were
carried out. I was one of the sergeants chosen and therefore we
four were the only representatives of Colonial corps at the front
in 1914. It was, as you know, my first experience of active service.
I rather enjoyed it, but the wet and cold were pretty tough. The
regiment may go into action any day. I will let you know from
time to time how things are going with us. We have quite a few
Commerce men in our Battalion."

Private J. E. Lockerby, formerly a member of the
staff of our Vancouver branch, writes on 14th March,

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

1915, as follows. (The barn in question was situated
near Armentieres) :

"At present I am in a barn about a mile from the firing line.
We are here for a few days' rest, but it is just about as safe in the
trenches, as they shell places like this frequently. We have had a
little excitement, but there has only been one man wounded in
our section."

Private I. F. MacTavish, of the Vancouver staff,
writes under date of 15th March, 1915:

"We came out of the trenches the day before yesterday after
a spell of four days, and we are back in reserve for a few days' rest
before going into the firing line again. I am sorry to say we have
lost a few men already, but so far our casualties have been com-
paratively light. When the general advance comes I expect we
shall pay dearly for it as I can tell you the German soldier is by
no means to be despised. Their shooting is accurate and their
wire entanglements are thoroughly constructed. However, there
is no doubt of the ultimate result, and no matter how great the
cost we shall beat the Huns in the end. We had rather a hot time
of it yesterday afternoon, as the enemy got our range and started
dropping shrapnel all around us. They blew up some buildings
all to blazes only about thirty yards from us and we had to move
along and take cover. It is wonderful to watch the shells crumple
up stone and brick buildings as if they were paper; but one doesn't
wish for a very close acquaintance with shrapnel.'*

Private E. C. W. Mockler writes as follows,
(Private Mockler died on the 7th of May, 1915, of
wounds received in the battle of Langemarck) :

"Excuse my writing, as I am writing this in a pretty dirty
trench. We have been out two or three weeks now as you will
perhaps see by the papers. You needn't look up the casualty lists
yet, however. I am pretty well back to my old financial position
BOW. We are paid a dollar a week out here.

"Later:— Came out of the trenches last night and am enclosed
in a practically bullet-proof casing of mud."

The following is a letter from Sergeant J. C.
Matheson of the 10th Battalion. Sergeant Matheson
herein gives some first-hand information concerning the
second battle of Yprcs, 22nd April, 1915. The letter
is dated 10th May, 1915, and is quoted at length.

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

In this initial gas attack the Germans used chlorine
gas with deadly effect:

"To begin with I might say that I have experienced, in no
small measure either, that war is 'hell.' You have no doubt read
many detailed accounts of the recent fierce fighting in which the
Contingent has played a very prominent part. I am proud to say
that the trusty old 10th Battalion delivered the goods, too, in true
historical fashion. I am not permitted to say much on account
of the severe censorship. However, the following is a brief account
of the most desperate action we took the initiative in. On the
afternoon of 22nd April we were hurriedly called out. We were
told that the enemy through the use of poisonous gases, etc., had
broken through the line held by the French and that we were to
go out as supports only. However, after marching out about four
miles we halted and lay down awaiting further orders. About
10.30 word came along that the 10th Battalion were commanded
to take a line of trenches, also a wood in rear, at all costs. The
whole thing was to be done in silence at the point of the bayonet.
About 11.80 p.m. the Battalion was formed up in two lines, one
in rear of the other, and the 16th Battalion was formed up in the
same way about thirty yards in rear of us. Then came the order
to advance. Believe me there was some excitement in the ranks.
We didn't seem to realize what we were up against. However, we
kept on going. When we got within a hundred yards of the trench
the 'Huns' opened fire on us. The wood seemed to be literally
lined with machine guns, and they played these guns on us with
terrible effect. Our men were dropping thick and fast. However,
those remaining sailed right ahead and cleared the wood with a
vengeance. A few 'Huns' were taken prisoners, but damned few.
We had enough to do to take care of ourselves and our own wounded
to bother about prisoners. Our Battalion was sadly cut up by the
time we got to the far side of the wood, so badly in fact that on
account of day breaking and the small muster we were ordered
back to hold a trench alongside of the wood. The consequence
was that the wounded and dying and killed were left in the wood.
All day long we had to stick to our posts in case of a counter attack,
and believe me it was more nerve-racking than the bayonet charge
itself, as all around us were the dead and wounded. All day we
stood and all through the night, and at daybreak on Saturday the
10th Battalion were ordered out of the trench to reinforce the 8th
Battalion, who were about four miles away on our left and were
being terribly pressed by the enemy. 190 men represented our
Battalion as reinforcements. Of course there were a few more

10

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

men scattered elsewhere that we couldn't get in touch with. Prom
then on we were continually under fire day and night until the
Wednesday morning at daybreak when we were relieved, but we
still had to hold ourselves in readiness in reserve trenches. We
lost a lot of men right there too.

"It is impossible for me to adequately describe the scene or
the fierce fire, both of rifle and heavy shells and bombs. Out of
twenty-three days our Battalion was twenty days in the trenches,
and for the five days of the fiercest fighting we were without sleep
altogether and had practically no food or water. How I have ever
come through is a mystery to me. With the exception of being
hit by a rifle bullet on the cheek and a piece of shrapnel in the side,
I am still fit. I got hit on the cheek in the charge and the other
I received on Saturday, but I never left the field. I eventually
got fixed up when I got back to Battalion headquarters by our
own doctor, who, poor devil, was hit five days ago and has since
died of wounds. I have bullet holes in my hat, equipment and
clothes, but evidently I am slated to do some more evil in this
world yet. I have seen two or three accounts in the papers, and
in each case it says that the 16th Battalion led the charge. This
is wrong, all honour to the 16th Battalion, but the 10th Battalion
led and drove home the charge with the gallant support of the
16th Battalion.

"I was a proud boy when the Brigadier-General in addressing
the remaining few of the Battalion said that the 10th Battalion
were the very first of all the Canadian forces to actually encounter
the ruthless foe, and he was glad to say with terrifying effect."

The following is a letter written by Mr. J. E.
Lockerby, formerly of our Vancouver branch, to hia
parents on April 18th, 1915:

"Here I am again in the trenches in about the most unhealthy
spot of the Ypres Salient with the shells screaming over in all
directions. It is really wonderful what narrow escapes we have.
This afternoon there were at least a dozen lyddite shells struck
within a few yards of our machine-gun dugout, giving us a clay
bath on each occasion, and a little piece of one of them grated
the sleeve of my tunic. But with all the shells we have had so
near there has not yet been a man wounded in my section.

"I shall try to give you a description of our march into these
trenches a few nights ago. To begin with we were turned out of
our billets about 4 a.m. and after a long day's marching, etc., we
arrived at our dressing station just before dark. After a meal and
two hours rest we started for the front line trenches, which, by

11

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

the way, were held by the French. The part of the line allotted
to us was exceptionally hard to approach on account of having to
go almost parallel with the trenches, which meant advancing under
fire for about 1% miles over fields simply dotted with shell holes
and old disbanded trenches, many of which were blown to pieces
by artillery. Every hole and ditch was absolutely full of water,
and to make matters worse it began to rain hard and got so dark
that you could scarcely see the figure two paces in front of you.

"In addition to our ordinary pack, which is anything but light*
we had to pack our machine guns and mounts and all kinds of
ammunition. We got into single file about two paces apart (for
the bullets were already beginning to come uncomfortably near)
and turned off the hard road into the unknown fields, with a French
guide to lead us, who only knew a few words of English. Our
troubles then started in right shape. We were loaded so heavily
that it made us quite awkward, and every time one of us stepped
into a hole, which was always full of water and, owing to the
extreme darkness, impossible to escape, he simply fell with his
load headlong into the filthy mire. We all began to wish we were
at our destination, especially when our guide, after taking us
around in circles, over ditches, through barbed wire entanglements,
over old fallen trees, along muddy communication trenches and
through ruined houses in which corpses had been lying unburied
for months, announced suddenly that he had lost his way. It was
well for him and perhaps us too, that we could not speak French.

"All the way along at intervals of about five minutes, star
shells would go up making the surrounding country as bright as
day. Then would come a hail of bullets and every man (with any
sense) would drop his pack and flop on his face on a dead cow or
anything that happened to be in front of him, then get up when
the light went out and start again on his weary way. Although it
is more of a tragedy than anything else to fall head first into a
hole of water about three feet deep, with a full pack on your back
and your arms full of ammunition, it is quite impossible to keep
from laughing at the victim when you get him pulled out, which
is no easy job.

"After due consideration the guide decided to leave us in an
old ditch (where we were at least safe from the bullets) and go to
look for our particular trench. After what seemed hours to us
the guide came back and informed us that he had really discovered
our trench. Then we started again over what proved to be the
worst part of the whole road. We stumbled along in the darkness
and there was everything from a 'Jack Johnson' hole to a dead

12

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

German's equipment to obstruct our way. I expected to step on
a dead body any minute, but I found later that the numerous
bodies, which have not been buried, are between our front lines
and the Germans.

"At about 3 a.m. after very fatiguing manoeuvring we finally
arrived at our trench and relieved the French Gun Section who
were beginning to grow desperate; they expected us at least six
hours earlier, and consequently had nothing to eat for over twelve
hours.

"We mounted the guns immediately and took turns standing
by them until daylight, when we had a better chance to rest.
When day dawned it presented a gruesome sight. Hundreds of
dead Germans were lying between our lines with all their equip-
ment on, just as they fell in a charge made several months ago.
Many of the French who were killed in these trenches during the
winter are buried right here, some have hardly enough earth over
them to conceal their clothing.

"Necessity is certainly the mother of invention. One of our
chaps made a banjo out of a tin biscuit box, and he can play it
well. You know I was always fond of music, that is why I volun-
teer to pack it in and out of the trenches for him. When the
shells start coming close we always get the banjo and have a little
"Grand Opera" just to show the Germans (who are less than one
hundred yards away) that we are quite unconcerned and enjoying
life as usual.

"I am really enjoying this trip in the trenches very much.
The weather is beautiful now and the trenches are drying up fine.
We are all more or less anxious, many of us from a sense of curi-
osity, to get a taste of real war, which is, as you know, a bayonet
attack in the open."

Private James H. Lovett, late of the Winnipeg staff,
writes from France as follows. Private Lovett herein
describes his experiences during the second battle of
Ypres.

During the concluding months of the war Mr. Lovett
was in command of his battalion with the rank of Major,
Acting Lieutenant-Colonel:

"I received your welcome letter before we left our old billets
to take part in the big fight in Belgium. Our regiment had eighteen
days in the trenches, first line and reserve. I believe all of the
other battalions were placed in much the same way. The
Germans made a desperate attempt to break through but so far

IS

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

have not been successful. Three times we were relieved only to
be sent back a few hours later to a different position. I did not
have my boots off for ten days, some of the boys stood it for about
eighteen days. We lost many fine chaps. Cruickshank is in the
hospital (not serious), hit by shrapnel in the back. Bean is
missing. This brave lad, I believe, was led astray into the German
trenches with a party of others by a German spy. Low and Fraser
are well. The terrible effects of modern artillery fire can scarcely
be described. I did not see as much as a great many of the boys,
but what I saw was quite sufficient. We were relieved one morning
at 5 a.m. only to be sent back about 10ra.m. to relieve the French
who had been driven back by the awful gas; we advanced in
files over fields, etc., under a terrible shrapnel fire, and lay right
in front of our own guns which had stopped firing for a few
moments. They soon started and the gunners shouted for us to
lie^down. The din was so terrible we could not hear them, and
working as we were like mad without entrenching tools to get
under cover we nearly got into trouble. Our very ear drums
were almost put out of commission to say nothing of our other
risks. We are now out of the trenches resting in our new billets.
We marched twenty-two miles night before last over cobblestone
roads and in darkness. Nearly two-thirds of the boys had to go
into other billets for the night as it was too much after such a long
spell in the trenches.

"I conveyed your message to all of the Commerce men here,
and all of the boys were impressed with the kindly interest you
had taken in their welfare. It was grand news to hear the hockey
team had: done so well."

Captain H. A. Duncan, formerly a member of the
staff of the Hamilton branch, writes a letter to his father,
the Manager at Collingwood, regarding his experiences
at Langemarck. The letter is dated 13th May, 1915.

It was in this action that the Canadians recaptured
the battery of 4.7 guns and, in the words of Sir John
French, "saved the day" for the Allies:

(Captain Duncan was killed in action 9th October,
1916.)

"You may like to hear something of what happened to my
company of the Sixteenth during the battle of Langemarck. At
about 4 a.m. we reached our billet. The next day our billet was
changed to a placet farther back, and on the afternoon of the same
day about 5 o'clock the German artillery opened a very heavy^fire

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

on the firing line, on the roads and farms, putting Jack Johnsons
into Ypres (these shells make a hole five feet deep by about twenty
feet in diameter). About this time we received orders to dig our-
selves in on the canal bank and await further orders. At 6 p.m.
the French began falling back and told us of the gas the Germans
were using. At 8 p.m. we received orders to move forward, and
we formed up on the canal road and moved to the right through
Ypres, on the way crossing "Suicide Corner," a spot at the head
of the canal. This place has been shelled every day for months.
It was here that we had our first casualty, one man being hit in
the side, three ribs being broken. We doubled through the town
and on toward the firing line for about two miles. It was heavy
work, as the men had on their full equipment and an extra hundred
rounds. When we got within half a mile of the firing line we
extended in lines of half a battalion at one pace interval and lay
down. We had been very lucky thus far, having only lost one man,
for nearly everybody had been touched on the way up by bita of
shells. Shortly orders came to take the trench on the left front.
This time the shells had more effect. One I know accounted for two
of my platoon and four of No. 12. We were now so close they
could not shell us. Everything was fairly quiet in front except
for an occasional burst of machine guns and rifle fire. When we
were within three hundred yards of the trench we came upon a
thick hedge, and after some delay we managed to get through. The
fire was getting quite hot. From the hedge we made a rush of
about fifty yards. By this time they had spotted us and the fire
was awful, coming, it seemed, from all directions, making a steady
roar. We pushed forward another hundred yards or so, and when
the fire slackened for a moment the front line charged, followed
by the second line about twenty yards in the rear. We bayoneted
the Germans who remained in the trench and chased the balance
who had made for the wood in the rear of the trench. It was here
that we re-captured three 4.7 guns. After clearing the wood we
were ordered into the trench. Here we found all sorts of German
equipment, rifles, bayonets, packs, rations, drums, etc. We
worked all night trying to make the trench as shell-proof as possible.
At daybreak they started shelling us and kept it up all day. It
was an awful day. Men blown out of a trench was a common
occurrence, leaving nothing but possibly a boot or a Glengarry.
In one case a shell burst over the trench, wounding three of my
men. One crawled out to the tall grass in the rear and made his
way to the dressing station. Another who received eight wounds
in one leg hopped across the open to the grass. The third was so

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

badly hit he could not move, and his brother and pal volunteered
to get him out. (All wounded stayed in the trenches until dark
unless they were able to get out by themselves). Having no
stretcher they had to drag him, and after working for nearly an
hour in the open they got him to the edge of the grass when a
sniper got him. The poor chap died an hour or so later, but
both volunteers got through safely. That night we collected the
wounded we were unable to get out the previous night. Some had
been in the wood nearly twenty-four hours unable to get out.
We found one of my platoon and a German both dead each with
his bayonet through the other's throat. As very few brought
rations we lived on what the Germans had left as they were fairly
good.

"The second day was much the same as the first. On the
third at about 8 a.m. we were relieved. In getting out we had to
crawl about four hundred yards along a sort of ditch which was
about a foot deep and full of stagnant water, at the end of which
we got over from a hedge. From here we went back about five
hundred yards and dug ourselves in. In doing this we had very
little trouble except from snipers who were in a barn on our left.
It wasn't long before their artillery got the range, and then for the
four days we were there we were shelled incessantly. Only one
came in my fort, doing little damage, burying a non-commissioned
officer whom we soon dug out. Beyond a shaking up he was none
the worse for his experience. To add to our discomfort it rained
on the second day, thus doing away with any sleep we might have
been able to get. On the morning of the fifth day we arrived at a
billet where we expected to get a rest. After having something to
eat we lay down at the most convenient place and went to sleep.
At 9 a.m. we were awakened and ordered forward again, with
orders to dig ourselves in about a mile ahead. (When the battalion
lined up there were about three hundred who answered the roll
call. A number of men broke down, some going off their heads).
In the afternoon we moved farther up and again dug ourselves in.
Here we stayed for three days and managed to get a little sleep,
although they shelled us almost continuously. On the third night
we returned to billets, but had to dig ourselves in, as they were
shelling the surrounding houses. The next night we were again
ordered forward to occupy a line of trenches in rear of the French,
where we stayed for two days, then we again moved forward,
digging ourselves in once more. On the morning of the sixth day
we were relieved, going back three miles, where we bivouaced for
the day. That night we marched to our rest billets, eighteen miles.

16

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

When we arrived we were a sorry-looking company, about half
strength and two officers, Capt. Frank Morrison of Hamilton and
myself. Everyone had sore feet on account of the long march
and having had to keep our boots on all this time. During all
this time I don't think anybody had more than twelve hours'
sleep. Since being in these billets we have been congratulated by
a number of generals. The remaining officers were introduced to
General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien who congratulated us personally.
"Enough cannot be said for the men. They behaved like
veterans, never wavered for an instant, and took whatever came
without a word of complaint."

Private James H. Lovett, a former member of the
Winnipeg staff, writes from Northern France, 23rd May,
1915, as follows. The missing place name in the second
paragraph is Festubert and the letter refers to the pre-
parations for the attack which was made there in May,
1915:

"We had some time at Ypres about a month ago and had
much the same during the past week. John Low was killed. He
died game, and I went up two days later and helped to bury him.
Our line had advanced and we had nothing to bother us except
an occasional shell. It was in this spot we were caught when
advancing to make a flank attack. (No. 4 Company from the
'Peg.') The Germans saw us advancing into the trench and
shelled us. Parapets, sand bags, everything seemed to fly. The
boy on my right was killed and the three chaps on my left were
completely buried in sand bags, the result of a big shell. We
managed to get them out. I hear a new (250) draft of Camerons
is coming. I guess we will need almost the whole of them to make
up our company. The boys are not lacking in spirit and sang
nearly all the way back from the trenches last night.

"Bean is missing and Cruickshank is in England wounded.

Fraser is well. We have the Germans going here at F . The

Old Guards say our lads are fine and helped our boys back over
the parapets of the trench when we were being relieved."

The following is an extract from a letter from Private
A. P. Glasgow, a former member of the staff of the
Wadena branch, dated 27th May, 1915. This refers to
the Battle of Festubert, May, 1915:

"Thanks very much for your letter, etc. I have had some
exciting times since I last wrote you, a bayonet charge being the
most stirring. We captured a trench from the Germans, but.they

17

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

unfortunately could not pluck up nerve enough to wait for us, and
the gleam of our bayonets in the moonlight and our Indian yell
caused them to beat it in a most undignified manner, leaving only
a few wounded and "Landsturmers" behind them. They made a
couple of very vicious counter attacks next day, but we managed
to keep them out with heavy loss to themselves. Fortunately I
came through the whole thing without a scratch, though the
reaction afterwards left me with nerves somewhat shaken. We
are back having a rest now, and I am thankful to get away from
those guns for a while. The German artillery is deadly, but their
infantry is a comparative joke. I have seen Goodale several
times. His regiment went into action the night we left. I hope
he came through all right."

Trooper T. L. Golden, of Lord Strathcona's Horse,
formerly of the Wetaskiwin branch, writes a letter from
France dated 30th May, 1915. It is quoted in full. This
letter gives fuller details of the Festubert engagement,
May, 1915:

"I am going to give you a few impressions of my first few days
in the trenches. As you know we volunteered to go in as infantry,
pending arrival of reinforcements of Canadian Infantry. After
two weeks of marching all over the north of France we at last went
into the reserve trenches on Saturday, 22nd May. The reserve
trenches consist of a very strong wall of sacks filled with sand, and
behind are bomb-proof shelters and dugouts. The Germans
shelled the place for all they were worth until well on Sunday,
when they ceased for a while. They did no damage however.
About noon on Sunday our troops got orders to go down to the
front lines in a very shallow communication trench and to bring
down boxes of ammunition and bombs. When we were in the
communication trench they shelled us. I thought my end had
surely some. We were all lying down flat. Several of the boys
were killed and wounded around this place. My head was between
the feet of the man in front of me, whose right foot was almost
blown off by a fragment of a shell. All that was left of the troop
(10) went forward and after various little experiences arrived at
the front trench and delivered our goods. It was on my way here
that I saw the Germans deliberately turn a machine gun on four
fellows who were carrying out a wounded man. I am afraid I
called those Huns some very impolite names at that point. At
noon we found we had to repair about two hundred yards of
communication trench that had been blown away in the morning.
Before starting this we decided to have dinner, so we 'dug ourselves

18

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

in* and wrestled with some bully beef and hard tack. This finished
we picked up our shovels and picks and started out. We were just
about one hundred yards from our 'dugout' and in a very exposed
place, when they started the fireworks. There was a sand bank
there and we rushed for it. I dug a hole with my nose and hugged
it tight. You would think the ten of us were frozen to the bank,
we lay so close. A shell hit the bank immediately above my
head and two of us were absolutely covered with sand and clay.
There was a dirty, green, slimy pool immediately behind where we
lay. A shell burst right in it and presto, we were all covered with
green slime and pieces of frogs and everything. After about
fifteen minutes the fire subsided and our guns started to go. It
surely was the sweetest music to hear our shells whistling over
there and making the Germans keep quiet.

"When it all stopped I shook myself and took a look around.
My haversack was riddled and there was a great piece of shell
imbedded in my tin of bully beef. My emergency ration of
biscuits was all broken up into crumbs. A cartridge pouch was
completely shot off my belt and not a round in it exploded. Two
of our boys were wounded. I had a piece of shrapnel in the fleshy
part of my thigh. I got it out yesterday and am 'right as paint*
now.

"Just about this time I saw some of the finest examples of
pluck that a person could see. One sergeant had a great piece
torn out of his right arm. He calmly put his left hand into his
pocket, pulled out a knife, opened it with his teeth and slit his
coat sleeve. Then took a field dressing out of his pocket and
bandaged himself. When it was done he called the corporal of
his troop and gave him charge. Another place there were two
fellows carrying ammunition to the front trenches. The front one
got wounded and said 'Say, mate, can you possibly carry the two
boxes up? I'm wounded.' Just as he said it the other chap fell.
He said, 'By gosh, I copped it myself, Jack.' Then No. 1 said
that the boys in front might be badly in need of it and that they
would have to get it up anyway. So away they went; one with blood
oozing out through his puttee and the other with his arm nearly
shot off. These are only a couple of the thousands that happen
every day. Americans are, and always have been, rather too
ready to look down upon the Britisher as a good-for-nothing
lady-like cissy, but if you only saw him as I did you would 'take
off your hat' to him as the pluckiest and most manly fellow in the
whole world. You should see them go and pick up a wounded com-
rade under shell fire. Perhaps I had better describe shell fire. First

10

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

you hear it coming as a dull moan, then it gradually develops into
a weird whistle, then a shriek and the earth rocks under you; you
are covered with mud and earth and you are glad you are alive.
Simultaneously with the bursting of a shell come the cries and
moans of the wounded. When you are exposed to this for quite a
while it gets rather nerve-racking. My left ear is singing yet.

"To continue my narrative, though, it was utterly impossible
to work that afternoon, so we went into a dugout and rested till
dusk. When dusk came we carried out the wounded, and another
fellow and I went up to headquarters. An officer there gave us a
fine hot supper. This finished, we marched right back to the
trenches. It was midnight when we got there, and we worked till
6 p.m. the next evening, fortifying a communication trench.
While we were here a party of Germans came along with bombs to
try and throw at us. We fixed our bayonets and started to climb
over the parapets. Just as soon as they saw the steel they ran as
fast as their legs could take them. The day passed rather unevent-
fully, except that the snipers kept things going. I had a few
narrow escapes myself. That night we were relieved in the front
trenches and went to the reserve. We slept all day in the reserves
(we hadn't slept a wink for four days), and in the evening we
started on a very welcome march back to the billets where we still
are. The net result of our work was that the Huns were driven
back nearly hah* a mile and we captured several trenches. Besides
this we had withstood as hot a bombardment as had any in the war.
Not bad for green troops first time under fire, is it?

"And now I've had a good hot bath, some new clothing, lots
of civilized food and lots of sleep, and am feeling as good as ever.

"My impressions are many — here are a few of them: (1)
The man who said "War is hell" is right to the letter. (2) There
is no pluckier man in the world than the British soldier. And
lastly the Germans are a poor bunch, especially those who indulge
in firing on Red Cross parties.

"Now, you've got a description of the little bit of war I saw.
I find, on looking over the description, that it is a very poor one.
Please goodness, I'll be able to tell it to you by word of mouth
one of these days."

Lieutenant F. C. Biggar, formerly Manager at
Virden, writes from France on 3rd June, 1915, a letter
which is quoted at some length. This also refers to the
fighting in the Festubert sector. The dugout described
in the third paragraph was evidently one of the original

20

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

shelters or funk-holes, having nothing in common with
the elaborate dugout systems of the last two years of the
war:

"I think I didn't give you any news of leaving England and
the break up of the 32nd. The Canadian casualties at Ypres
were so heavy that they rushed us over at three days' notice to
fill the gaps.

"Since arriving we have seen a fair amount of country behind
the British line. We marched mostly at night, which is less inter-
esting but safer and cooler, and are billeted in farms or bivouac in
fields. You would be surprised how comfortable one can be with
a couple of blankets lying on a tiled floor, and when it is fine out
of doors it's first-rate, unless too cold.

"Our first spell in the trenches began a week ago last Saturday
night. The one we occupied was the original British front line
one during the winter, but owing to the capture of two German
trenches we were some distance from the actual firing line. It
was really a sand bag breastwork, not a trench, but was well
constructed, and there were enough booby huts and dugouts to
give us all sleeping accommodation. A booby hut is a low sort of
dog kennel with roof and walls made of sandbags, and a dugout is
much the same but dug down instead of built up. They afford
fair protection from shell splinters or shrapnel, but of course can't
keep out shells, if hit.

"After six days of this they moved us to another part of the
line two or three miles away.

"The change was made at night, as usual, and it was rather
a weird feeling travelling along in single file over breastworks,
across ditches, through barbed wire entanglements, the whole more
or less lighted by the moon and the vast number of star shells
thrown up by the Germans. These latter are rather like big
Roman candle balls and light a very large extent of ground, while
they are much better than those issued to the British. Every now
and then you would hear the whiz of a bullet overhead, but these
were just strays and not aimed at us, though if they hit they hurt
just as much.

"We had one very close call while digging a communication
trench between our own and No. 4's. A fair sized shell struck
the edge of the trench fairly while it was filled with our men at
only a yard distance from each other. Had it burst in the air
instead of on the ground it would probably have bagged a dozen
or more, but as it was, it killed only one and slightly wounded
another. I was about twenty feet away but hearing the whistle

21

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

in the air I dropped to my knees, but I could feel the suction and
concussion of the air when the explosion came. Afterwards I
was told by the man nearest to the place that half a minute before
I had been standing on the exact spot where the shell struck, and
if my subconscious intuition continues to serve me as well in
future I shall come home scatheless.

"We are now back in billets for a few days' rest, and one realizes
that there has been a strain from the reaction which leaves us all
a little irritable and nervous, as you may judge from this scrawl,

"It will be years before the section now being fought over
regains a normal look, but where we are, within six miles of the
line, there are no signs of war, the fields are under crop, the houses
in good repair, and the people living apparently a quiet, peaceful
life. The change in coming from the trenches seems odd but very
pleasant."

Mr. E. L. Yeo, of the London, Eng., staff, writes
from "Somewhere in France'* under date of 3rd June,
1915, as follows. Mr. Yeo was subsequently killed and
we have been unable to obtain any further particulars
regarding the localities referred to in this letter:

"Since last writing our battalion has been taking an active
part in the British advance (promised as you may perhaps remember
by Lord Kitchener some months ago). This advance is a steady
one, but obviously cannot be rapid as the obstacles to be over-
come are numerous. For instance, the plain here is dotted with
villages and isolated farm houses; each of these has been trans-
formed by the tireless German into (in the case of the farm house)
a miniature fortress and (in the case of villages) a collection of
small forts which, when defended by innumerable machine guns
prove 'tough nuts' only to be broken down by a steady bombard-
ment of our own artillery. As you no doubt already know, high
explosive is used in this connection, shrapnel being used when the
inmates of the forts mentioned are more or less exposed to fire, their
defences having been partially destroyed by high explosive. The
system often used by us in capturing trenches is also interesting.
Following a heavy bombardment of a portion of the enemy's line a
bayonet charge is made on same. A footing is thus made and a
bombing party then comes into action. The bombing party consists
of a number of men armed with hand bombs who are immediately
preceded by others with fixed bayonets. Bombs are hurled over
the heads of the latter people at the enemy, the demoralized
survivors of which are summarily dealt with by the bayonet men.

22

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

At the time of writing our machine gun teams are occupying
trenches situated south of our last position. The enemy is about
one thousand yards distant, and consequently things are very
quiet indeed, occasional shells being our only trouble. The
weather lately, and which still continues, is brilliant."

Mr. A. C. Caton, of the London, Eng., staff, writes a
further letter from Belgium, dated 6th June, 1915, as
follows. Mr. Caton in the second paragraph refers to
his Battalion's march from Houplines, near Armentieres,
to the Base at St. Omer. 'The town" referred to is Ypres,
which was in flames when the Battalion went through.

"We are now in a much hotter quarter than we were in before.
It was quite close here that your compatriots so distinguished
themselves a few weeks ago, and you and all the other Canadians
in the office have every reason to feel proud of them. Not only
our own men out here, but also the French and Belgians whom
we have come across, speak very enthusiastically about them.

"We moved from our old part of the line about a fortnight
ago. We had a four hours' night march down to the base, where
we were reviewed by Sir John French, and another four hours'
march to this part of the line next day. The town itself, which
we came through on our way into the trenches, is a sight which I
shall never forget. The whole place had been systematically
shelled, and there is hardly a house left standing, nothing but huge
pits in the ground and heaps of debris. The road was being shelled
as we came along, so it was a case of lying flat when we heard a
shell coming and then going on again at the double. To-day
(6th) the Germans have been shelling us in the trenches off and on
the whole day with both shrapnel and high explosives, commonly
known as 'coal-boxes.' Against the latter there is no protection
at all, as they make huge pits in the ground. One can only sit
tight and hope for them to miss. The nearest one to me landed
about a dozen yards away and almost buried me with the earth
thrown up."

Private W. H. Goodale, of the Wadena branch,
writes under date of 6th June, 1915, as follows. No
explanatory particulars are available. Mr. Goodale was
killed on 1st August, 1918.

"I must send you a few lines to let you know that I am O.K.
and that the Huns have not got me yet. We have been out here
a month now and have had our 'baptism of fire* for four days, as

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

the casualty lists will have shown. I could write much about those
four days, but the censor would not like it, perhaps.

"It is really extraordinary how small the world is. In a
square mile of Flanders, several weeks ago, I met practically all
the fellows I knew in the first contingent from Brandon and other
places. They all got through the Ypres affair, and through this
last one too, as I have seen them continually since. Glasgow, who
came out about two weeks before me, I have seen several times.
From what I gathered he had some very close shaves in this last
affair; his battalion suffered very heavily.

"We have just had a church parade, but it was a very extra-
ordinary one on account of the possibility of a shell interrupting
the service.

"My brother and I had quite an interesting experience the
other night. We went for a stroll into an adjacent village into
which the Huns dropped a few shells every evening about 7 o'clock,
but of that fact we were unaware. We had just come out of a
little 'Estaminet' at the corner of the square and had gone about
fifteen yards up the street when, biff ! one came about thirty yards
behind us. I must confess I was more scared than at any time in
the trenches, it was so unexpected, and the yapping women and
old fogies quite unnerved me. About thirty seconds later another
one came, this time much nearer, glass, etc, fell all around me;
an old chap standing near me got his cheek cut and the toe of his
slipper, but I wasn't even scratched. If my brother had accepted
my offer of another drink in that little pub (which if you knew
my brother you would think most probable) we should just have
been about coming out of the door and the tale would run differ-
ently. So in future when we curse this awful stuff they sell as
beer out here we must remember it once did us a good turn."

Mr. F. S. Walthew, of the London, Eng., staff, who
joined the London Naval Division in December, 1914,
writes from the Dardanelles on 8th June, 1915, as follows:
"Thank you very much for your letter of good wishes which I
received last Wednesday just before leaving for the firing line.
Unfortunately I stopped a bullet with my left arm on Sunday and
am now on board a hospital ship, recovering. I came off rather
better than I might have done, as the bullet, which was fired by a
sniper behind our trenches, while I was looking through a peri-
scope, went through the upper part of my arm, cutting the
artery and finished up by making a big dent in my cigarette case
which 1 had in my left breast pocket. We arrived out here about

24

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

a fortnight ago and have been under artillery fire all the time,
which necessitated our entrenching ourselves as soon as we landed.
However, we did not suffer much from this as we were not near the
Red Cross depot, which seems to be the chief target. The Turks
are in a very strong position just where we are and at least fifty
thousand strong, but we are advancing a little every day and will
have them out before long. The French artillery is fine and seem
able to hit anything, while our own, backed by the fleet, gives the
enemy a pretty warm time. The Turks have lost very heavily,
but seem to be innumerable."

Mr. N. E. Lawson, of the London, Eng., staff, writes
under date of 13th June, 1915, as follows. The chateau
herein referred to is Hooge chateau in the Ypres salient.
The pretty little village is Vlamertinghe, near Ypres.

We came down yesterday after our first spell in our new line
of trenches. We were in a very peculiar position indeed. Situated
in the grounds of an old chateau, we held the stables and half
of the garden, and the Germans held the other half. Our section
was in the chicken run. The worst part of it was the appalling
stench, as the fighting had been very heavy round there. Our
place was very bad; it may have been the dead chickens, — a wit
said it was the coachman.

"There is a rumour out here that K's new army has decided
to remain neutral. Is it true?

'"There is a pretty little village quite near us, with a very fine
church, but the Germans knocked the steeple off it last night and
have rather spoiled the effect.

"Ypres was the town I told you was knocked to bits."

An Inspector of the Bank writes as follows regarding
a voyage from Canada to England in June, 1915:

"We had a very pleasant but uneventful voyage until we
neared Liverpool, when, as you no doubt saw by the papers, we
encountered two submarines. One of them we nearly rammed, but
it took a dive and fortunately miscalculated our speed and instead
of coming up on our broadside came up about a hundred yards to
the rear. By the time it had got turned around and its gasoline
engine going we had made considerable headway, and though it
followed us for about half an hour finally gave up pursuit. It had
no opportunity to discharge any torpedoes because it would only
have wasted them to have shot at our stern; even if the aim was
good the propellers would have deflected the torpedoes. The
other submarine just looked at us, but made no attempt to follow

25

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

as it saw our speed was in excess of its own. There was very little
excitement on board and the whole matter was taken very
casually."

Mr. F. S. Walthew, of the London, Eng., branch,
writes from hospital at Mudros Lemnos, on 3rd July,
1915, and refers to the fighting at Gallipoli:

"I am still in hospital here but hope to return to the front next
week. We are getting on well out here, but have not yet got
through the Straits, as some papers suggest. We are closing
in on Achi Baba, the big hill which is stopping us, and last Monday
advanced a thousand yards, taking prisoners, ammunition and
thirty machine guns. Our losses have been heavy but the Turks'
enormous. They suffer a great deal from the big guns of the fleet
and also from the French *75's.'

Private J. McQuoid, formerly of the Phoenix staff,
writes from France on 3rd July, 1915, as follows:

"This is just to let you know that I am still in the land of the
living, and at the present time I am feeling very fit again. I
just returned from hospital a few days ago, being there for about
a month suffering from concussion, which I got while in action
up at a place called Festubert. I guess you will have read about
the doings of Canadians in the papers.

"You will be rather surprised at the above address, the
reason being that when the 30th Battalion left Shorncliffe for
the front they went to reinforce the different battalions of the
First Contingent and our company happened to reinforce the 48th
Highlanders of Toronto. How would you like to see me in kilts?

"I have seen quite a bit of France, but, of course, we have not
seen the gay side of it, such as Paris and all around there. How-
ever. I have been to one or two nice seaside places during my
sick u ess and the time I was convalescent. It certainly is a very
great country for farming, the ground all being so level and fertile,
and I must say the French people know how to plant things."

Mr. A. C. Caton, of the London, Eng., staff, writes
a further letter from Belgium, dated 4th July, 1915, as
follows. Mr. Caton herein refers to the British attack
at Hooge on the 26th June, 1915. The canal referred to
is the Yser Canal:

"Your surmise as to our position is quite correct, and I can
assure you it is a pretty hot quarter, as we are shelled every day.
A week or two ago, following upon an attack in which we played

26

\

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

a small part and through which the Germans lost three lines of
trenches opposite us. we were shelled incessantly for over twenty-
four hours. Obviously the Deutchers are not in urgent need of a
new Ministry of Munitions yet. One piece of shell flicked my ear
in the course of its flight, and another portion hit me on the head,
which was fortunately hard enough to withstand the shock.

"They also tried to gas us, but it was not a very great success
from their point of view. Certainly the noxious fumes reached us
all right as they came over in the form of shells, but as the wind
was in our favor the gas was blown back to their own lines.

"After the above happenings we lived in reserve dugouts on
the banks of the canal for a week, and had plenty of bathing and
some boating. We had quite a good time there except that we
were sent out digging every night from 8 o'clock until 2 in the
morning. We then had a week further back still, in wooden huts
on the edge of a wood and had a delightful time.

"One of the chief annoyances, however, is the number of lice
which get into one's clothing and stubbornly hold on to their
position as though quite proud of the part they are playing in
the war."

Private A. P. Glasgow, formerly of the Wadena staff,
wrote a letter on 4th July, 1915, from which the
following is extracted:

"Since I last wrote you I have become a bomb thrower (i.e.,
one who casts hand grenades). I like it much better than the
ordinary trench work, for we don't have to do any sentry duty at
nights — only being used when we are making an attack or else to
repel a German attack. We are kept in a separate company and
are attached to the brigade.

"We have just lately been moved to a quiet part of the firing
line, a most welcome change from the last couple of places we
toured in. After being at the front for a month or so, one's
appetite for bloodshed and excitement becomes somewhat satiated,
and when we get a chance to take things easy for a while, no one
raises any objections. They say you can have too much of a good
thing.

"I like these Belgians very much. They are good-hearted
people, and when we are back having a rest in the billets they are
awfully good to us. I think I like them better than the French."

Lieutenant V. Curran, formerly Assistant Accountant
at Winnipeg, writes from England in July, 1915.
While the letter does not come from the field of active

27

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

operations, it contains items of a certain amount of
interest which are quoted. The camp herein described
was situated at Shorncliffe, near Folkestone, England:

"As our company happened to be detailed for duty to-day
and all men on fatigue, I am able to steal a few minutes for letters
to my friends. I thought perhaps you might be interested in a
brief summary of our trip. The ocean voyage was delightful and
the weather all that could be desired. We sailed on the 'Grampian,'
and one of the best evidences that Britannia rules the seas was the
fact that we sailed practically across the ocean without escort.
Two destroyers met us on the last day and took us into Devon-
port, which, as you perhaps know, is the Admiralty side of Ply-
mouth.

"Our camp is beautifully situated in a valley or rather a hillside
where we get shelter from the cool sea breezes and the dust from
the plain above. We are only a mile from the sea and on a clear
day we can see France quite distinctly. It is most interesting
to walk along the Leas, as the promenade is called, and watch the
Channel shipping. There is a naval air station just near us so we
are daily treated to the sight of either aeroplanes or dirigibles flying
over us and it is really a most wonderful sight, especially the
dirigibles. They also have three armoured cars filled with guns for
use against hostile aircraft, and these are kept at Hythe, together
with a large motor cycle corps for notifying outlying stations.

"We have no idea yet as to whether we are going to be
brigaded or used as reinforcements and don't much care, the main
thing being to get over and do our bit. England has still to find
ways and means to make use of and get into service a large number
of men who are so far shirking their part."

Lieutenant F. C. Biggar writes from Belgium on
24th July, 1915, as follows. The action described in the
third paragraph of this letter was a local attack at
Givenchy, on 15th June, 1915. The big Belgian estate
referred to is Chateau la Hutte, near Ploegsteert, Belgium:

"Please excuse the pencil, but ink will be a very scarce article
until we go back to billets next time. A bottle is such a dangerous
thing to pack in one's knapsack that as a rule we fill our fountain
pens and keep them for addressing envelopes or writing important
field messages.

"Since I wrote you last we have been following the regular
routine, so many days in the trenches and then so many in billets,

28

LETTERS FROM T UK I R O N T

but in between trench spells we have moved about and each time
have occupied a new part of the line.

"We have not as yet had to repel a German attack nor have
we been directly mixed up in one of our own, though we were called
on to support one made by the battalion on our left. This was
distinctly our warmest proposition since I joined, for there was a
three day bombardment by both sides, culminating in three hours of
tremendous firing that was absolutely deafening and the explosion
of an immense mine dug by our engineers under the German trench.

"That sort of warfare is most trying, and it is hard to keep
from being restless when it is possible the Boches are boring under
your line and you may be sent sky high any moment.

"Since then we have had quiet lines with only casual daily
shell fire, but even in these, sniping both day and night is steady,
and thoughtless exposure is paid for.

"Just now we are in an ideal spot, reserve trenches scattered
through the woods on a big Belgium estate. This is said to be the
summer home of King Albert, and the Chateau must have been a
fine one with a garden all around it, a big conservatory and an
artificial stream, with waterfalls, running through it. Now the
chateau and conservatory are a mass of ruins, for the Germans
have shelled them again and again. The wood is quite thick with
underbrush and huge trees, for in this country they seem to have
practised reforestation and conservation for a good many years.
Through this run innumerable bridle paths and it is quite easy to
get lost. There is little game to be seen now, but they say that the
troops here last winter lived on pheasants.

"We wonder when the great British offensive is going to begin,
for unless we or the Germans start something soon on a large scale,
the war may drag on for another year, while a winter campaign
seems almost a certainty. This is not a very pleasant prospect to
any of us.

"The authorities have now begun to grant leave but it is on a
very small scale. Five men and one officer per battalion are
granted six days' leave each week. On that basis as a junior
officer my turn won't come till November, I expect.

"We were inspected a week ago by Sir John French and got a
good look at that great soldier. While on our way to these trenches
we marched past Sir Robert Borden. Canada is doing well in
supplying men, but if they put two divisions in the field it will be
a great drain to supply reinforcements.

"Here's to a banner year for Western crops. I hear the
latest reports are still good and that those frosts haven't done

29

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

serious damage. The crops here are excellent and open the eyes
of Manitoba and Saskatchewan men. Almost every foot of land
behind the lines is under crop and the yields should run about
45 or 50 bushels of wheat to the acre and about 80 bushels to the
acre for oats. Of course a lot of fertilizer is used and the farming
is most intensive.

"To-day the Germans opposite us hoisted a sign on their
trench with the news that they have captured Warsaw with
100,000 prisoners. No hint of this has yet come to us, and we
hope it is a Wolff agency report, for it means a serious blow to the
Russians and the release of 1,000,000 Germans to operate on this
front, if true."

The following is a letter, dated 29th July, 1915, from
Private W. H. Goodale, formerly of our Wadena branch.

The "Rebay" to whom he refers is Baron F. H.
Rebay von Ehrenwiesen, a German, and a former member
of the staff of our Vonda Branch. We learned that
Rebay was a Bavarian lieutenant of artillery, and was
made prisoner in September, 1915. He was evidently
captured while attempting to reach Germany, as he was
taken to Gibraltar after his capture and was interned at
Lofthouse Park, Wakefield, England, from September,
1915, until the close of the war.

"As regards Glasgow, I will relate this case as being one of
the most extraordinary cases of telepathy I have yet experienced,
and I have had several. I had not seen him for weeks and was
beginning to wonder if he had blown himself up with one of his
bombs. One night a small working party of eight of us were pro-
ceeding up the main communication trench on the way to the
front line. For some reason my thoughts turned to Pat and to
wondering what had become of him, and I thought, supposing I
meet him now in this trench, of doing which there was about one
chance in a thousand. Well I just walked about five yards further
and ran right into him also with a party of about eight. I only had
time to touch his hand and to tell him I was only that moment
thinking of him and we had passed. However, the next time we
came out of the trenches I determined to try and find his billet
and was astonished to find he had been billeted within a mile of
me the whole time.

"Things have been very quiet in this part of the line, but on
Monday we got a little excitement. The previous day we had
enjoyed watching the effects of shell fire on a farm house about one

so

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

hundred and fifty yards from my dugout where we were in support.
There is always a humorous side to everything even out here, and
to see the fellows beating it away from that farm like fowls when a
fox has suddenly appeared in their farmyard, was very funny. The
Corporal of our section, a British Columbian born, laughed loudest
of all. Well, they shelled it again the next morning, and everyone
was either ignoring it or interestedly watching the effects again.
Suddenly they elevated the range about one hundred and fifty
yards and then the laugh was against us.

"The first one dropped exactly opposite my dugout; I paced
it afterwards and found it fifteen yards; the second one was within
ten yards of it. Thirty seconds sooner and I should have been
outside, as I had just been washing and stepped inside my dugout
as the first one burst. They say the British army never runs when
retreating, but the way we beat it from those dugouts was nothing
slow; I was very decollete at the time, but I didn't even stop to
grab my cap.

The whole thing was really very amusing, but to understand
the real humour of it one must know the exact circumstances and
our position, which I fear it will take too long to explain. Our
Corporal, who was laughing so loudly just previously, got a splinter
in his shoulder. There were three or four got nabbed in our troop,
but two of them walked away to get their wounds dressed. The
most extraordinary escape of all was that of an old chap who
shared the same dugout with me. When the first shell burst he
was lying flat on his tummy reading, about seven yards from the
dugout, and consequently nearest to the first shell. The fact of
his being quite flat at the time probably saved him. But it is all a
game of chance, particularly in this long range shell fire, where one
is continually in range and even civilians too, and yet shells may
not come once in six months.

"I was wondering what has become of Rebay. Did he ever
get out of Canada last fall?"

The following is an excerpt from a letter written in
August, 1915, by Private J. P. Winning, formerly of the
Bengough branch:

"I am glad to inform you that my injury was not serious. A
piece of shrapnel hit my left foot at the base of the big toe, just
glanced off the bone and passed out underneath. The piece was
small, otherwise the bone would have been shattered, with more
serious results. I was very thankful, indeed, to get off so lightly.
The 10th Canadian Battalion was engaged in the operations at
Festubert, having taken over front line positions on the 19th

si

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

April, 1915. Two companies attacked the enemy positions on the
evening of 21st May, 1915, with some success. Next day the
part of the trench we had captured came in for some heavy shelling,
many of my chums being killed or seriously wounded. Indeed I
have often thought since that we who did get out were fortunate
to get out alive, the place was a perfect inferno for a few hours.
I saw some heart-breaking sights on my way back to the field
dressing station, some I shall never forget as long as I live. Ben-
gough boys fared badly that day, out of four in action, one was
killed, one died of wounds and myself wounded."

The following is a letter from Private E. C. M.
Knott, formerly of the Shaunavon branch, dated 9th
August, 1915:

"I joined the 27th Light Horse at Shaunavon and was trans-
ferred to the 5th at Valcartier. After a lovely time in England, we
went to France on 6th February, and I was badly crushed by the
caving in of a trench at Festubert on 24th May — the day nearly all
our boys were hit. The force of the explosion of the shell that helped
to bury me was so great that nearly all my clothes were blown off,
and I was unconscious nearly continually for five days. My left
side, right down, was paralyzed but except for the arm I am O.K.
now."

"Poor Fowler got a bad one, both jaws smashed and all his
teeth gone. However, he is doing well now. Mike Morrow was
killed. It seems a shame, as he was the only son of a widowed
mother. However, it's what he would have wished and I almost
envy him. Cameron, Manager at Shaunavon, was mortally
wounded beside me. About six inches of his spine was smashed,
but they kept him alive for ten days so that his mother had time
to go from Glasgow to France to see him.

"Of the other boys I have no trace, but hope they are still
going strong.

"How's Moosejaw? I'd give some to be back for a time.
Remember me to the staff.

"Gott strafe der Kaiser."

NOTE: The men referred to by Private Knott are Sergeant
J. G. Fowler, late of the Moosejaw branch, Private F. D. C. Morrow,
late of the Briercrest branch, and Mr. H. Cameron, at one time
Manager at the Shaunavon branch. We were informed later,
however, that Private Morrow was not killed as advised in the
letter.

32

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

The following is an extract from a further letter
from Mr. A. C. Caton, of the London, Eng., staff, written
in Belgium on 23rd August, 1915. The action herein
described was at Hooge, Ypres salient, 9th August, 1915:

"Many thanks for your parcel. There is nothing more
welcome than cigarettes and chocolate, especially the former,
which we cannot get at all except from home.

"Since last writing I had to rejoin my regiment, and then
learned that our division was to retake some trenches lost a few
days previously, and that our brigade had to make the attack.
We were in support to one of our other regiments in a wood, but
these men did so splendidly that we were not called upon to
advance. A number of our men were engaged in carrying up
bombs and ammunition along communication trenches already
half blown in by high explosives, and littered with dead and
wounded. The German infantry on the whole showed very little
fight, most of them put up their hands as soon as they saw our
bayonets. At night we moved up to another trench, ,and were
subjected to a terrible bombardment all the next day, as the
Deutchers kept their artillery on us all the time, particularly on
a certain crater, which we were still holding. We were relieved
that night and marched nine miles back to our huts, where we have
been ever since. We are going up to the trenches again to-night,
however, and I hope it will be a bit quieter this time.

"We had an inter-company cricket match yesterday after-
noon, but unfortunately our company lost. The game was inter-
rupted for over half an hour owing to the presence of a German
aeroplane overhead. Later on we had a football match against
another regiment, but this time the Germans put a stop to it
altogether by landing about half-a-dozen shells round about us.
After that, however, we had a concert, which we were able to
finish without any interruption."

The following are some diary notes of Private F. N.
Hardyman, of the First Contingent, and formerly at-
tached to the Sault Ste. Marie staff. Private Hardyman
was only 17 years of age at the time of his enlistment in
August, 1914. His wounds, received on the 24th
April, 1915, were of a grave character, and we are told
that he was obliged to crawl about a mile to the dress-
ing station.

February 8th, 1915. We arrived at Avonmouth at 7 a.m.
Embarked and set sail at noon on a cattle boat, no beds.

33

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

February llth, 1915. We arrived in France at St. Nazaire.
We were supplied with fur coats. In the evening we were put in
box cars and travelled through France. We received a great wel-
come from the French.

February 13th, 1915. We passed through Calais and Boulogne.
We arrived at our destination and had to march three miles to
our billets. The name of the village was Merris. We were
billeted there in a farmer's barn, and were allowed no lights for
the first night.

February 16th, 1915. I went to see Jack Bailey in the hospital.
We received orders that we were to move to the firing line.

February 17th, 1915. We started at 8 a.m. for Armentieres,
about 15 miles march, mostly on cobble-stones, and our feet were
in pretty bad shape when we arrived at our destination at 2 p.m.
We were billeted in a big glass warehouse.

February 18th, 1915. We prepared all day for the trenches.

February 19th, 1915. At. 2 p.m. we marched to the trenches.
All got in safely, no casualties. Here we received our first baptism
of fire. At. 10 a.m. Sergeant Hamilton was wounded, which was
our first casualty.

February 20th, 1915. After twenty-four hours in the trenches
we were relieved and another battalion took our place.

February 21st, 1915. At 2 p.m. we went into the trenches again
for twenty-four hours, not quite so nervous. Two were killed
from an English regiment, who were with us, and a few more
wounded.

February 22nd, 1915. We came out of the trenches in the
early part of the morning. No casualties.

February 23rd, 1915. We left Armentieres at 6 a.m. and
marched back to our old billets.

February 27th, 1915. We received our first pay of $5. We
went into the village and had a good feed.

February 28th, 1915. We left Merris and had to march about
15 miles to our new billets at "Sally-on-the-Lye." On our march
we passed through two or three towns which were once occupied by
the Germans and which were destroyed.

March 1st, 1915. We had a heavy snow storm. Billets were
well ventilated by holes through the roof. We had orders in the
evening for the firing line at Bois Grenier. We relieved the
Camerons. Had no casualties.

March 2nd, 1915. We were employed in repairing our
trenches. At 6 a.m. Private Jack Brisbois was killed and Hounsell
wounded with the same bullet.

34

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

March 3rd, 1915. We were moved into an old trench, which
we had to build up ourselves — no dugouts.

March 4th, 1915. We built our trench and made two dugout*
and laid a brick floor.

March 6th, 1915. We had to march three miles to a barracks
in Bac St. Muir. There we received our first bath in a laundry.

March 9th, 1915. We each received a pair of socks from
Princess Mary. In the evening we went into the trenches.

March 10th, 1915. We held the German reinforcements at
the battle of Neuve Chappelle on the flank by directing rapid fire
directly on their trenches. The artillery were keeping all avenues
of approach closed.

March llth, 1915. The Canadian artillery shelled the
German trenches, and that evening the Germans had much work
to do in repairing their parapets.

March 15th, 1915. We went to Fleuxvais Bay for a bath at
a laundry which we very much enjoyed.

March 17th, 1915. I received some shamrock from Ireland.
The artillery celebrated St. Patrick's Day by firing very heavily.
We went into the trenches that evening. Corporal McMillan was
wounded, and after a few days died.

March 18th, 1915. Three cattle strolled round back of the
firing line, and that day we had fresh beef.

March 19th, 1915. We had a little snow. The Germans
threw a few coal-boxes (Jack Johnsons) at us. No damage done.

March 22nd, 1915. We had another bath at Bac St. Muir.
In the afternoon got paid again. Received $3.

March 23rd, 1915. A present was issued to each one of
tobacco, pipes, and cigarettes from Canada.

March 25th, 1915. We had orders to prepare for a move to
new billets. We passed through a town called Estaires, and were
billeted just outside of a village called Neuf-Berquin. There we
had two weeks' rest. We met the Indian troops, who were billeted
nearby.

April 2nd, 1915. We went into Estaires and had a bath in a
big laundry.

April 3rd, 1915. A motor kitchen- van arrived at the village,
superintended by three Red Cross women. The ladies served us
with soup and bread for lunch and coffee or cocoa and cake for tea.

April 6th, 1915. We had orders to march off, and were told
we were going to Ypres. We passed through several towns.

35

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

April 9th, 1915. We had a very heavy rain storm, with
thunder and lightning. We were reviewed by our Brigadier-
General.

April 12th, 1915. The 1st Brigade was reviewed by General
Smith-Dorrien, who was in command of the 2nd army at that time.
In the afternoon we were paid 15 francs.

April 15th, 1915. Our company had sports back of the firing
line.

April 18th, 1915. We marched closer to Ypres, passing
through Poperinghe.

April 19th, 1915. We had a bath in a lake on the grounds of
a big chateau.

April 21st, 1915. We had orders to stand to in case we were
needed at Hill 60, where there was a fierce battle raging.

April 22nd, 1915. In the afternoon at 3 o'clock the Germans
gassed the French Colonials, and frightened them so terribly that
they all fled and left the Germans in the open. We saw them
passing through our village in fearful terror, some mounted three
on one horse, crying that the Germans were coming and had poisoned
them with gas. The Canadians rushed up and held the Germans.
Our battalion was sent back to the billets and had orders to stand
to. At 9 o'clock at night we had orders to march off to the firing
line. We had to march about five miles, and when we arrived on
the battle-field it was an awful sight to see the dead and wounded.
We had nobody to escort us to where we were to go, and had to do
some skirmishing. We occupied a German trench which the
Canadian Highlanders had driven them out of.

April 23rd, 1915. In the early part of the morning we had to
transfer the parapet to the other side, and managed to get it trans-
ferred just before daylight. When daylight broke we saw a lot of
men in Canadian Highlanders' kilts hauling in the wounded in
front of us. We discovered that the Germans had taken off the
kilts of the Highlanders in order to decoy us so that they could
get their wounded in. The German artillery was very active all
day. We had a few killed.

April 24th, 1915. The German artillery was more active than
ever. We could not get any reinforcements up, and in the after-
noon at 3 o'clock the French gave way on our right flank again, and
the Germans came across and we had Germans back and front of
us. We had orders to extend out of the trenches into the open
and get shelter behind a barn nearby. They turned the machine
guns on us. The result was that our Lieutenant saw that it was
hopeless and ordered us back into the trenches and we were sur-

36

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

rounded. Five of us escaped; three were untouched and two of us
were wounded. It was there I received my four wounds, one in
the right lung, one in the armpit of the right arm, one in the right
fore-arm and one in the thigh of the left leg. I had to run, aft«-r
receiving my wounds, about eight hundred yards to the reinforce-
ment trench to escape from the Germans, and from there I crawled
to the dressing station. I was quite exhausted when I arrived,
and soon afterwards knew nothing more.

From there I was taken down by ambulance to Poperinghe
Clearing Hospital. While I was there a German aeroplane came
over and dropped bombs nearby, one civilian was killed and a few
were wounded. From there I was taken down by train to Rouen
to one of the hospitals. I was there a month and had an operation
on the wound in my chest and had the bullets extracted. From
there I was sent to Bristol, England. I was there for about six
weeks and then sent to Bath. I was there about six weeks and
then sent to a convalescent hospital near Shorncliffe Camp.

September 6th, 1915. I had an offer from the hospital to
accompany an invalid across the ocean, and from there came home
to Canada."

Mr. F. S. Walthew of the London, Eng., branch,
herein gives a resume of his experiences at Gallipoli.

"We left England early in May, 1915, on board H. M. T.
'Ivernia,' and arrived at Gibraltar some days later, after a
somewhat unpleasant time in the Bay of Biscay, in the course of
which, I, for one, took no interest whatever in my surroundings,
spending most of my time off duty in my bunk, and on duty
hanging over the side of the ship. Quite a lot of us began to think
at this time that the war business was not quite so romantic as
we had been led to believe.

"At Gibraltar we got news of the first U boats in the Mediter-
ranean, and as a defensive measure, all the snipers on board were
posted on the boat deck to spot for periscopes, and on one being
spotted, to sink the attached submarine by rifle fire! Fortunately
we did not meet with any, and had a comparatively uneventful
voyage to Lemnos, where we were trans-shipped to fleet sweepers
and taken to the peninsula by night, some forty to fifty miles away.

"My battalion landed at 'V beach, by the famous tramp
steamer 'River Clyde,' at 2 a.m. on the tip of the Peninsula,
which was then rather less than three miles from the front line.

"At no time in the course of the campaign was the front line
ever more than three and a half to four miles from the extreme
end of the Peninsula, so one can imagine the difficulty in concen-

37

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

trating troops, etc., for an attack, especially bearing in mind the fact
that every man, gun, mule and even biscuit, and most of the water,
had to be brought from the nearest base, five hundred miles away,
by sea, and landed, generally by night, often in very bad weather
and under constant shell fire, by troops supposed to be 'resting*
from the trenches. It was not long before we began to look upon
the front line as a 'rest' from the constant shelling and everlasting
working parties on the beaches!

"Upon landing we were requested by some local 'Brass Hat'
to dig ourselves in, and that swiftly, in order to get cover from the
shelling which usually started at dawn, and went on intermittently
all day. For this purpose we were issued with one spade and one
pick to every fifth man, and were expected to get down to the
required six feet in one and a hah* hours, through all kinds of soil
and a thin layer of rock. All of us by this time had thorough
wind up and we got down to it with our 'scratching Henries,' or
entrenching tools, without pausing to exchange badinage with
the above 'Brass Hat.'

"Fortunately, the Turk kept fairly quiet that day, and we
were permitted to make our arrangements undisturbed.

"As may be gathered, there were no huts, etc., to go back to,
as in France. One lived under shell fire all the time, and the strain
began to tell on everybody before long. Even dugouts in the
cliffs on the beaches, impossible to hit from Achi Baba, were
enfiladed by 'Asiatic Annie,' the gun on the Asiatic coast of the
Dardanelles, which, firing across the Straits from the direction of
Kum Kaleh, probably caused more casualties than anything from
Achi Baba.

"When in the line, things were much the same as in France,
except that the shelling was less, and the M.G. and rifle fire con-
siderably more, while bombs, practically unknown at first, were in
the early stages anyway, as dangerous to us as to the enemy.

"The only big show I was involved in was the attack on Achi
Baba along the whole Cape Helles front on June 4th, which was
doomed to be a failure, owing to the French being held up on the
extreme right by the Haricot Redoubt. The Royal Naval Division,
on the left of the French troops, took two lines of trenches after
a bombardment by the Fleet and were then held up by very heavy
enfilade fire from the Haricot Redoubt and finally forced to fall
back to their starting point, the Collingwood battalion being
practically annihilated during the performance.

"This unfortunate affair was felt along the whole front of five
miles, with the result that we only realized an advance of four

38

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

hundred yards or so on the left, instead of turning Achi Baba from
Kritliia, and finally capturing it.

'The Haricot was taken a few days later, but we had not the
men then to carry on the general attacks, as was practically invari-
ably the case in all our earlier attacks.

"When out of the trenches, which meant that we merely got
shelled instead of having machine-gun and rifle fire, we lived, ate,
slept (sometimes) and had our being in holes in the ground, except
when we were required for carrying parties, working for the R.E.'s
(a job much loved by all the infantry — I don't think!), drawing
water and supplies, landing stores, rifle and kit inspections, escort
duties and guards, cooking and firewood fatigues and a thousand
and one other things which had to be done. Otherwise, of course,
we had a pretty quiet time!

"Perhaps the worst job of all was burial parties. I've struck
some pretty powerful stenches in France, and even more powerful
ones in Germany, but never anything which could hope to approach
the hum kicked up by a fortnight old Turk corpse. And as the
enemy was in the habit of using his dead for strengthening his
parapets, the condition of his trenches may be better imagined
than described.

"The Turk snipers were very enterprising, and caused us
many casualties, especially in the early days, when they left picked
men behind on the ground captured by us, who were in many
cases painted green, and had branches of trees and shrubs round
their heads and shoulders. These men were very difficult to locate
and dislodge, and several of our men were hit by them in the vicinity
of wells, etc., near the line, where we drew our water. It was one of
these merchants who caused me to anticipate the general evacua-
tions of December, 1915, and January, 1916, and to carry out a
private one of my own, which I did shortly after the June 4th
show. I bear the fellow no grudge. I had long since decided that
Gallipoli was no place for me, keen as all of us had been to get
there, and as he too appeared to see eye to eye with me in the
matter, I was content to let it go at that!

"I spent a night in the field hospital on 'W beach, or Lanca-
shire Landing, and left there next day for the naval hospital ship
'Soudan,' which was lying off Cape Helles. A couple of hours
after I left it, the hospital was hit— which was not surprising, as
by some happy whim an ammunition dump had been placed close
to it, forming an obvious target — and I heard later that two tents
had been destroyed and eleven wounded burnt to death.

"I was taken to Mudros Harbor, and after a week on the

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

hospital ship there, was sent ashore to a stationary hospital.
These hospitals, equipped for two hundred, never had less than
six hundred in them while I was there, so only the worst cases
had beds, knives, forks, etc. To add to my general comfort I got
blood poisoning, and a month later, enteric, while in this hospital.
After six more weeks in a fever hospital, I struck lucky and was sent
to a troopship, which was doing duty as an emergency hospital ship,
and taken to Malta.

"This boat, the 'Ionian,' was not authorized to fly the Red
Cross flag, so we had to steam with all lights out at night, even
below where the sick and fever cases were. The wounded were
rather better off, as they had the advantage of fresh air, being
quartered on palliasses on the upper and boat decks, but I prefer
to forget about the conditions in my 'ward' two decks below, in
which were forty -four fever and sunstroke patients, mostly delirious,
lying on palliasses on the floor, and in some cases on the mess tables,
off which it was very easy to fall, with one nurse and two orderlies
to look after them. It has always whacked me why more than
nine didn't die from that ward during the three days we were in it.

"At Malta we found the shore hospitals and convalescent
camps full up, so a party of us from the 'Ionian' was trans-
shipped to a proper hospital ship, the 'Dongola,' and a week
later were in Blighty, where I had 10 more weeks at the R. N.
Hospital, Haslar, before getting leave.

"I've never yet met anybody who didn't prefer France to
Gallipoli. Admittedly the artillery fire in Gallipoli was negligible
compared to that during a big show in France, but out there one
was compelled to live the whole time within three to four miles of
the front line (at Cape Helles), exposed to everything that was going
in the weather line, added to which were the endless fatigues which
would be unnecessary in France, such as beach parties, etc.; the
discomfort caused by flies, sand, lack of water, no proper protection
against the intense heat and bitter cold — and it could be very cold
there when it chose, — lack of proper food, inadequate hospital
accommodation, and last, but not least, the knowledge, possessed
by each man, that we were only hanging on by our eyebrows, and
that, were the always numerically superior Turks to break through,
there was nothing but the sea behind us on which to retire."

The following is an extract from a letter from
Corporal R. J. Jeffares, late of the Vancouver staff,
written from "Somewhere in France," on 18th August,
1915:

"We are playing cricket, baseball and football and giving

40

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

concerts every week. I was just thinking last night what a queer
thing life was out here. I was lying on the cricket field about seven
o'clock, looking towards the town, which is a very old one, and it
was a lovely night with a magnificent sunset, the old round tower
standing up against the sky was like a scene from the 'Arabian
Nights,' and for the modern side of life, all around us the Germans
were shelling our aeroplanes. Almost overhead there was a duel
going on between a British biplane and a German Taube. You
could see the sparks of flame from the machine-guns and our fellows
must have hit him for he turned and ran for home, and as he was
much faster than our machine, got clear away from it, but was
hit by our anti-aircraft guns and had to descend in our lines.
A duel in the air between British, French and German planes is the
most exciting and the prettiest sight I've ever seen. As a kind of
side-show at the same time that the duel in the air was going on,
the Germans were making a hideous row dropping 'coal boxes,'
otherwise shells, big ones, in a village half a mile away trying to
locate one of our heavy batteries."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant J. S.
Williams, formerly of the Winnipeg staff, dated 20th
September, 1915. Lieutenant Williams wrote this letter
in Aldershot Camp at Neuve Eglise.

"Well, at last we are in France. We crossed over about three
days ago, and at present we are just behind the firing line, censor-
ship forbids me to tell you exactly where. We have had some
terrific marches with the most heavy packs, and we all feel that we
would give the Germans 'what for,' if it were only to relieve our
feelings on account of their being the direct cause of such training.
However, that by the way. We are most comfortably situated
here and the country round about is glorious, everybody around
these parts so good and doing everything for us. Up to the present,
the whole business has to me been a sort of glorious picnic. Three
nights ago, whilst sleeping very contentedly in a big field, I was
wakened up by a horse that had strayed from its moorings and was
patiently endeavouring to obtain nourishment from the top of my
sleeping cap. I do not know who was the more surprised, the
horse or myself, when I jumped up to shoo him away. Yesterday,
I was a most interested spectator in an aerial duel between two
aeroplanes. One hears the guns all day, although they are not
deafening where we are. I am finding that my little stock of
French is coming in very useful, although at times I have to use a
sketch, but I do not think I shall be as bad as the English traveller,

41

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

who, before the war started, came over to Paris, and, not knowing
the French for an egg, proceeded to draw one on a piece of paper
for the benefit of the waiter, who looked at it and brought a banana.
"I think, from all we hear, we will be in the firing line on
Thursday or Friday, so by the time you get this I shall have had
my first baptism of fire. The weather here is hot as blazes, and
the nights as cold as ice. I see Curran is with the 27th here. I
will write again, and expect the next letter to you will be a nice
gory one. Did I tell you I went and got married just before
leaving England."

The following are some extracts from a letter from
Gunner B. V. Cameron, formerly of the Toronto branch,
written from Otterpool Camp, England, 22nd September,
1915:

"The training is much more in earnest here than in Canada,
as it is under Kitch. over here. We had a review for the benefit
of the King and K. of K. on 22nd September; they both said they
were enjoying good health.

"We rise at 5.30 a.m. (I don't remember before seeing that
hour on my Ingersoll.) Tents rolled and blankets folded by 6,
stables (ahem!) 6 to 7, breakfast from 7 to 7.30, work from 8.30
to 12.30 and from 2 to 6.

"I was up in London two weeks ago and saw the Zepps.
perform. The searchlights located one, and we could see the shells
plainly bursting all around it. Only one shell hit the mark, but
it did not do enough damage to bring the Zepp. down. They
started a large fire within a few blocks of the Bank of England.
We were down to see the ruins in the morning.

"We are in Kent County and our nearest city is Folkestone,
a large summer resort, and a trip to the bathing beach in the
morning is worth while — one piece suits only. I put in a morning
there after being innoculated."

The following is an extract from a letter dated 28th
September, 1915, from Lieutenant R. E. N. Jones, formerly
Manager of the Alexander Avenue branch, Winnipeg.

This letter was written in billets near Kemmel,
Belgium :

"We are still in comfortable billets marking time, but expect
to be called to the trenches any day now. On the night I last
wrote you I think we were off for the firing line; instead, we walked
miles along cobblestone roads, through at least one shell-shattered
village, to this Nuns' School for children, close to the local church

42

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

and churchyard, with its many crosses of recent date, bearing some
English Tommies' names, I see.

"After General Alderson's speech to us at our last billets, he
called for the 'Maple Leaf,' then 'God Save the King,' which all
sang lustily. Rain was falling, and the men were permitted to
break off without reforming, after having surrounded the speaker
in a great mass. Supper was soon served and kit got ready, and
at 8.30 p.m. the regiment was drawn up on the muddy road opposite
our huts. Major MacLeod brought out an acetylene gas lamp,
and its bright light thrown on the long line of men, four deep, in
dripping and shiny ground waterproof sheets, which they used as
capes, made a picture never to be forgotten by some of us. Our
Chaplain, Major Beatty, who was with the 1st Division before,
addressed us in manly tones, called for a well-known hymn, which
all ranks sang heartily, and then offered up a prayer. Roll call
had been checked over before, and a moment or two after the
goodbye address, etc., the whole regiment moved off into the
darkness in absolute silence but for the tramping of feet on the
muddy road, not even smoking being allowed. As we marched
along, it seemed we came fairly close to the firing line at different
points, as we could see star shells being shot into the air now and
again not very far away, and could hear intermittent firing as well.
Star shells, are, as a rule, only used in the front line trenches, I
understand. We passed much transport en route, of course,
motor and horse-drawn vehicles, and a large gun drawn by six
heavy draught horses made us move to one side until its whole
equipment passed, creating no little interest, as few, I am sure,
could help wondering where it would likely be lodged in our rear."

The following is a letter from the father of three
members of the staff who took up military duty with the
first contingent. They are:
Private R. T. Fowler, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light

Infantry (late of Edmonton branch).
Private W. H. Fowler, 5th Battalion (late of Herbert

branch) (killed in action).
Sergeant J. G. Fowler, 5th Battalion (late of Moosejaw

branch).

The letter is as follows:

"It was on the 24th May, 1915, that my son Gerald was
wounded somewhere near Ypres, where his brother William waa
killed just a month before. On the 25th he wrote: 'I have
been admitted to hospital, wounded, and am being sent down to

48

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

the base.' On 2nd June he wrote me a long letter from the
Anglo-American Hospital, Wimereux, near Boulogne, and in
this he stated that a shrapnel bullet had entered his head
underneath the temple and came out farther down the right
side of his face, after breaking his jaw and four or five teeth.
He had then, for some time, to live on liquid nourishment, and
made light of his wound, but I had a letter from the Chaplain
and from a friend in the army, who visits him twice daily, and,
from what they say, the wound must have caused him much
suffering, while he himself says that it was 'just a bit un-
comfortable. Since then, he has undergone three operations,
and is under the care of one of the best surgeons in France,
who says he will not allow him to leave hospital until he has made
a proper job of the jaw. We hear from him frequently, and his
letters take but two days in the post. In his last, dated 28th
July, he says:

'I had a lovely afternoon yesterday. One of the nurses

gave a picnic in my honour, and Lady Hadfield, who finances

this hospital, very kindly lent her motor car for the occasion.

We went about five miles into the country, and had our meal

in a very nice spot. I am feeling ever so much better, and all

the bandages have been taken off, but my face is still swollen,

and I don't suppose it will go down for some time. When I

came here, I was under the impression that only my lower jaw

was smashed, but since, I have found out that it was both

upper and lower, also the roof of my mouth. This all sounds

much worse than it really was. I don't think it will be very

long now before they send me to England.'

"This quotation will tell you more than I can, and, therefore,

I give it for the information of the staff in consideration of their

concern for my poor lad. I have sent on your kind message to him,

and I cannot tell you how deeply I appreciate all the kind thought

for his welfare on the part of the staff at Moose Jaw, and the great

kindness of the hospital staff, and of my friends who have visited

him and come home, some of them to tell us of his recovery.

"Accept my best thanks for your kind sympathy in the loss
of my second son, and convey my thanks to your staff. We miss
him sorely, for he was a good son and a devoted and affectionate
brother. I had a personal letter from General Sam Hughes, in
which he speaks of him as my splendid son, William H. Fowler,
who, as 'a brave soldier, did his duty fearlessly and well, and gave
his young life in the cause of liberty and the upbuilding of the
Empire.' My eldest son, R. T. Fowler, of Edmonton branch,

44

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

still fights with all that are left of the P.P.C.L.I. (120 men), and
save for an attack of dysentery contracted in the trenches last
February, has so far escaped injury."

The following are extracts from a further letter from
Lieutenant R. E. N. Jones, dated 30th September, 1915.

This letter was written hi billets near Kemmel,
Belgium:

"We have been luxuriating in these comfortable billets — a
Nuns' School for children with a large unfinished hall annexed where
the men of our company are billeted on an earthen floor. They are
worked so little that they have time to write hundreds of letters
which we platoon commanders have to read over and censor. It
is quite a business, too, if done properly.

"Yesterday with Young, Cameron and Martin, I visited the
trenches on a tour of inspection prior to our taking them over,
and we went through our baptism of fire without being very much
disturbed. The sniping is constant and our men watch like
Indians for a chance shot. While exploring towards the right of
the line our Battalion will hold, the Boches began shelling Battalion
Headquarters of the present incumbents, and one shell threw
bullets so close to us, about ten to fifteen yards, that we turned
about and retraced our steps and waited until the small storm was
over. They sent eight to ten shrapnel shells into an area about
200 yards square when one of our guns suddenly opened on them,
firing one shot only, and silenced their gun at once. Machine-
guns peppered at our lines at intervals, and you can bet the men
keep well down below the parapet when they know looking-glassea
1 inch by 2^ inches on the end of a bayonet are frequently smashed
as soon as stuck up.

"The Germans have shouted over the trenches to our men
here, 'The Battalion is no good. You can have our trenches on
October 4th and go to hell.' It is also stated emphatically that they
were distinctly heard to say, 'The Kaiser can go to hell on October
1st. You can have these trenches after that, and you will be back
in England again sooner than you expect.' It is hard to credit
all these statements, but they make food for discussion."

The following is an extract from a letter from Private
A. H. Waterman, formerly of the Hastings and Cambie
branch, dated 3rd October, 1915. The 29th Battalion
went into the line in the sector in front of Messines
between the Kemmel-Wytschaete Road and the Messines-

45

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Wulverghem Road, occupying the famous Bull Ring,
Mount Pleasant, and Mount Arrarat trenches, on Sunday,
26th September, 1915:

"We are all having just the time of our lives and seem to have
made a name for the Battalion already. You know that generally
fresh troops are mixed with older soldiers at first until they are
confident under fire, but the 29th went straight in alone and held
the line like seasoned troops — quite a unique performance.
During one day when I was in a trench with George Everitt (a
customer of Hastings and Cambie) a couple of whizz-bangs just
slid over the roof of our dugout and burst not ten yards behind us,
and then the cap of a shrapnel shell sang past nearer still.

"We have with us J. K. Simpson, Daniel, Davis (W. W. and
D.), all Commerce men, and I have met Olive, Andrew Campbell
and T. C. G. Mahon from Main Office, while last night I was
with a Commerce man from another Battalion who wished to be
remembered to you — F. Dodge of Winnipeg and Saskatoon districts.
You may know that we left Myers in England with the Base Com-
pany, and he was naturally very much upset at the idea of staying
behind."

The following is a further letter from Lieutenant J. S.
Williams, formerly a member of the Winnipeg staff, dated
3rd October, 1915. The front line trenches herein
referred to were at Spanbrok-Molen below the Messines
Ridge in front of Kemmel, Belgium:

"Well, I've been through it and out of it again. That is to
say, I have just had five days and five nights in the front line
trenches, and am back a little way for a five days' rest. It was
pretty much what I imagined it to be. The first hour to me was
uncanny, because it seems so incredible to think that only fifty
yards off were men aching to get a glimpse of my devoted head
to put a bullet through it. After that, I only felt indifference.
It really is most extraordinary what one can get accustomed to.
Whizz-bangs, and bullets were flying about at the time, and when
you found that they missed you, you began to feel, at any rate
I did, that they would never hit you. But the real 'corkers' are
those 'Jack Johnsons,' or 'Coal Boxes.' You hear the brute
coming a long way off with the noise of an express train. It's no
good hiding anywhere, because you would only be buried by the
debris, so you sit tight, hold your breath and pray to God it won't
hit you. Then when it lands (away from you) a most appalling
explosion takes place, shakes the earth all round, and then ....

46

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

you breathe once more. It certainly is a delightfully indescribable
feeling, waiting and wondering where they are going to drop.

"My dugout in the trench had other occupants, things with
lots of legs and things, also swarms of rats and mice, so I didn't
feel at all lonely. I think I have slept in every conceivable place
of filth there is now, and the most extraordinary thing is that you
do sleep. I did not have my clothes off my back for the whole
time I was in the trenches, and it rained the whole time. We
were all wet through. The excitement counteracted the chill.
I had a most delightful bath this morning in a . . . convent! !
The Nuns filled the bath with hot water in their place, and just
when I was beginning to get anxious, they gracefully retired. I
do not think any of my Commerce friends would have recognized
the walking pillar of mud, that disentangled itself from muddy
surroundings and wended its weary way to the rest camp here, as
the once immaculate bank clerk!!!

"It is perfectly true that the Germans and English converse
from their various trenches; the remarks are not fit for drawing-
room publication, but they are very humorous.

"There is a big cemetery in this place, right in the middle of
the town — most depressing. The people who live all round here
are about 1,000 years behind the times, and even then do not use
the smallest grain of horse sense in laying out their little villages,
or even farm houses. They have their refuse pits bang up against
the pump, and all that sort of thing.

"We had eleven casualties during our stay in the trenches."

The following is a letter from Private Duncan H.
Miller, of the London, Eng., staff. The events herein
chronicled occurred at Ypres during October, 1915:

"Since last writing to you we have been having a pretty
rough time out here. The weather, on the whole, has been far
from good, and consequently, as you can imagine, the condition
of the ground has been pretty bad. I regret to say that we have
suffered heavily in the way of casualties. As you doubtless saw
in the paper recently, we lost four of our officers. They were all
in a dugout together when a large shell burst right in the doorway
and killed them all.

"Recently I transferred from D Company to the Grenadier
Section. Bombing is very interesting, and, I believe, will be the
thing during the remainder of the war. Last time up, our bombers
had a most exciting time, although we were unfortunate enough
to have three of our men sniped.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"Lawson was wounded recently and went down. I do not
know whether he got home to England, but trust he did.

"One of the four officers mentioned above was Lieut.
Ommundsen, who was my bombing officer. His death was most
unfortunate, as he had just formed the Grenadier Section, and it
was our first time in action as a separate unit. What Mr.
Ommundsen did not know about bombs and rifles was not worth
knowing. He was considered the world's best shot, having won
fche King's prize at Bisley on several occasions. One of his feats
of firing is rather interesting. With his sights ranged at 1,000
yards, he fired from 1,000 yards to 100 yards and hit the bull
every time."

Note : The 'Lawson' to whom reference is made is Mr. N. E.
Lawson, of the London, England, staff.

The following is from a further letter from Lieu-
tenant R. E. N. Jones, dated 6th October, 1915.

This letter was written in the trenches in front of
Kemmel:

"I am sitting in my own special little dugout, the walls of
which are lined with sand bags. There are two small tables about
two feet by two feet square, made of rough pieces of board and
parts of boxes, and my door has even got an old fashioned handle
and bolt, the latter on the outside and workable from the inside
as well. The window is about two feet by eight inches wide and
simply a hole. The roof is well covered with corrugated iron
sheets, on top of which sand bags are piled, then dirt, and the whole
supported by four stout timbers, none squared except the front
one. The space I have inside is about four feet by seven feet and
mostly taken up by a six feet by two feet bed. I am in charge of
a 'Keep* for the support of the front line trenches and am well off
indeed, the only danger being from shrapnel, 'Jack Johnsons' and
stray bullets. They shell our immediate surroundings frequently,
and while one bombardment was going on in response to an
awakening our guns gave the Gerboys, I wrote a couple of letters
indoors the while listening to the big fellows whistling and half
wheezing and shrieking as they passed. It was most uncomfort-
able at times too, as one could not help wondering where, say, that
one just this moment which is hovering hesitatingly, it would
seem just overhead, would land. The very big ones come up
something like steam engines and make an awful row when they
crash to earth scattering steel, mud and twigs in every direction.
The first day I spent in the front line I saw a tree cut as clean as

48

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

one could wish by a small shrapnel shell. Most of the men seem
to like trench life better than the huts or dugouts in rear, from
which they have to come down here as fatigue parties often when
they would sooner rest up.

"What amazes me now is how easily we get used to it all.
My desire now is to get out over a front line parapet and crawl
along between the lines in search of annoying snipers. Others
have done it and are doing it every night and meeting with success
occasionally, when there is much rejoicing. It is a far safer opera-
tion too than you can imagine owing to the well known undulations
of ground that are always likely to occur between lines 35 to
800 yards apart."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant W. B.
Forster, of the 31st Battalion, at one time a member of
the First Street West, Calgary, branch.

"Very many thanks for your welcome letter, which I received
safely; you know my address and can answer when opportunity
offers. Paper being scarce I have to make the best of what is
available, as you see we are now in the midst of it.

"We arrived safely in France after a good voyage across the
Channel; the marching however, on this side was very heavy, as
all the roads are cobbled, which tires a man very much, especially
when he carries a big pack. Our boys, however, stood it fine and
have made quite a name for themselves already by their staying
powers.

"We journeyed up in easy stages to the firing line as the
marching was so hard. However, out here we take everything as
it arrives; the system is marvellous, everything seems to go like
clock-work ; we receive our mail regularly no matter where we may
be, and letters we write are always taken away promptly to be
posted. There is never any delay with our rations no matter what
may happen. The Government gives a weekly issue of cigarettes
and tobacco, which is highly appreciated. The incoming mail is
always the event of the day, the men crowding around for their
message from home. It is also pathetic to see those who arc not
lucky turning away sometimes with tears in their eyes. However,
those who receive letters read them to those who don't, which
helps along.

"It seems too bad that the Germans make such a mess of all
the beautiful little villages around; they seem to take a delight
in knocking the church steeples over first and then through daily
shellings finishing the job at their leisure. It is a rather nervy
piece of business moving up the roads at night to the trenches,

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

never knowing when the enemy will open fire; they seem to get
good ranging on the roads and we pass great holes where the shells
have hit. The other day we dug a deep trench and filled it with
the brand of gas the Germans use; some of our boys put on a new
style of helmet we have and walked through it. The test was
highly satisfactory, so we have not much fear in that direction.
We are constantly guarded by aeroplanes and the enemy shell
them at every opportunity. However, they seem to be a very
hard target to hit. It is just like a great fireworks display; our
airmen are very daring and show no fear.

"It is wonderful the way the poorer classes remain here in
the villages which are being constantly shelled. The life a short
way behind the firing line is very much like our Canadian life in
the bush, everybody rustles for himself. The country round about
is very pretty with lots of trees. My ideas of the trenches were
sadly shattered. I imagined a barren country with broken trees
and bare ground with lines and lines of trenches; instead of that
the country looks just as usual with fields, hedges and trees, the
trenches being so cunningly concealed that they are hard to detect
— as for the artillery no one knows where they are except those
immediately concerned.

"The system for taking away the wounded is splendid, noise-
less motor ambulances running hither and thither. It is a little
hard at first trying to sleep, with the chances of being shelled at any
time. The shells make a terrific noise, more than anyone could
imagine. Of course we have dugouts to get into, but if the shell
hits the dugout 'Good night.'

"The boys in our battalion are fine. I could not wish for a
better lot, happy as the day is long and always ready to turn out.
Some have been taken away for special work and this almost broke
their hearts. We are just like one huge family; we have all the
officers we left Calgary with, no additions, and they are doing fine.
I am telling you this as I fear that some person whom I should
judge is afraid to do his bit, has been spreading a rumour that
only three of us retained our commissions. We have all retained
them and the sooner the lie is wiped out the better.

"It has rained quite a little lately and we are up to our knees
in mud; some nights when we are moving we sleep in our great
coats, and when that happens it is rather damp. However, we
never seem to get ill.

"Rats seem to abound in the trenches; where they come from
nobody seems to know, and when they run along the parapet they
frighten one more than the bullets. We have just had a joke —

50

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

one of our officers rummaging around discovered a tin which he
presumed contained pepper, with thia addition we ate our lunch
with great gusto, when suddenly our cook make his appearance
and informed us that the tin contained Keating'* Powder; — you
can imagine our feelings.

"It is hard to say anything as to the duration of the war, as
we see only a little bit of it. The Germans seem to be a very
scary lot, as when we are quiet at night they are continually
sending up flares to see what we are doing. Their sniping, how-
ever, is good, as they conceal themselves, in trees, old chimneys,
etc., and use, I should judge, telescopic sights. Whenever they are
located short work is made of them."

The following is an extract from a letter from
Sergeant T. L. Golden, Lord Strathcona's Horse, formerly
of the Wetaskiwin branch, written in Belgium, and
dated 6th October, 1915.

Mr. Golden enlisted as a private, was promoted
Corporal shortly after crossing to France and was later
promoted Sergeant.

(This reconnaissance was made from trench No. 137,
just below the Messines Ridge. The place reconnoitred
was called "Sniper's Farm.")

"Four nights ago I was in the front line, about seven miles
south of here. About 7 p.m. volunteers for patrol to reconnoitre
a position between the lines were called for. Nick Carter and I
were the chosen ones, and along with a lieutenant we set out at
dusk in front of our wire and through the long grass. The expedi-
tion had somewhat of a savour to it, as the last patrol who tried to
reconnoitre the place a couple of nights before got all shot up.
After taking an hour to crawl a few hundred yards and forty-five
minutes to negotiate the last twenty feet of the journey, we found
ourselves about fifteen yards away from a small pent-up shack,
with the door and windows facing us. The shack had its back to
a hedge, behind which was a trench, we believed. We distinguished
the voices of about three men here, and heard every word they said,
even though they spoke in whispers. Then Nick, without any
instructions from the officer, went on his belly right up to the door,
peered in and crawled back. Meanwhile I had gone about ten or
fifteen yards further in, to look after a spot in the hedge which we
suspected as being their listening post. I was just in time to hear
the patrol being relieved. They spoke in whispers first, then one
fellow seemed to tread on another's toe, for there was a volley of

51

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

(what I thought was) swearing for a second. Then I heard one
of them stumble into the hedge from the cracking of sticks. I may
tell you here that it was a cold frosty night and the grass was
covered with half frozen dew. I had left off my serge in order to
be able to move more freely. I was wet through and nearly
frozen — lying absolutely motionless for a couple of hours in this
condition was not the most comfortable thing in the world you can
well imagine. Then to crown matters, a great rat came along and
started in to gnaw at my right leg, evidently thinking that I was
a dead one; quite a compliment to the immobility which I was
practising. It got on my nerves and not being able to resist the
temptation I gave the rat a swat and sent him scurrying away
through the grass. The Germans also smelt a rat at this time, for
they opened up with their rifles. It grew rather exciting when the
bullets tore the earth all around us, and splashed clay in our faces.
Luckily no one was hit. I figured there were at least ten of them.
When they quit, one of them started crawling out in the grass,
right straight for me. I covered him and let him come. Just at
this point I thought I'd sure give the show away. I was leaning
partly on my left side, and my old heart started thumping like
the engine in that old Overland of yours. Then the humour of the
thing struck me. In my own mind I said to that German 'By
Jove, old son, you've a damn poor chance of living if you come
any further.' Then I figured out that the danger was not too great,
the odds being in my favor, and found myself smiling through the
peepsight of my rifle. By now my heart had gone back to normal
behaviour. I was just going to indulge in that squeezing motion
that Sergeant Major Collins used to teach us in Wetaskiwin, when
the thought struck me that if I fired, it would give the show away,
and nine men entrenched in a hedge were too long odds on three
of us lying in the open, and forbore for the moment. Brother
Fritz remained about ten feet away from the muzzle of my rifle,
when he either got cold feet or decided that everything was O.K.,
for he turned around and went back to his kennel. I wasn't the
least bit sorry. Meanwhile I'd made my own reconnaissance
and had a good plan of the place in my head. In about ten minutes
the officer gave us the signal to get back to our trenches, which
we did in safety. We compared notes, drew plans and sketches
and went to bed. The C.O. pronounced the work as very success-
ful. We had every scrap of information that was wanted and a
little more.

"I almost forgot to tell you that Nick saw three Germans and
one machine gun in that shack."

52

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

The following is a further letter from Lieutenant
R. E. N. Jones, dated 9th October, 1915.

This letter was written in billets at Kemmel:
"After dinner last night as the band, which had dug up its
instruments, began to play, heavy cannonading commenced, large
guns near us speaking up about ten minutes later. An awful din
accompanied the Regimental March and tunes that followed.
The sensations one experiences in the midst of such a strange and,
as it has since been learned, rather awful occasion, are very diffi-
cult to bring out in anything like enlightening language. Camp fires
were burning all around one, and we moved about or sat still listening
and smoking. A pocket flashlight would occasionally flare up;
then the voice of a motor cycle a few yards away would break in
on one's peace of mind, for the din at the front and round about
us was continuous and increasing, the German 'coal boxes'
announcing their arrival not far away every few seconds, to be
responded to by the reports of our heavy guns hidden all through
this district. As I strolled from the Orderly Room to our tent,
our bombing officer passed me on the road looking a little pale and
mightily earnest; then our scout officer hurried past at the run.
Something seemed about to happen, I thought, and as I stepped
through the gap in the hedge near our tent, I saw an Orderly, or
rather a man in full fighting kit, pass our tent door hurriedly and
disappear towards the Sergeant-Major's quarters. Suddenly there
was a shouting all through the lines of huts, dugouts and tents
where our men were quartered, of 'stand to.' Our Captain poked
his head into our tent and said, rather too excitedly I thought, 'stand
to, boys, quick.' Then there was a scramble for proper fighting
equipment, some of which was of course, buried in our straw floor.
The heavy cannonading had increased, if anything, meanwhile;
also machine gun and rifle fire. The men were all lined up when I
got over with the other officers, and the Sergeant recognizing me,
anticipated my query by 'all present and correct, sir.' We all
stood easily for an hour, say, during which the men sang different
part songs, each Company having its own special group of singers
aided by choruses. The dying camp fires, the singing — the band
had stopped immediately the call to arms came — the clash of
'coal boxes' and loud jarring reports of our guns, not to forget
the distant continuous rattle of small arms, was something I shall
never forget. My own special prize Highlander, Neil Campbell,
broke a short spell of silence in our immediate neighbourhood by
saying in a serious, rather grumbling way, 'and my bayonet is
dull, too/ The word came along in about an hour to dismiss, the

53

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

din having died down a bit meanwhile, and everyone went to bed
for a good night's sleep — if they followed my example.

"The cause of it all, I hear, was the exploding of a mine —
German or ours — between the lines, when the enemy poured an
awful hail of shrapnel, bombs, etc., into the front line at one point,
causing loss of life and wounding quite a few, I hear it said."

We quote below a letter from Private W. G.
Chisholm, formerly of the Saskatoon branch, written
from Shorncliffe, under date of 10th November, 1915:

"I have just returned from six days' leave which I spent in
Scotland, and which I fully enjoyed, only it proved too short.
The disagreeable part is the coming back, and it always takes a
few days to settle down again.

"Pyke (Saskatoon staff), who went with the second Univer-
sities Company, is in England somewhere wounded in the foot;
but Edmonds (Saskatoon staff) is still with us. Shaw and Guy
(Saskatoon staff) are here and I see them quite often. The other
night there was a banquet in Folkestone of the C. B. of C. boys,
numbering about 100, and we had a very good time.

The following are extracts from a further letter from
Lieutenant R. E. N. Jones, dated 16th October, 1915.
This letter was written in the trenches, in front of
Kemmel, where Lieutenant Jones had his hunt for
enemy snipers:

"No, my little hunt for a sniper was not nearly as dangerous
an undertaking as you apparently imagine. First, you must
remember that a one night experience in the trenches is quite
enough for the average man of any sense to realize that 'heads
down' is the rule on all occasions, unless a duty has to be done
which means exposure. My hunt was for tracks or traces of snipers
who work at night — very occasionally, too, we now know here —
and, with one of my best shots nearby, I had ample support had
there been any danger to anticipate outside an occasional stray
bullet from the front. Civilians have been suspected, and none
have dared practice during daylight, when so many men are about
working in the labyrinth of communication trenches, and ever
watchful with eyes and ears that have been trained to sound for
months. Were a man shot in our rear during the day or night,
the ground would be covered at once by a host of keen hunters,
day and night, because news of such a deed travels very fast indeed.
A night hunt after snipers between the lines is really exciting, and a
man needs much nerve and great patience if he is to succeed.

54

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"It has been foggy the last two days, and early yesterday
morning, and last night the Boches began shouting across to us.
As I called to a nearby man in the next bay to where I stood to
pass the word to 'stand to* at 4 a.m. he shouted it out so loudly
that the Gerboys called back, over a distance of at least 200 yards,
'shout a little louder.' There had been some bandying of words
previously, but under special control of an officer on our side."

The following is a copy of a letter from Lieutenant
V. Curran, formerly of the Winnipeg staff, to the Winnipeg
Manager, dated 17th October, 1915. This letter was
written in a dugout in front of Kemmel Hill, near Ypres:

"Just a few lines to acknowledge your extremely interesting
letter received a day or so ago. It is indeed pleasant to receive
such cheering intelligence of things 'Canadian' from such an
authority as yourself, and, I assure you, it is a treat to me, as it
seems to keep me in touch, somehow, with the dear old C. B. of C.
One really only realizes when away from it how fortunate are those
in its service, and taking the story revealed in the list of names
contained in the pamphlet the Bank printed as a basis, I would
venture the assertion that they have certainly done their duty in
a manner one would expect from such an institution. Their
treatment of the members of the staff was generous, and no doubt
enabled many to step forward and do their duty who might other-
wise have had to stay behind. I never had an opportunity of
placing on record my appreciation of the action of the Directors
in granting me leave of absence with pay for six months, and venture
now to ask you to be good enough to do this for me. I am glad to
be considered as a member in good standing, and trust I may yet
have an opportunity of working under your able direction.

"As I write I am sitting in my dugout until an artillery duel
now in progress ceases. We are doing our second spell in the
trenches, and so far have been extremely fortunate, few casualties
and splendid weather, although beginning to get chilly at night.
Our first spell was quite strenuous, as the Germans treated us to
bombs, machine guns and shrapnel, as well as a few coal boxes,
but they didn't fiz on the boys, and now we are all feeling pretty
much like veterans. The men are a splendid lot, as you know,
and I am sure you will be interested in their doings here as you
were in Tuxedo. I am in the Grenadier Company, so am really
back home again. The other officers, Major Kitson, Capt. Mere-
dith, Harold Riley, Carter and Ken. Patton, are splendid fellows,
and I certainly consider I am fortunate.

Id

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"Chawner stayed behind in England, and has obtained a
commission in an Irish Regiment stationed in Cork. Lowther is
with us here, but R. Houston is with Capt. Lobley in London,
who also has Cruickshank; Lovett is near us somewhere, but I
haven't seen him so far. Mordy is now with the 16th Battalion,
I believe, who are also quite near us."

The following is a letter from Captain J. C. MacPher-
son, 31st Battalion, formerly Assistant Accountant at the
Calgary branch, dated 20th October, 1915:

"Just a line to let you know how we are getting along here.
We have been in the trenches for about a month now, and are
getting well seasoned to it.

"The Commerce boys are certainly holding their own, and are
second to none in my opinion. Those in my Company, Corporals
Gordon, Morgan and G. F. Allan, all from Calgary office, are doing
good work, and taking things as they come. Two Commerce boys
in the Battalion, Nuttall and Callaghan, have been killed, and a
boy, Connon, badly wounded.

"Life in the front line trenches is bearable as long as the

weather is good, but when wet . There we live in dugouts,

which are not always too large or the flavor too pleasant, but one can
usually fix them up fairly comfortably. Rats of a large size are
in abundance, but owing to more pressing things, we take little
notice of them. We had a rather severe bombardment the other
day, but our battalion stood it well, and my own Company was
very fortunate, although others suffered more severely. One of
our officers, Mr. Toftt, was killed, but I don't suppose you know
him, although he is an old-timer in the West.

"I do not think that anyone will be sorry when this war is
over, as it is by no means a picnic, and sometimes one feels the
strain after a spell in the front line."

The following is a letter from Private J. H. Lovett,
formerly Accountant at the Alexander Avenue Branch,
Winnipeg, written in Belgium, on 25th October, 1915.
The trenches herein described were situated at Ploeg-
steert, Belgium:

"I am at present in the second line of trenches, coming in last
night in the rain and mud. However, in spite of the moist weather
I am in the best of health and feel like a new recruit again, as I had
my seven days' leave to England about ten days ago and returned
quite resolved to make the best of a winter campaign. The nights

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

now are long and quite chilly, and unless one is of a hardy disposi-
tion it makes things a little disagreeable.

"My name has appeared in orders to attend the school for
officers at the base in two weeks' time, and I hope with an effort
on my part to have a commission before Christmas. The month's
course at the base will be quite a rest and appreciated, as it seems I
have been doing trench warfare now for several yean.

"Mr. Mordy came with a draft last week to our Regiment and
is now attached to us along with several other 43rd officers.

"We did not take much part in the recent offensive except to
make a sham attack to cover the main advance and with the
result that we had some very lively shelling. This morning our
guns brought down a German aeroplane. It tumbled almost
headlong until quite near the ground. I was almost directly below
it and made a hasty retreat to my dugout, secured my rifle and
found in the meantime that the pilot had righted himself and
soared along the ground, again falling, the machine turning upside
down; the pilot was wounded and the observer was killed — both
very young officers — sixteen to eighteen years old. The Germans
realizing the machine was down opened up a terrific fire to destroy
it. Fifty-nine shots were sent over before they hit it and naturally
the surroundings were very warm for us for a while.

"It is very inspiring to learn so many of the boys from the
Bank enlisted. After ten months in the trenches here I realize
more fully the fact that we are taking part in a great work which
will require the individual and supreme effort of every Briton to
assure us of ultimate success.

"Mr. Cruickshank, who was wounded at Ypres, is now with
Mr. Lobley in the Pay Office in England, quite well again."

Lieutenant J. S. Williams, formerly of the Winnipeg
staff, writes as follows. The mine herein described was
blown in the front line trenches in front of Kemmel below
the Messines Ridge.

"Received your cheery letter a few days ago. Many thanks
for congratulations. I have told my wife so much about Canada
and all the charming people there that she is very keen on coming
over there when this war is over and there are no more Germans
in the world!

"I have had some tastes of war as it really is since I wrote you
last. These German sausage-eaters managed to sap a mine under
part of our trench and blew about fifty yards of it up and about
thirty men with it. Some of the bodies of the men were found

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

about twenty-five yards away from the place that was blown up.
Immediately they blew it up they hurled all the shells possible
into us and their machine-guns simply hammered our parapet.
It was dank inferno. However, we held the line and had all sorts
of nice things said to us about it afterwards by the G.O.C. They
dropped some big shells into the section held by my platoon and
buried ten of them. I dug out three dead — the rest are all more or
less injured. One of the dead was a man named Dodge (F. E.)
who, by the way, was in the C. B. of C. at Outlook or thereabouts.
My batman had his head blown off. It's extraordinary, really,
what one can stand when one's put to the test. Now, before I
came here I had never seen a dead person in my life before, and yet
I do not seem to feel badly about it. I was with another man in
my platoon until he died.

"There are millions of rats and mice running all around the
trenches and one sleeps with the beasts running all over one.
Now, in the olden time if I stayed in a house, digs I mean, and I
found out that there was a poor little mouse in the bedroom, I
never could rest until he was caught and slaughtered. I revel in
mud ; I am always caked from head to foot. It has its uses ; keeps
one warm and saves extra clothing.

"We are in the trenches for six days and six nights and then
out for a rest for six days, although that generally means fatigue
all day long, so the rest part is more or less a joke. I think myself
that it is, however, a good thing ; keeps the men from brooding and
that does not give time for depressing conversation between them.

"I shall never be able to look a bathroom in the face again,
I think, although there is a convent here and the nuns are simply
wonderful. They provide baths for the officers, and also meals.
The men of course have their own divisional baths where they
perform their ablutions and have a suit of clean underwear after.
The King was so overjoyed when he saw us at Shorncliffe that he
insisted on seeing us again!! He reviewed us again yesterday.
Expect he wondered where the mud came from that had collected
on us since he saw us so spick and span at Shorncliffe."

The following is an extract from a further letter from
Lieutenant R. E. N. Jones, dated 25th October, 1915:

"Enclosed is n parody much circulated over here. It abso-
lutely reflects the impression and feelings of the men, and officers
as well, in my opinion. The creepy and crawling things are horribly
in evidence in the trenches. So far bugs have not bothered many,
if any at all; no actual cases have come to my notice as yet, some
say it is only a matter of time though."

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

PARODY
SING ME To SLEEP

Sing me to sleep where bullets fall ;
Let me forget the War and all.
Damp is my dugout, cold are my feet,
Nothing but bully and biscuits to eat.
Sing me to sleep where bombs explode
And shrapnel shells are a-la-mode.
Over the sandbags helmets you find,
Corpses in front of you, corpses behind.

Far, far from Ypres I long to be,
Where German snipers cannot pot me.
Think of me crouching where the worms creep,
Waiting for someone to sing me to sleep.

Sing me to sleep in some old shed;
The rats are running around my head.
Stretched out on my waterproof,
Dodging the raindrops through the roof.
Sing me to sleep where the camp fires glow,
When nights are cold and spirits are low,
Dreaming of home and days in the West,
Somebody's overseas boot on my chest.

Far from the star-shells I long to be,
Lights of old London I'd rather see;
Think of me crouching where the worms creep,
Waiting for someone to sing me to sleep.

The following is a letter from Mr. J. D. Palmer of
the Royal Naval Air Service, formerly of the London,
Eng., staff, dated 29th October, 1915.

"Very many thanks for your letter and the copy of 'Letters
from the Front' which I found most interesting. I understand
that Lawson went back to France, but is now home again to take
up a commission. It is good news to hear that Mactavish is all
right; according to what I heard from Legh-Jones he was cut off
and given up for lost, but managed to get back again. I have
been doing quite a lot of flying lately, and had almost come to the
conclusion that flying thrills were mythical, until one day when we
were up to 4,000 feet the pilot treated me to a series of fancy

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

evolutions, including very steep banks and vertical spirals. The
effect of a steep bank is most extraordinary; the earth seems to
rear itself up on end and one gets the impression that one is flying
along the side of it, as if it was a very high wall.

"On this particular occasion I didn't get the full benefit of
the exhibition as I was busy working my instruments, but I have
had similar experiences since and found them extremely inter-
esting and enjoyable. To give you an idea of how well screened
the passenger is I may say that I frequently go up without cap,
coat and goggles and don't feel the slightest bit cold except in
coming down, when, of course, the machine is tilted with the tail
up, with the result that the wind catches one rather fiercely."

The following is a further letter from Lieutenant
R. E. N. Jones, dated 29th October, 1915.

This letter was written in the trenches in front of
Kemmel, near which the German aeroplane herein
referred to was brought down.

"Our first morning in the trenches this time was made inter-
esting by the bringing down of an enemy aeroplane not long after
breakfast. I was on duty and chatting with some of my men
when the familiar buzz of a flying machine made me reach for
glasses and look heavenwards in several directions. After searching
about for a moment or two I suddenly discovered a plane of unfam-
iliar design (since learn an Albatross) heading towards the right
of our battalion line directly in our rear. There was suddenly a
bursting of anti-aircraft shells near it and one seemed so close
under it that we expected to see the plane drop. On it came
though, and then to our surprise we saw another plane swinging
around behind and below it, and as they came closer there was the
pepping of a machine gun in place of the bursting of shells. It
was not until we had decided in our own minds that a British
machine was catching up to it and firing at an enemy that I made
out the Iron Cross on the lower wings of the leader which was not
more than a mile from us and probably 2,000 feet up only.
Machine gun fire is such a common sound and so difficult to locate
along the front, in the daytime especially, one is usually little
impressed by its occurrence, and so few enemy aeroplanes are seen
over this section of the line, we seldom pay more attention to
flyers than to identify them as a matter of principle. Hence our
surprise and deep interest in the sudden battle which was on before
our very eyes. The British plane steadily overhauled, keeping
well below and popping away at short intervals, and to our delight

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LETTERS FROM THE F R'.O N T

the enemy began to show something was seriously wrong within
and began to gradually descend, finally landing within the 3rd
Battalion lines on our right. The pilot was killed and the observer,
a lad of seventeen, escaped by a miracle, as in addition to having
gone through our own fire, the plane on descending was fired upon
by the enemy, with a view I suppose to destroying it completely.
They are brutes without a doubt."

Note: The above is apparently the same incident as is
referred to in the letter from Lieutenant Mordy, which follows.

The following are extracts from a letter from
Lieutenant A. G. Mordy, formerly Accountant of the
Winnipeg branch, written in France on 15th November,
1915. This letter refers to the trenches in front of
Messines, Belgium.

"The four months I spent in England outside of my military
life were like one long holiday. We had a wonderful golf course
only one mile away, and I played there every Sunday I was not
on a motor bus trip to some interesting place.

"We arrived here at noon, having left Shorncliffe the preceding
evening, and as the battalion was going into the trenches the same
night I found myself in the front line twenty -four hours after leaving
England. We marched from billets to the end of the communi-
cation trench and then I was guided by my sergeant through what
seemed miles and miles of trenches with my platoon sweating along
behind, until we finally arrived in the fire trenches. The process
of relief then takes place and the relieved battalion marches out.
There is a certain schedule laid down whereby each battalion of
the brigade spends so many days in different localities, one of which
is divisional reserve, where we do nothing but loaf and eat. We
are there now, and I was fervently thankful when we arrived here
the night before last. We were soaked to the skin. We had a
rotten turn in the trenches and going in we went overland, as the
communication trenches were so muddy. It is risky, but rifle
bullets and machine-gun fire bother us like bees and mosquitoes.
It is the shell-fire that gives us the funk though. Our dugouts were
very wet and for five days I got about three hours' sleep. Coming
out it was pouring rain, and as we came overland it was quite
exciting. I was relieved at 8 o'clock and started down with my
platoon by a new route, as certain improvements were under way
which made the old one impossible. The night was pitch dark
and Fritz was firing a lot, but fortunately none of us were hit.
Twice I fell into a trench about eight feet deep and my pack

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

weighing, it felt to me, about a ton, I wallowed in the bottom
until I got out again. The men all did likewise at one stage or
another, and then as soon as we got on a flat piece of ground a
flare would go up from the German lines, machine guns open fire
and we would stick our noses in the ground until the excitement
subsided. We finally arrived on the main road, and my men who
had cursed continually and with a vocabulary that was astounding
up till that time, thereupon commenced to sing and chaff. I
cannot begin to adequately express my admiration for men who
have been through the mud of Salisbury, the fighting of Ypres and
the drudgery of the trenches for months and get wet from head to
foot carrying 75 pounds weight, and yet sing at the start of a long
march in pitch darkness in pouring rain. I only hope that they
get what is coming to them when they return to Canada.

"I saw a wonderful sight when we were last in. A German
aeroplane was observing over our lines and a British plane got after
it. They were exchanging shots and were hidden at times by the
clouds, when the German started descending. Little puffs of
smoke floating near indicated that the anti-aircraft guns were firing,
but they never seem to do any damage. When the German got
within about 1,000 yards from the earth, the British, who had
followed him, made away as the German artillery started up.
The German was immediately overhead and as the trenches at
that point are about 500 yards apart, we could see he was doing his
best to make for his own lines. However, he came to earth about
fifty yards behind our front trench, and then Fritz put over 96
big shells in quick succession in order to destroy the machine.
This was after they got the range, and the occupants had time to
get out. The pilot was killed and the observer turned out to be a
lad of 18, quite gentlemanly, who had received a commission from
the ranks and held an Iron Cross of the second grade. He was
quite upset over the death of his comrade and he evidently expected
to be shot immediately and had to be reassured on that point.
That night I saw a casualty being brought away from that vicinity
and recognized a former Commerce boy named Blacklay, who had
been shot, dying almost immediately while doing duty beside the
aeroplane. I remembered his coming into our orderly room at
Winnipeg to enlist and being told that the battalion was filled up.
I arranged to have him taken on.

"I was fortunate enough to be selected for some rather daring
reconnaissance work extending over three days and nights in
company with another officer and 'The excitement was intense,' to
quote a well worn phrase. Our orders, direct from the Brigadier-

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

General, were to get all necessary information. My companion,
who is very hot-headed, and I, found ourselves about fifteen yards
from a German listening post and he proposed rushing it. I
argued against it. This resulted of course in hot words, which the
Germans heard, and for once I blessed my brevity of form as I had
to lie pretty close to the ground for a while. After the firing
stopped we found they were firmly ensconced behind their barbed
wire so it turned out my caution was the better course.

"I have run across quite a number of Commerce boys over
here, in fact I officiated at a banquet in Shorncliffe the night before
I left at which there were 60 bank men, of whom 40 or 45 were
ex-Commerce. The Bank may have made undue sacrifice but I
can assure you the need is great. Lovett was in my platoon here
but is now taking a cadet course and I am glad to say is getting a
commission. Young Fraser, one of our ledger-keepers, is in the
orderly room here. I have heard about the brave deaths of poor
old John Low and little Bean. My C.O. but needs to know that a
man is from the Commerce to feel assured that any promotion
concerned is warranted."

The following is a letter from Private E. DeWind,
formerly of the Edmonton branch, later attached to the
Machine-Gun Section of the 31st Battalion, written 1st
November, 1915, from "Somewhere in France." (Private
DeWind was later given a commission in the Royal
Irish Rifles, and was posthumously awarded the Victoria
Cross for his glorious stand and self-sacrifice at St.
Quentin on the 21st of March, 1918).

"These are just a few lines from the Front to let you know that
we are all settled down to our new surroundings, and so far no
casualties among our old Edmonton staff bunch.

"I am now in the Machine Gun Section of the Slst Battalion
and like the work very much, and we have an awfully nice willing
bunch of fellows in it. We have been in first and second line
trenches for over a month, and at present are having a week's
rest in an old farm house near a village. Our buildings are pretty
well intact, but it is awful to see miles of trenches and sand-bag
parapets all around. It will be two or three decades after the war
before things are in any sort of good shape. It is a beautiful,
rich, mixed farming country, but a good lot of rain and fog in the
fall apparently. 'Sunny Alberta' will look mighty good again to
those of us who are lucky enough to pull through.

"The Balkan crisis will probably add several months to the

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

war, but I think the German combine is showing signs of breaking
up a bit. The Allies are well off for munitions now, though I must
say our Canadian troops would welcome the sight of any of the
new machine-guns which are ready in Canada.

"We are all very well, and are being splendidly equipped this
year with skin coats, rainproof capes, rubber waders, heavy boots,
etc., and food is generally very good and plenty of it."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant C. G.
Dowsley, 2nd Artillery Brigade, First Canadian Division.
Mr. Dowsley was formerly a member of the staff of the
Herbert, Sask., branch. He writes from France, under
date of 3rd November, 1915:

"The staff of the Bank does seem to have responded well to
the call for men. I am continually running across Commerce men.
Four, together with myself, left the Herbert branch with the 1st
Division. Two have been killed, one wounded and the other is
still in the 2nd Battalion, and I see and hear from him regularly.
I have not yet been hit, fortunately. The Artillery is not so danger-
ous a job as the Infantry, as you will have noticed from the Casualty
Returns. The Artillery has lost only thirty to thirty-five per
cent, of their strength in killed and wounded, but our percentage
of killed to wounded is much greater than any other arm. Prac-
tically all our losses are from shell fire — very few from rifles and
machine-guns. Depending on the nature of the country, guns
are situated two thousand to four thousand yards in rear of the
first line trenches. The Forward Observing Station, one to each
battery, is manned by a subaltern, a look-out man and tele-
phonists, and is situated either in the front or support line
trenches, or on a vantage point behind the trenches and in front
of the guns. It must command a view of all targets likely to be
engaged by the battery. We have telephonic communication
with the company and battalion commanders in the trenches
which we cover, but the communication is usually broken as fast
as we can repair it during a bombardment. In that case we resort
to signals by way of lights of different colors by night, and smoke
balls, colored, by day. Since the end of September we have been
fairly quiet, but for the daily artillery duels, of which you hear so
much. We were not actually engaged in the attack of 25th Sep-
tember, but bombarded for two or three days and made feint gas
and smoke attacks, endeavouring thereby to hold the German
reserves in front of us.

"During the battles of Ypres and Festubert, I was in the 2nd

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Brigade Ammunition Column and was responsible for the supply
of small arm ammunition, lights, etc., to the 2nd Infantry Brigade.
At the best it is a very 'dirty* job — as the Germans make it a point
to shell every yard of road between the trenches and the maximum
range of their guns. Many a time we have lost our horses, escaping
ourselves without a scratch.

"During Givenchy and since, I have been in the 7th Battery.
I was unfortunate enough to have been sent to hospital in Bailleul
on 2nd October, where I was kept for three weeks. I had 'trench
fever' — a name given to an ailment which is very prevalent among
the Canadians during the wet weather.

"We expect to be here all winter, though there is a rumour that
we will go to Serbia, but hardly think it. To sum up, we have only
taken a fall out of the Germans, single handed, and I think they
will let us have a victory some day. The 2nd Division are now
holding up their end on our left — my elder brother is among them,
while my young brother expects to be sent over shortly.

"I have never heard of Jim Still out here. Do you know
when he came over, and with what arm and unit?

The following is a letter received from Mr. Dowsley
in amplification of the foregoing:

"I recall that I wrote this letter while at our forward observa-
tion point on the north-east slope at Hill 63, about one and a quarter
miles east of Neuve-Eglise and about two miles south-west of
Messines. The First Divisional front covered from the village of
St. Yves, on the south, to a point about three hundred yards north
of the Wulverghem-Messines Road and followed the valley of the
River Douve. At that point where our trenches crossed the
Messines-Ploegsteert road there was a group of farm buildings
called La Petite Douve Ferme. It was at this point that the 1st
Division carried out the first raid into the enemy trenches on the
night of the 16/17 November, 1915, which was a great success.
The plan was followed immediately by all other divisions on the
British front and later by the Germans themselves.

"The attack of the 25th September referred to was staged
near the village of Loos, about eight or ten miles south-east of the
city of Bethune and a few miles north of the city of Lens. The
Canadians were, at this time, about twenty miles north of Loos,
but our services were utilized, as I stated, in pretending to be very
alert, and subjected the German trenches to a very deliberate
bombardment for three days, and also created a lot of smoke by
burning wet straw in the front line when the wind was favorable

05

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

for carrying it towards the enemy, in order to induce him to
believe that a gas attack was in progress. It was hoped by so
doing to prevent the enemy from detaching any reserves he might
have had on this front."

The following letter from Lieutenant R. E. N. Jones
is dated 6th November, 1915:

This refers to the Kemmel sector:

"We have been busy, as usual, furnishing fatigue parties
every day, and the weather has been simply terrible. Our trenches
are needing attention, of course, under the circumstances, and
Fritz can be seen working away at his just as hard, and, we hope,
harder. A 28th officer tells me that, when the usual morning fog
lifted the other day, one of his men, who was out in front, found
himself a few yards from a German, who said: 'You had better
go back, or I shall have to shoot you.' One of our Brigades in this
neighbourhood, it is said, during the very bad spell this past week,
was not molested while at work on parapets, and returned the
compliment, allowing the enemy to work undisturbed and in full
view. Is it not absolutely absurd? One would think there was
no war some days, about breakfast or dinner time, as not a shot
is fired by either side for sometimes an hour or so."

The following is a letter from Captain J. C. Mac-
Pherson, formerly Assistant Accountant at the Calgary
branch, dated 8th November, 1915. This letter refers
to the Kemmel sector, Ypres salient, October, 1915:

"We are at present in the front line trenches, and, for a
change, are having dry weather. Last time we were in the front
line we had rather a miserable spell. My Company held a section
of trench in a salient, the nearest point to the Huns being about
thirty yards. During the period we occupied this section it rained
all the time, and the mud was awful, over the boots everywhere,
in other places almost impassable. One day the Germans insisted
on bothering us with trench mortar bombs (awful things which
explode like large shells), and succeeded in knocking down part of
our parapet, and destroying seven dugouts, which had not caved
in during the wet weather. Next morning we gave them a few
back, and some rapid artillery fire, which shut them up in great
style. When the trenches are close, rifle and hand grenades, bombs,
etc., are used a lot, and instead of the proverbial stoop occasioned
by continued ducking, one gets the opposite with looking up all
the time. We were very glad to get out for our rest that trip.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"We have a better section at present, but Fritz baa been
worrying us to-day with whiz-bangs, and prevent* us from doing
a lot of necessary work. However, he usually gets two back for
every one, and ours seem to have a greater effect.

"Our casualties have not been very heavy. I think I told you
that two Commerce boys in our Battalion were killed — Nuttall and
Callaghan, both very nice boys. Connon, also a Commerce boy,
was wounded by shell fire, but I believe is progressing well, though
I understand his nerves are pretty well shattered, and I don't
blame them. Rogers, who was third messenger in the Bank, is
now in my Company, having come over with a draft from the 56th.
We are breaking him in this week, and probably by this time he
knows what war is.

"Arbuckle just dropped in to see me. He is in the next
section, and on night duty, and looking fit. This is his first tour
in the front line, having just recently joined the Battalion from
the base. He is taking to it well.

"I am writing this in my dugout, but it is just about time I
had a trip down the line to see how things are, and my Sergeant-
Major is waiting for me.

"You must excuse the paper, also the pencil, but it is about
all we can get. The Y.M.C.A. supplies the paper, and the repre-
sentatives of that institution are a Godsend to any Battalion, and
the way they look after the boys will always be remembered."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant A. G. A.
Vidler, of the Royal Sussex Regiment, and formerly
a member of the staff of the Vancouver branch:

"It was very good of you to send me those H.O. lists. I find
them most entertaining and am forwarding one to a Commerce
man in my old Regiment, Strathcona's Horse, who is still at the
front unscratched after seven months, lucky man!

"You ask me for my experiences. Well I am afraid that they
are disappointingly brief. When the 1st Contingent Infantry went
out in February, we of the Cavalry Brigade were held back in
Sussex occupying the mansion and grounds of a German Count
(according to a local report a most charming man — they all are)
who for the good of his health had retired for a season. Then
when the infantry got cut up so badly in April, at Hill 60, General
Seely (our Brigadier) took us out dismounted. The web equip-
ment and short rifles were flung at us at three days' notice, but we
soon got accustomed to the cobblestones and footslogging, and

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

after being held in reserve at Ypres for a few days, were marched
down to Bethune and straight into the front line trenches in the
middle of the Battle of Festubert from 17th to 26th May, 1915, I
think it lasted. Anyhow, we were then at the extreme right of the
British line, and except for one British regiment, were in touch
with the French. Well that was the line the British were so short
of ammunition on and we fairly got peppered with shrapnel.
The third day (25th May) I went across a communication trench
to a German trench the 5th Battalion had taken in the morning.
There were fifteen of our "B" Squadron carrying cases of bombs,
and it was an awful job getting across, as the trench, was choked
with dead and wounded and we were being shelled all the time.
It took about hah* an hour to do 100 yards. We got our bomb
cases across all right but the shrapnel got so thick we couldn't
get back, so all one could do was to lie along flat with your face and
body against the parados at the rear of the captured trench. I
started to crawl around on my hands and knees and found
Johnson of our Vegreville branch with his arm and leg shockingly
cut up. I wanted him to get inside the trench but as he couldn't
move I crept on and saw Golden Wetaskiwin (the place seemed
full of bank men). He was all right and is so still; seems to have
had wonderful escapes. A little later I got hit on the head and
shoulder, so my day's work was completed for some months.
Fernie from Stony Plain and W. L. Donald also got hit the same
day. The Bank of Commerce representatives in Strathcona's
Horse were sheer out of luck on 25th May. When I was returned
from Hospital to the Casualty troop in the Cavalry Barracks at
Shorncliffe I met dozens of our men, particularly from the West
and Pacific Coast branches.

"I was at the dinner on 19th October in Folkestone, and many
men who couldn't get there I saw, later, notably Olive, Mahon and
Harris from the 72nd Seaforths at Vancouver and a number of
men in the 49th. They appeared to be sending wounded men
back to Canada whether fit for duty or not, so I made haste to
get a commission in the Sussex, as I want to see the job through.
I expect to be out again in January; we are under orders now.
Johnson and Fernie are now in the Pay and Record Office in
London, and from what I understand from them the C. B. of C.
hours and work are infinitely preferable."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant W. D.
Hopkinson, formerly of the London, Eng., branch,
written at Chakdara Camp, India, on 17th November,
1915:

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"I arrived at Bombay on 26th September. Off Malta a
French destroyer came racing out to us, and warned the Captain
of the 'Medina' that four hostile submarines were waiting for us,
but by a very clever ruse on the part of the Captain we managed
to escape them. We found it very hot indeed going through the Red
Sea, and when we arrived at Aden there was a small battle in
progress on the land.

"After hanging about Bombay for five days we got our postings.
I was posted to the 90th Battery at Chakdara. This is merely a
camp about 18 miles over the Frontier, situated in a deep valley,
and one sees nothing but filthy sand, and the flies are terrible. We
are not far from the Khyber Pass and are camped on neutral
territory, populated by hostile tribes, who have proved themselves
to be very fine fighters. These men have some very objectionable
customs, one of which is to cut up into small pieces any European
they take in a fight, especially 'Officer Sahibs.' The camp has
been attacked twice by several thousand of these tribesmen, but
after a severe bombardment by the artillery they have been
compelled to retire with great loss. They have adopted a system
of sniping which is very irritating. For this reason all tents are
dug in about three feet below the ground. They have been quiet
for the last few weeks, but we are awaiting events.

"I was carted into hospital after I had been here a week,
having caught sand fly fever, and was attended by Major Bates,
a resident of Wimbledon. I am feeling fairly fit at the present
time, but I have a very strong objection to the dust and flies."

The following extracts are from a further letter
from Lieutenant R. E. N. Jones, written from a Trench
Warfare School, 25th November, 1915.

The church and churchyard herein referred to were
at Kemmel, Belgium:

"Since last writing we have had rotten weather and the trenches
have been in an awful condition. The communication trenches
have been so bad up until recently that we have had to go and
come from the front line overland, quite a ticklish trip I can
assure you. The Company Major and I both lost our batmen
about eight days ago behind the lines on the very grounds over
which we go and come when relieved.

"There are exciting times almost every day in the trenches of
course, and when we have to get out in front at night to do a bit
of diggin' or a bit of wire fixin', the star lights, and zing and swish
of stray bullets, keep us very much on the alert. The last time we

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

came out everything was lovely until we reached a village the
Gerboys frequently shell with high explosives, i.e., "Jack Johnsons,'
'Coal Boxes' or 'Black Marias.' Just as about two-thirds of my
Company were leaving the outskirts I heard the unmistakable
express-train like sound of a high explosive shell coming our way.
I was at the end of our line which was in single file, and just
had time to shout 'flat,' and I verily believe we all went down
together. The shell dropped about a hundred and fifty yards
behind us — right on the road we had followed and only a very
few yards in front of the head of one of our companies in the
rear. Four more high explosive shells came over in quick
succession and we dropped on three occasions altogether, the
last two shells not sounding close enough to make men with
mighty heavy packs on think it worth while to wallow in mud
for a bit only to have to struggle to their feet again. I had to
visit guards over a huge area, necessitating a walk of about six
miles, and next day as I passed the village church around which
dozens and dozens of British soldiers are buried, I saw that
three of the high explosive shells we had heard the night before
had fallen in the pretty churchyard and ripped open probably
eight to ten graves."

The following is a letter from Captain J. C. Mac-
Pherson, formerly of the Calgary branch, written from
Belgium on 27th November, 1915. This letter was written
from the trenches at Kemmel, Belgium:

"I received the other day a copy of 'Letters from the Front,'
part two. It is greatly appreciated by us all, and we are greatly
interested in it. We all think a lot of it and the way it is
gotten up.

"At the time of writing we are in the front line doing our
little bit. For a change we have had two fine days, but the mud
everywhere is very bad. My Company has a decent bit of trench
this time, although fairly close to Fritz, at one point very close —
only thirty yards from the Germans. We occupied the section
referred to very recently and got a warm reception. It was there
that a company of the 28th Battalion got blown up with some
sixty casualties two days after we left it. One is in greater danger
from bombs, hand and rifle grenades, trench mortars, etc., than
from artillery fire, as owing to the proximity there is the danger
of our own shells falling in our lines. I have seen German shells,
and big ones at that, falling in their own front line trenches.

"There have been several heavy bombardments on our front
recently, but apparently Fritz has something up his sleeve, as he

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

keeps very quiet. We have witnessed some very exciting air
fights during the last few days and there is something very fascin-
ating about them. Up to the present, I have seen two planes
brought down. It is wonderful how they get through — sometimes
a single plane will have several hundred shrapnel shells sent after
and over it, and not one will hit. Of course they are all shrapnel
and burst in the air around the planes."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant F. C. Biggar,
formerly Manager of the Virden branch, dated 28th
November, 1915. The "new place" referred to in this
letter is Wulverghem, Belgium:

"It is a very long time since my last letter to you, but many
things have interfered. For nearly two months our Company was
extremely short of officers, and this meant very heavy duties for
those we had; and afterwards, when we filled up our establish-
ment, I was acting as second in command, and this kept my nose
pretty close to the grindstone.

"The interval has not been very full of incident. We worked
away on our section of the line digging trenches, both firing and
communication, until we were told that we had made it one of the
strongest bits of the British line. We were still there, though, at
the time, back in Divisional Reserve billets, when the big Loos
attack came off. For several days we would hear the continuous
roar of guns, both from there on our right and from Ypres on our
left. We slept with one eye open, for we knew we might be called
to move at any time, and, indeed, we fell in one morning about
5 a.m., at 15 minutes' notice, all ready to move off, but found this
was only a test, and we were dismissed.

"When we got to the new place we found it consisted of a
single line of trenches, really two, but so close together that they
were no better than one. Besides they were only from 50 to 100
yards from the enemy who kept one from brooding by throwing
over grenades and trench mortar bombs.

"Our first turn there was rather costly because we could not
get bombs to retaliate, but when our supply did arrive we threw
three for every one of theirs and they soon tired.

"About this time the second in command was made adjutant
and the sub senior to me being away taking a course, I acted in
that position. We moved to the new sector about the beginning
of October and very soon after the wet weather began. The soil
is very light and as no revetting had been done by our predecessors,
some territorial battalion, we began to have caves-in daily.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Dugouts, parapets, parados and traverses came tumbling down,
stopping drainage and making our trench alternate lakes of knee
deep water and hillocks of mud, which almost dragged one's boots
off. Our men worked like Trojans and kept a fairly clear way to
move until one night's downpour lasting an hour, during which
fourteen bays out of the twenty-two which our Company held,
caved in. Making rounds that night on duty was an experience,
for it was pitch black and one was alternately walking almost at
the height of the parapet and then down on the trench level, while
the communication trenches were so hopelessly blocked that the
only thing to do was to get back to the support line on the surface.
In the support trenches the water rose to from one to three feet in
depth and all the dugouts were flooded, so that eventually we had
to move out of it altogether.

"Too much cannot be said for the men who, in spite of twelve
to fourteen hours' sentry go and work during the day, wet beds
(when they can turn in) and wet clothes all the time, are always
cheerful and willing — a finer lot it would be impossible to find.

"About two weeks ago Major Mills, our Quartermaster, was
called back to Canada to take command of a new battalion, and I
was appointed in his place, so that for the present my days of
living in a dugout are over. It seems peculiar to be so far back,
but the Transport Officer and I ride up nightly with the rations, so
keep to a certain extent in touch.

"During the winter, arrangements have been made to relieve
each brigade for a fortnight and allow them to go back to rest
billets. I understand our turn comes just before Christmas, so
we will be able to spend the festal season a long way from the
sounds of war.

"Did I tell you that at one G.O.C. inspection here, when he
reached me he said 'You have a platoon of fine big men. Where
do they mostly come from?' I threw my chest out another couple
of inches and said, 'All from Western Canada, sir.'

"In spite of the black, or at least drab outlook in Serbia, I
think everyone over here is feeling optimistic, and that we have
now got the campaign in hand both in men and munitions. . It will
no doubt, take at least six months to finish it, but the end is certain.
We are all fed up with war, but will only quit on our own terms."

The following extract is from a further letter from
Lieutenant R. E. N. Jones, dated 1st December, 1915.

The trench warfare school herein referred to was
located near Locre:

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"Our regiment is at present back in billets at a small town
and we expect to return to the front line any day. Instead of
going in last time I was sent to a trench warfare school for six days,
where with others I dug and delved in the ground until my arms
and back ached unmercifully each day. There were many wrinkles
to learn and I managed to pick up a few."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant F. C. Biggar,
formerly Manager of the Virden branch, dated 8th
December, 1915:

(The lady herein referred to is Mrs. Biggar, who was
engaged on hospital duty in Shorncliffe, England.)

"I think that when I wrote I expected to go on leave in about
ten days, but when we heard the continuous roar of guns at Loos
on our right and Ypres on our left we were satisfied that the long
promised offensive had begun, and we expected at any time to
hear that all leave was cancelled.

"At last after many hopes and fears the day arrived and off
I went to 'Blighty.' We crowded a good deal of business, a good
deal of sightseeing and a lot of theatres into so short a holiday,
and had a glorious time, and the morning after I left, Alice began
her duties as V.A.D. in the Queen's Canadian Hospital, Shorn-
cliffe. She has found the work hard, but interesting, and now that
she is in joint charge of the diet kitchen, she thinks it will be even
nicer, while the work in the wards is, of course, her final aim.

"When I got back to the battalion, I found we were about to
move from our old sector. No one was very pleased over the pros-
pect, for it was strong and well built (by ourselves) and felt more
or less like home.

"When we got to the new trenches we were even less pleased,
for they were badly built, and were from about 50 to 125 yards
from the Germans' lines, who made things interesting by throwing
rifle grenades, trench mortar bombs, etc., and keeping up a fairly
heavy fire. As for some time we could not get grenades to reply
to them, it was not all beer and skittles.

"About a week after we got there, we took part in that feint
attack which some one christened 'ten miles of smudges.' This
consisted of our artillery pounding away for a couple of hours, and
then suddenly stopping. As soon as the lull came, all along the
British front smoke bombs were thrown which sent clouds rolling
towards the German lines. They mistook it for gas, and stood-to
expecting an attack, but our artillery again opened, and we hope,

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

bagged lots of them. It was quite exciting, for we hadn't every-
thing our own way, and their guns did their best to retaliate.

"Three weeks ago, much to my surprise, I was asked to take
over the Quartermaster's work, as Major Mills, who had held the
appointment, had been given the command of a battalion now being
raised in Canada.

"The work is entirely new to me, and to a certain extent a
routine post, but it has some advantages attached. One is a horse
of my own, and a good deal of official riding to do, going about to
inspect billets when they are taken or handed over, and going to
the trenches each night that the battalion is in, to report to the C.O.
and get his instructions.

"One feels like a deserter leaving one's pals to bear the hard-
ships of trench life, while one lives well back from the line in a
comfortable billet, but someone must do the work, and I did not
seek it myself."

The following extracts are from a letter from Private
D. J. MacDonald, formerly of the Inspection Depart-
ment, Sherbrooke, dated 10th December, 1915. The
incidents herein described occurred in the Ploegsteert
sector, Belgium, in October, 1915:

"You get your first thrills as you near the communication
trench, and stray bullets begin to sing through the trees. Unthink-
ingly you duck your head and next moment curse yourself for a
nervous fool, but it takes a little time to get used to it. The trip
through the communication trench is a long and tiresome one.

"Though the moon has not yet risen the night is made bright
by the star-shells which the Huns use so lavishly. Here and there
you hear the solitary crack of a sniper's rifle; evidently they never
sleep. Away to the right a machine gun with its 'clap-clap' is
evidently putting the fear of the Lord into an enemy working party.
Thus the night wears on.

"That night we had some work to do before leaving for
camp. This work consisted of digging a trench under the super-
vision of the engineers. We were not long engaged on this job
before an uncomfortably large number of bullets began to sing
around us, but believing them to be stray ones, we didn't pay
particular attention to them. But they seemed to be coming from
three sides, and after one very vicious volley, I noticed one of our
men stagger and fall. A couple of chaps went to his aid and we
went feverishly on with our work. I need not say we were
extremely glad to finish that job, and get back in the trench again,
for our trip homewards.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"It was only then I made enquiries about the man who wa*
hit and found it was our Platoon Sergeant who was shot through
the ankle.

"I have seen two of the Sherbrooke boys over here — Thompson
and Gibson. Thompson dropped into my hut one night on his
way back from the trenches — his first trip."

The following extracts are from a further letter from
Lieutenant R. E. N. Jones, dated 10th December, 1915.
This refers to the trenches in the Kemmel sector:

"We had a frightfully muddy trip into the trenches last time-
The day after our going in I was honoured by being selected with
Harold Riley to attend to the wiring along our battalion front,
which is some hundreds of yards in extent, supports, etc., included.
It meant that he would take charge of the left half with a dozen
or more men, and I should look after the right half with about
the same number of wirers, and that we should climb out into
no-man's land and remain there for some three and a half to four
hours each night. My men were game chickens, and had we been
able to secure material there would have been much more work
done. As it was, the brigade complimented the battalion on the
work done and said 'keep it up.' Often bullets struck our wiring,
throwing a cloud of sparks, and at one point as I walked up and
down I frequently had to drop flat and remain still until an enemy
sniper emptied his magazine. We had bombers and their pro-
tectors, bayonet men, out on our flanks and in front, all lying down
of course, to watch for any possible surprise party, while we were
busy pounding posts and wiring knife rests.

"Since coming here there is a very noticeable difference in
the enemy's attitude. Some eight weeks ago, although we were
hundreds of yards from the front line, it was dangerous to expose
one's head for even a moment. Now we frequently walk in the
open past 'small party signs.'

Some day though, an old regiment will land in front of us and
pick off a few after carefully studying range cards, which I must
believe are always available to German snipers. They have done
mighty good work as snipers, but we have done better and keep
on improving with experience."

The following is from a letter from Lieutenant V.
Curran, formerly Assistant Accountant at the Winnipeg
Branch, written in Flanders on 18th December, 1915.
The trenches in the Kemmel sector are described herein:

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"The weary round of trench and billets goes on. We are
doing six days in and six days out still, although some, and in fact
nearly all the other brigades are doing four. It is no joke stumbling
over this mud-ridden wilderness at dead of night when everything
is so dark you can't see your hand before your face. As a result,
one is continually falling into shell-holes full of water. The men
are splendid and go out singing and whistling, no matter what the
weather is like. The characteristic becomes all the more praise-
worthy when one considers that they have only the one change of
clothing, and to get wet means to stay that way until we get back
to billets again. The weather is absolutely the last extreme in
discomfort. It rains continually, and as a result the whole country
is just saturated with water, and the mud is something terrible.
Never again will I abuse the good old Manitoba weather. We
used to see the sun occasionally there, but rarely, if ever, here.

"Things along our front are quiet so far, but we hear all sorts
of rumours about German attacks to be pulled off. We hear the
Kaiser is to be on this front about the 15th December, so perhaps
he wants to spend Christmas in Paris and intends to push through.
Unless it freezes up he had better save his men, as it wouldn't
be possible to manoeuvre over this country now.

"We expect to be out for Christmas, and I believe arrangements
are being made for both our officers' dinner and one for the
men, so apart from the separation from friends and associations we
should be able to get along, more especially as everyone has been so
good in the matter of Christmas cheer.

"I intended writing a Christmas letter containing my best
wishes to all the staff for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
but couldn't find time in the trenches, but would ask you to spread
the good word for me. Doubtless some of the male members will
be congregating in the usual haunts for a cheery evening, and as
I was usually one of the party, I would like to be considered as
there in spirit, if not in person."

The following extracts are from a letter dated 22nd
December, 1915, from Sergt. Robert Houston, formerly of
the Winnipeg branch, and latterly in the Pay Office of
the Canadian Contingents, London, Eng.

"I have been in the Pay and Record Office now for fully five
months, and have some very interesting work here. Pte. J. D.
Cruickshank has lately been successful in obtaining a position in
Capt. Lobley's department, and at times one would think he was
back in Winnipeg branch again. Jim Purdy, now Lieut. Purdy,

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

is with Major Thorn in the Assigned Pay Branch, and the
training which we all received at the hands of The C. B. of C. is
evidently going to stand us in good stead, either as soldiers on the
field of battle, or men on the staff.

"I have had some very pleasant meetings in London. The
most outstanding one, which Harry Lauder would term 'an
auspicious occasion,' was when Eraser and Lovett came over on
leave together. Fraser, by the way, is now promoted Sergeant,
and Lovett has received a commission. A very pathetic story is
told by them about our pal, the late John Low, and of how he was
killed outright, and after they were successful in burying him,
Fraser tells me that the very next evening the Germans were
shelling the position held by the Canadians, a stray shell struck
old John's grave, knocking away the little wooden cross they had
erected, and at the same time half knocking his body out of the
grave. The job which he (Fraser) took single-handed, namely,
the re-burial of a dead comrade, speaks for itself, and one requires
to hear the story told by him to realize the awful grimness of the
task. Little or nothing is known of young Bean, but he is now on
the Casualty lists as dead.

"Of course you would read of the visits to London some two
months ago, of the famous Zeppelins. I had the 'pleasure,' if I
might term it so, of being in the thick of them both. The last
one when they dropped bombs in the Strand was very disas-
trous, and I was as close to the damage then as anyone would ever
wish to be. I think 50 yards would cover the distance from where
I was standing to the point where the bomb was dropped, outside
the Strand Palace Hotel. All the soldiers anywhere near at that
particular time were asked to go on duty to assist the police in
keeping the crowds back and it was no pleasant job.

"We have in connection with the office a male voice choir,
comprising thirty members, and are very busy at present practising
and giving concerts. Two weeks ago we were down at the
Canadian Military Hospital at Epsom, where we sang to quite a
few hundred of our wounded comrades.

"Last Thursday we gave a charity concert at Golders Green
— a percentage of the proceeds of which was devoted to the
Prisoners of War Fund."

The following extracts are from a letter from Corporal
G. T. Lewis, formerly of the Winnipeg branch, written
from Lyminge, Kent, England:

"Thank you very much for your very kind wishes. Believe

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

me it is nice to hear from Winnipeg and especially from the
Bank of Commerce.

"When we were all together in Sewell, we boys used to kick
about the place and I have heard other kicks about the Canadian
winter, but believe me, I can say for myself, and I am sure the rest
of the boys agree with me, that Canada is by far the best place.
I know that just as soon as the War is over I am taking the first
boat back. There seems to be nothing but rain over here, and as
far as the ducks are concerned it may be all right; for soldiering
it is punk."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant James H.
Lovett, formerly Accountant at the Alexander Avenue
(Winnipeg) branch. This letter was written just behind
the front line trenches facing Messines. Christmas 1915
is referred to:

"Here I am in an old bunk, in the cellar of a ruined house near
our front line. Another officer and myself, with two parties, are
doing the patrol work for our battalion, chasing the Germans out
of 'no man's land,' or the ground between the trenches. I am
getting a very bad cramp in my neck writing.

"I had a most peculiar Christmas. Our rations did not come
up and we had to get the batmen busy chasing round on Christmas
night. My shift coming first, with a fairly large party, we ventured
out to stir up our good friends. An old hedge, very dense and wired,
lay about midway between the lines, beside which was a house
the Germans had fortified. Suspecting a party or listening post
behind the hedge in a small trench there, we approached very
slowly and quietly. I put my nose through the hedge and listened,
and passed on with the party following. I must have looked
through the hedge from twelve to fifteen times and tried to get
through it. For nearly 100 yards down the hedge we followed this
plan.

"All at once the Germans challenged us, and two rifles were
fired almost into my face, and in a twinkling the whole hedge
started firing. A nice Christmas box was evidently their desire.
The two chaps who started the fight by firing at me, must have
been awfully up in the air to miss me. I emptied my revolver
right into them, and the party, in spite of having no cover, gave it
to them right and left. Bombs, rifles, everything went, a little
war all to ourselves. We made them get away from the hedge,
and a machine-gun opened up on us, and we had to get back into a
nearby ditch and from there into the trench. I was very glad to
get the party back safely.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"Next day another officer and myself who have charge of all
the patrols were sent for by the general and had lunch with him.
He gave us some good suggestions, and sent a telegram of congrat-
ulations to the Colonel on our little war. Personally, I am glad
to be where I am, as it is the second time these last four days I
have run into the Germans (they turned a machine-gun on us
two nights ago), and they can send me back to my company any
old time they want to. I prefer being there to standing the chance
of a small iron cross.

"I see Mordy quite often, he is near us here. I like my duties
as an officer and enjoyed the course of instruction of one month's
time at the cadet school at the base. I have not heard from you
for some time. I had three days in England about a month ago
and Cruickshank and I had most of the time together. He is
talking of getting a commission with the Gordons at his home. I
also saw Lobley. I must close now with very kind regards."

The following is an extract from a letter from
Lieutenant C. W. F. Rawle, formerly of the Head Office
staff, dated 30th December, 1915:

"At present we are at Port Said in camp, refitting, and expect
to do duty on the Canal shortly.

"If all goes well, I am leaving for home for a month's leave,
which will mean from ten days to two weeks in England.

"The Turks apparently mean business out here, as, according
to reports several railways and roads fit for motor transport have
been built in their territory.

"A good tale is told of Lord Kitchener on his visit to the Near
East. He met an officer doing duty on the Canal, that is, just
this side of it, and asked him what he was supposed to be doing.
The officer replied 'protecting the Canal, Sir.' Lord K.: 'Don't
you mean the Canal is protecting you?'

"The result is that now our defences are some miles on the
other side of the Canal.

"I feel sure that 13 is my lucky number. We are in the 30th
Brigade, 13th Division; we sailed on transport 806, divisible by
13, arrived on the Peninsula on July 13th. I arrived wounded at
Alexandria August 13th, and was also in command of 13 platoon.
With any luck I shall leave for home on February 13th."

The following are extracts from a letter from Corporal
A. H. Waterman, formerly of the Hastings and Cambie
(Vancouver) branch, dated 31st December, 1915. The
strong point referred to was officially known as Strong

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Point No. 8, a little north of Regent Street Dugouts,
Kemmel sector. Corporal Waterman and his comrades
had New Year's dinner in a ruined house in Kemmel
village.

"All your news was of great interest, and I since have learned
of the death of our respected General Manager. Mackedie wrote
to me for Xmas from England, where he is having the time of his
life, as no doubt you have heard; he looks forward to being in
the race for glory early in the new year.

"Christmas Day I spent in a 'Strong Point* where we stand
ready to make one of those dramatic last stands if the occasion
arises. In spite of the delay in mails, which kept us without our
letters and parcels, we were able to impart quite a respectable air
of joviality to the scene. We had presents from the Canadian
Contingent War Comforts Association, and a pudding from the
'Daily News'. Our quarters, which we shared with a machine-
gun crew from another battalion, were in an old barn which the
Boches thought they had effectually destroyed, but with a few
patches we fixed up quite a comfortable 'house.' Songs, recita-
tions, and cakes from home filled up a jolly evening until 9.30.
On the 25th there was no such weakness as was indulged in last
year, and any Hun who started across 'No Man's Land' to shake
hands found himself out of luck. We worry and harass them by
every means in our power as an indication of the spirit they have
called up in us, and of the relentless nature of the treatment we
are ready to mete out to them. And now I am going to describe
to you my New Year's Day dinner. With me on guard are four
of the best fellows I could wish for; we are in a wrecked house, of
which the ceiling of the lower rooms has been 'removed,' making
one high room from ground to roof. It has a large open fire grate
and mantelpiece. We have closed up shell-holes in the walls,
built up the chimney-piece and brought in lots of holly, ivy and bay;
added to this is a large motto, 'Happy New Year', and lots of Xmas
cards. Here we boast chairs, tables, plates, glasses and a kettle, all
rustled from neighboring ruins. (The crockery we discovered
cached in a manure heap.) Luckily, I was able to bring in three
Xmas puddings, a large cake and countless smaller items. Then
to-day, the battalion was treated to a turkey dinner. So we sat
down in front of a roaring log fire, complete with a singing kettle
and purring cat, to eat turkey, mashed potatoes and turnips, brown
bread and fresh English butter, Christmas pudding, coffee, a bottle
of wine and cigars. Can you beat that for war conditions? Of
course the greater part was supplied by ourselves, and the home

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

made comfy in rough and ready fashion, but the result was Al.
All the Commerce men are fit and fat, and in spite of your remark
about May, 1917, expect to be with you about August 1st, 1916."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant V. Curran,
formerly Assistant Accountant at the Winnipeg Branch,
written in Flanders on 3rd January, 1916. The large
school-house mentioned herein was situated at Locre.
The place where the Germans attempted to fraternize on
New Year's Day, 1916, was at Kemmel.

"I am only sorry that the Censor and my own duties prevent
me from making my letters more interesting from the readers'
standpoint. We had a very good Christmas, all things considered.
The Regimental fund provided the men with a splendid dinner, at
which turkey and goose and plum pudding occupied the place of
honor. The dinner was held in a large school house, and practic-
ally all the battalion were able to find accommodation. After the
dinner was done ample justice to (when you consider the men have
been living on bully beef for the past four months, it will be more
apparent to you just how justice was done) a concert was given, at
which a lot of splendid talent took part. The Colonel gave the
men a little talk and received a great ovation. He is certainly the
idol of the men.

"We spent New Year's in the trenches, and pretty lively it was.
The Germans made several attempts to fraternize, but were met
with rifle and machine-gun fire, as we had strict orders about
hobnobbing with them. Our warm reception of their well-meant
intentions angered them, and so a lively artillery duel commenced,
without, I am glad to say, any more harm being done than much
earth scattered around.

"We were all splendidly looked after during the Christmas
season, and the number of parcels received was simply amazing.
Anyway, everything was appreciated and was a welcome change
from the army rations. The men are in good health and spirits,
and so far our battalion has been very lucky as regards casualties,
but still the wastage, due to sickness and the 'occasional* unfor-
tunate, is considerable."

The following are extracts from a letter from
Lieutenant A. R. Mackedie, formerly of the Hastings and
Cambie (Vancouver) staff, dated 15th January, 1916:

(Mr. Mackedie was killed in action 28th August,
1918.)

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"It is over two months since I left Vancouver, and I think
it is high time that I wrote you.

"We have quite a number of old bank clerks among our officers,
Captain Monteith, an old Bank of B.C. and later a Commerce
man, from Victoria, Ross of Vancouver, and I are all the C. B. of
C. men. There are three Bank of Montreal boys and one from
the Bank of Toronto. That is seven ex-bankers out of a total of
thirty officers.

"I recently took a course in bombs and grenades, and I
certainly found it very interesting work. I haven't heard yet
whether I will become the battalion bombing officer or not. At
the front the bombing sections are known as the 'Suicide Club,'
although I do not think it is quite as bad as that. If a man can
keep cool and use his head, I think he has just as good a chance of
coming through as anyone else. I had a letter from Waterman,
late of our Hastings and Cambie branch, the other day. Owing
to the censorship, he was, of course, unable to tell me much of what
was taking place at the front. He did say that the trenches are
nearly hah* full of mud and water, and are by no means an ideal
place to spend the winter in. He tells me that two of our old staff,
the Davis boys, are in good health, and as yet untouched. In
London the other day, I was very surprised to run into T. C. G.
Mahon, who was with us for so long, both in the Eastern Townships
Bank and in the Commerce. He was wounded some time ago,
but he is now quite recovered and is working in the Military Pay
Office in London.

"London hotels present a very wonderful and unique scene
on any afternoon, ninety-nine per cent, of the men having tea (and
there are thousands) are in uniform. I suppose at least forty
per cent, are returned officers on leave; some recovering from
wounds and many minus a leg or an arm. All seem very cheerful,
however, and one cannot help but feel that, with such a nation
of brave men, ultimate victory is assured. London is certainly
a wt nderful city, and my six days' leave was all too short."

The following is a further letter from Lieutenant V.
Currai, formerly Assistant Accountant at the Winnipeg
branch, dated 18th January, 1916:

"So far I have escaped anything very close and so have none
of the hair-breadth escapes to record that one daily reads about.
It is a wonderful sight to see a real artillery duel and the men are
like a bunch of kids on the 1st of July, each watching through a
periscope to see where our shells are landing, but still not neglecting
to keep a watchful eye on the opposition. The Germans have a

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

delightful weapon termed an aerial torpedo, which cornea acroM
at night with a trail of sparks showing until it begins to fall, when
you of course lose sight of it, until the most awful explosion is
heard and you thank God it wasn't near you. They weigh about
100 pounds and even in some cases 200 pounds, and have a rudder
appliance which causes them to swerve before they drop, and thus
one never can tell where to go to escape the brutes. They play
hell with the trenches. We use a mortar trench bomb ourselves
that isn't anything to be sneezed at, and it is pretty to watch them
going over and to see the German trenches and sometimes pieces
of Germans fly when they light. It's funny that all these various
instruments look fine going over but mighty dangerous coming."

The following is an extract from a further letter from
Lieutenant R. E. N. Jones, dated 19th January, 1916.

The episode of the Minenwerfer herein described
took place in the Kemmel sector:

"Next day we threw over four trench mortar 60 Ib. bombs
from our own trench, and only two exploded because of damp
fuses which were not properly attended to. We frequently landed
them in their front line and on their front parapet, doing no end
of damage. As a matter of fact we strafed Boche more this last
time than on many previous occasions that I remember, and his
'come back' was remarkably weak. The regiment we relieved
had four men buried by a German Minenwerfer (a thrown mine
shaped like a large shell and called often a torpedo). All were
fortunately dug out by willing and brave men who worked in full
view of Boche not 65 yards away, and only one chap was injured,
his collar bone being cracked, I believe. The breach in the parapet
was soon closed, and when my men came in, we finished the job
by strengthening with sandbags and making a perfectly good
parapet. Towards noon one day as I was trying to disclose a
loophole opposite to four bored men and a sniper, the report of a
gun — a report I shall never forget since first hearing it — made me
stop and instinctively look in the direction of the sound, even though
I was just about to pull the trigger, and I knew what to expect.
Up, up, crept a Minenwerfer, higher and higher, and coming our
way. I called attention to it at once, of course, and we all watched,
and wondered not a little as to its probable objective. It seemed
about over our heads when it reached the apex of its flight, and I
am sure there was not one of us who did not heave a sigh of relief
when it became evident instantly that the torp. was going well
over to our left a bit. One day with our senior Major, I had an
opportunity of observing our bomb (trench mortar) work from the

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

trenches on our right, where a well-known Canadian regiment was
relieving at the time. While we stood chatting with a couple of
non-coms, and hoping to locate the Fritz Minenwerfer gun should
it reply to us, to our surprise, and certainly to our discomfort,
three German shells whizzed over our worthy heads, not more than
a foot or two above the comparatively low parapet. A few minutes
later, as we started for our own trenches, they opened with two
more which again passed over our heads, just missing the parapet.
It seemed as though Fritz had spotted visitors, and could see clean
through the sand bags. The day we came out to these billets, a
most unfortunate accident occurred. We were about to strafe
Fritz with trench mortar bombs and rifle grenades after lunch —
just a few parting shots. The Major and I were standing in front
of his dugout watching, at a distance, say, of 35 yards (and on very
slightly lower ground) from the gun, when the Corporal in charge
pulled the string. The bomb exploded before it left the muzzle,
and I cannot describe the awful feeling of dread that surged through
one while looking at that great blast of grey-black smoke and
flying debris. Neither of us ducked our heads until it was quite
too late, and then I dreaded looking towards the gun. There
were men on the ground struggling and groaning, and I shouted
as I ran over, for 'stretcher-bearers at the double.' The whole
gun crew of the four had been hit, and two died before our eyes in
a very few minutes. My own platoon was my first thought really,
as the gun was immediately behind their frontage of trench, and
some were surely hit. Fortunately only one was caught seriously
and he was well inside a nearby dugout, while others slightly
touched and somewhat shocked were scattered up and down their
trench in various attitudes, with a view to shelter. Altogether ten
were hit and four have since died, one of our Company signallers,
a nice boy too, dying on his way to the base. You will appreciate
our feelings, I know. It is bad enough to get high explosives from
the enemy, but to be caught in this way by a defective time-fuse
was a heartbreak."

The following extracts are from a further letter from
Lieutenant R. E. N. Jones, dated 27th January, 1916.

This refers to the Kemmel sector:

"During our spell in support, a little practice with prismatic
compasses and protractors seemed to me would not only prove
serviceable but interesting as well. I have seen the usefulness of
a knowledge of the prismatic compass on more than one mighty
important occasion. One night a young artillery officer, then on
duty in our trench, took a bearing when an enemy heavy bomb

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

came over to us, away to the left. It had a tail of sparks, and
after the first bomb had crashed in our lines, he got ready to sight
the next. Next morning we knew exactly where the Bosche
mortar was located, as someone away to our left had acted as our
visitor had, and their figures were handed in to someone only too
anxious for such valuable information.

"A cook was startled out of his kitchen by a whizz-bang which
nearly got his head as it passed through his thinly built wall, and
as he reached the trench outside his door an H. E. fell nearby and
blew him back into the kitchen, fortunately nothing hitting him.

"I went up the troubled sector that afternoon, travelling over-
land for convenience most of the way. This was dangerous on
that day as the atmosphere was very clear, but I was correct in
calculating on Boche being too much taken up with six of our
planes, some of them huge ones, which were flying over the enemy's
lines so low that machine-gun fire was thought a good method to
stop their work. Meanwhile the ground I was covering, in long
strides to be sure, was quite overlooked and not even a stray passed
within hearing. One huge unexploded enemy shell lay on the
ground as though placed carefully for use; it was about a six incher,
with, to us, unknown markings. I did not touch it, as such
monsters are said by the artillery officers to even go off by them-
selves a long time after falling as 'duds,' or, — more technically
speaking — 'blinds,' and particularly those with percussion fuses.

"We have been having a long spell of wonderfully good weather.
Trees are actually budding, and one may pick tiny daisies here and
there in the fields. It is odd, during an absolute silence, say at
midday, in the front line, to hear birds singing peacefully in nearby
fire-swept hedges or shrapnel-torn trees. A rabbit sometimes
causes a moment's interest and a shout. Wild pigeons are in
flocks of hundreds at all times, and nearly every time a working
party goes up from the rear they put up partridges and pheasants,
at which no one, much to our grief, is allowed to shoot, even though
we may be in possession of shot-guns. It is mighty interesting to
see an occasional carrier pigeon go or come over our trenches, as
they leave us much to speculate on, you may be sure.

The following is a letter from Lieutenant C. R. Myers,
formerly Accountant at the East Vancouver branch,
written in France, and dated 22nd February, 1916.

The raid herein described took place in the Kemmel
sector in front of "E" and "F" trenches to the left of
the famous Bull Ring, an advanced circular trench on a

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

mound thirty-five yards from the German front line.
The Bull Ring changed hands many times.

"On the night of Sunday, 30th January, the 29th (Vancouver)
Battalion carried out a little raid on the enemy's trenches opposite
their own lines. It was carefully rehearsed for a few days previously
on a piece of ground on which model trenches were laid out with
tapes, the plan of the German trenches being obtained from an
aeroplane map. The raiding party consisted of Lieut. Wilmot
(Scout Officer), Lieut. Gwynn (Bomb Officer) Lieut. O'Brien and
26 N.C.O.'s and men, all picked for their size, and knowledge of
bombing and the use of the bayonet. A similar scheme was
simultaneously carried out by the Battalion on our left (28th
North- West Battalion).

"At 10.30 p.m. Lieut. Wilmot and three men went out to cut
a lane through the German wire; this was expected to take two
hours, but as a matter of fact took nearly four; and was done right
under the muzzle of a machine-gun. I myself had no part in the
show, so watched it from a little mound some distance behind our
trenches. All seemed quiet until 2.40 a.m., when I heard a revolver
shot, then the explosion of a bomb, and then there was pande-
monium in the German trench, both on our front and on that of
the 28th. At 2.45 our artillery opened up, and I knew that they
had been given the signal that our men were clear again from the
German line. It was rather a fine sight, flash after flash some three
or four miles behind me, and then a few seconds later shells of all
kinds — from the little 18-pounder 'whizz-bangs' to huge shells from
the 9.2 inch guns — were most scientifically distributed, some on
Fritz's front line, but most of them on his communication trenches,
and on the roads in the rear; they must have caught many scores
who were hurrying up to reinforce the front line. Nor for another
ten minutes was there any reply, then Fritz started up and gave us
some of his. I made my way to the communication trench,
where the Brigadier, Colonel, etc., were awaiting the raiding party
and the prisoners that we were hoping they would bring. Soon
we saw a German private, with his hands above his head, being
rushed down the trench, then another, and finally a Prussian
under-officer. Then we heard from the party how they had fared.
It seems that, as they were crawling through the German wire in
single file, the machine-gun commenced to fire. Lieut. Wilmot
threw a bomb into the emplacement and silenced the gun, but
the explosion broke his own arm and he had to go back. Another
German rushed to the gun but he was shot, and then our party
got over the parapet and spread out in each direction; the three

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

prisoners were seized, bundled over the parapet and rushed across
to our trenches at the point of the bayonet, by six men. The
remainder then did good work with revolver, bayonet, and even
with clubs, slaying at least fifteen Boches, after which they threw
bombs into all the dugouts, where they accounted for many more.
Then they returned, after having notified our artillery by means
of a special wire laid across from our trench. With the exception
of Lieut. Wilmot's broken arm, and slight injuries to two of the
men, all returned uninjured.

**The 28th were not quite so fortunate, though they did
splendid work. Owing to an obstruction beyond the wire they
were nearly a minute later than our party in reaching their objec-
tive, and by that time the alarm had been given by the row in the
adjacent trenches. The first man over the parapet was shot, but
the remainder bombed their way in and along the trench, accounting
for many Huns. With this party was Capt. Ken. Taylor, who
came over to England with the 29th, but is now Brigade Bomb
Officer. He, it is said, emptied his revolver into the first German
he encountered, threw it at the head of the next, slew two more
with his own bayonet, and then picked up a German saw-edged
bayonet, and slew another one. Then with ten wounds on his
body he walked back nearly two miles to the dressing station.

"All the men and officers taking part in these two raids were
given 14 days' leave in England, and Captains Taylor and Mclntyre
received the D.S.O., Lieuts. Wilmot and O'Brien the Military
Cross, and two Sergeants and three men the D.C.M."

The following is a copy of a letter from Mr. E. V.
MacLeod, formerly of the Windsor, N.S., branch, written
at the V.A.D. Hospital, Lidivells, Goudhurst, England,
on 29th February, 1916.

Mr. MacLeod herein refers to his miraculous escape
from death when he was hit in the face by a bullet:

"Yes, I had a very narrow escape this trip all right. There
was a chap with me, going to the hospital, who had been hit in
the centre of the forehead with a bullet, which, luckily, had glanced
upward. Between the two of us, we were objects of curiosity to
the other patients.

"Naturally, we have had narrow escapes. I saw Nick (W. A.
L. Nickerson) one day get a bullet right clear through his bonnet
while he was sniping. I have a few scars on the fingers of my
right hand where I had my rifle smashed last August with a bullet.
When I had it done, the Red Cross man came along, slapped on

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some iodine and wrapped up my hand, and about a week after the
doctor had to slit my finger under the nail and take a piece of the
bullet out. Oh, it was pleasant ! That is what I got for having a
pleasant conversation with a German early in the morning. We
were only eighty yards apart, and there was a heavy mist between
the trenches, and we, the Hun and I, started a conversation, and of
course, at the same time tried to locate one another. Well, the sad
part of it is that I have to confess that he located me first. The last
thing that Fritz yelled across to me was 'Hoch der Kaiser,' and I
was busy telling him what he could do with the Kaiser, when there
was a bang, and I thought the trench had fallen in on me. When I
got this smash on the nose I was sniping, but Fritz fired at me
sideways. It ploughed the side of my nose a bit and fractured the
bridge, but they fixed it up fine in the hospital, and now all that
shows is the scar. My eye was in a bad way for a while from the
concussion, but it is O.K. now. Still, it was not the wound that
was worrying me. I had dysentery along with it, and it very nearly
finished me. I came down to 130 pounds, and thought sure my
goose was cooked, but I am now slowly crawling back again.

The hospital I am in now is situated right in the county of
Kent, away in the country, with hop-fields all around. It is called
a voluntary hospital because it is a private residence turned into
a B. class hospital, and nearly all the nurses are girls and women
from around this district who have volunteered for this work, free
gratis. It is a very nice place, quiet, and a fine place to pick up
health again. Most of the patients are Canadians. The chap in
the next bed to me is from New Brunswick, and attended Dalhousie
with Nickerson's brother.

"Yes, I think our Bank has done fine in this war. I know I
was all the time running into C. B. of C. clerks in France. One
of our chaps in our regiment has a commission now for bravery
both at Ypres and Festubert. He worked in the Commerce out in
Alberta. So Porter has been transferred and the Bank changed
inside? — well, we will hardly know the place if we get back, which
I sincerely hope we do.

"When I got on board the boat at Boulogne for England I
was all alone, and whom did I run into on the way over but Tim
Greenough, from Windsor. I was sure some surprised. He had
his arm damaged in the charge at Ypres last Spring, by a German
hitting him with a rifle butt and he never reported it, with the
result that his arm wasted away down to mere nothing, and he was
fast losing the use of it. The doctor gave him a lecture for not
reporting it before, and packed him off to England for electric

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treatment. I hope Tim comes out of it all right. You know it was
Tim that gave us the idea to enlist in such a hurry that day. He
came into the Bank to get a cheque cashed, and told Porter that
he was going to Valcartier; that they wanted seventy more men
from Nova Scotia. We jumped right to it, and Tim says he got
the surprise of his life when he saw us at the station. He said his
idea of bank clerks was that they were a bunch of cissies, but now
he has a different idea altogether. A lot of people used to have
that idea, but I guess they will get over it after this. By what I
have seen of it, I think bank clerks have held their end up a lot
better than a lot of the other walks of life. I know Nick and I
have seen a good many men, miners, lumbermen, etc., go under
from fatigue, etc., and still we plugged along. Old Nick is still
plugging along out there in the mud, and I think he is about the
only one left of the old bunch.

"Croft and Harrington with commissions, some class! If ever
I meet Harrington I will be in a quandary. Til not know whether
to salute him or not."

The following is a letter from Captain J. C. Mac-
Pherson, formerly of the Calgary branch, dated 1st
March, 1916. The town herein referred to is Ypres.
Captain MacPherson wrote this letter in the trenches at
Kemmel :

"At the present time our brigade is pretty well split up, and
our battalion is holding a new front, temporarily. We expect to

move north very shortly, near the famous town of , where

there was considerable activity in the month of February. We
shall probably go there permanently, and I understand another
division is coming out shortly. Things have been most active on
the Western front lately, and south of where we are, especially so.
The line which we are holding at present does not appeal to me,
and yesterday I had the extreme pleasure of watching the move-
ments of several Huns, and with my telescope could identify the
colors of their uniforms and their features. A few prisoners taken
by our brigade recently, were fine specimens of men, and one
claimed to have been through 53 engagements and was wearing
the Iron Cross.

"Young Cantlon, from the Calgary office, came over to see
me the other day. He is now in the 49th Battalion, having recently
come over with a draft. He was looking fit. I also had a letter
from Simpson (late of the Calgary staff), and met Picken (also of
the Calgary staff) in London. He was on furlough at the same time

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

as I was. I visited several members of the staff who are now
employed in the record office in London, Eng., including Connon,
of this battalion, who was buried by shell fire and badly shocked
last October.

"I read with interest, the extract from the General Manager's
address with reference to the staff on active service, and the boys
all seem proud to belong to an institution which has responded so
well."

The following is an extract from a letter from
Lieutenant V. Curran, formerly Assistant Accountant at
Winnipeg branch, written at Penrice Castle, Reynoldston,
Glamorgan, Wales, on 1st March, 1916:

"Many thanks for your kind wishes regarding my convales-
cence, which I am glad to say, is proceeding satisfactorily. I have
no doubt ere now you have had full details of my injuries, which
consisted of shrapnel through one thigh, a chunk taken out of the
other and a piece in my thumb. Fortunately, the piece which
went through just missed the thigh bone or I should not perhaps
be so cheerful. I was 23 days in Hospital, during all of which time
I lived on the fat of the land and received the best of care. Our
medical service is something to be proud of, and I believe is unique
in its efficiency when compared with our allies. I am now spending
part of my sick leave of six weeks at this delightful spot.

"The Castle belongs to a Miss Talbot. The officers (Austral-
ian, Canadian and Imperial) are treated as her guests, and enjoy
every comfort to be found in a typical English country home.
We are 12 miles from Swansea, a city of some 150,000 people.
The estate possesses three motors and some excellent riding horses,
so means of locomotion are not lacking. The estate provides very
good shooting and boating, and, generally speaking, has all the
means necessary to render a holiday pleasant."

The following is from a further letter from Lieutenant
R. E. N. Jones, dated 2nd March, 1916:

This letter was written from billets at La Clytte.
The last paragraph refers to the trenches in front of
Dickebusch, Belgium:

Lieutenant Jones, who was a brother of Mr. H. V. F.
Jones, Assistant General Manager of the Bank, was
killed in action on 6th April, 1916, while gallantly lead-
ing his men, in an endeavour to recover a mine crater at
St. Eloi, and thus repair a breach in the line.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"An action near Ypres has been on since early morning, and
orders are coming in frequently regarding our procedure should we
be called out. If they need us it will mean a long march most
likely, and some fun.

"It is some six hours since writing the foregoing, and we are
about to turn in and sleep, but I shall endeavour to finish this first.
Good news of the show (not far distant) has come in, although
we learn that the loss of life is rather heavy. For a while it seemed
likely that our brigade would be utilized for some purpose, and we
are now going to sleep peacefully, unless a turn in the tide takes
place.

"Since my last we have had a shorter than usual spell in the
front line and came through with little trouble. Captain Matthews,
one of our best, was killed instantly by a sniper, while looking over
the parapet at some colored lights. To be exact, by the way, our
Company was not actually in the front line, but in support, and
we all got the shelling there was, on our battalion frontage; 65
whizz-bangs at noon and 8 high explosives and about 65 whizz-bangs
a couple of hours later — all the same day, note. It was just after
I had spoken to Captain Matthews, and I was able to see the
bombardment from my safe stand in the front line in the afternoon.
They had me out wiring one night only, and for the first time
while I have been on this job, one of my party was hit — a man in
D Company. He got a 'blighty' just above the ankle, and was
much envied. Our guns were active on the International trenches,
and we could hear their distant booming daily. One day in
particular our heavies threw over an awful stream of 8 in. and 4.7
to our right front, and fragments of the former came over us with
nasty swishings, many small pieces falling around us. Again our
artillery killed men — two I think — on our right, an 8 in. dropping
into a dugout. It is a terrible way to suffer casualties, is it not?
Yet apparently at times no one in particular can be blamed. For
instance, the battery supporting us on our old front took a man's
head off with a 'dud,' or blind shell. The observing R.F.A. officer
continued to fire at the same range and all his shots went well over
into Fritzy's rear. The one shell was unquestionably faulty."

The following is a portion of a letter, dated 3rd
March, 1916, from Private F. C. Storr, formerly of the
London, Eng., staff:

"I thank you very much for pamphlet to hand. The 'Letters
from the Front* make good reading, and I have found them most
interesting. It is very inspiring to learn that so many men from
the Bank have enlisted.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"I am writing this at home, having a few hours leave from
Headquarters, as we have orders to leave Hertford to-morrow for
Colchester. Our three months' training has been a busy time —
Swedish and physical drill, musketry, riding lessons, route marching,
outpost duty including the posting of piquets, videttes and Cossack
posts, with skirmishing, and observation marches with map-
drawing."

The following is a letter, dated 5th March, 1916,
from Mr. H. J. Benson, of the London, Eng., office, who
was attached to H.M.S. Weazel, Royal Fleet Reserve:

"Thank you very much for the books you have so kindly sent.
I see we have almost a battalion serving from the Bank, which
would also be sufficient to man a first-class battleship. I hope
our casualties do not increase very much. I myself have been very
close when ships have blown up — one, the 'Princess Irene,' C.P.R.
boat, before you could count fifty, ship and 450 men were of the
past. Another curious sensation is mine-sweeping, looking down
into the water expecting every moment the mouth of hell to open.
This is really a first class War."

The following is a letter, dated 5th March, 1916,
from Lieutenant D. H. Miller, of the London, Eng.,
office. The dugout herein described was in the Arras
sector:

"Three numbers of 'Letters from the Front' reached me to-day.
I wish to thank you very much for having them sent. I was very
much interested to read all the letters from the members of the
staff.

"I went up and had a look at the line yesterday. My dug-out
up there is a most wonderful place. It is about 30 feet below the
trench level. It is a small room with wooden walls, with very
pretty pink wall-paper on. Attached is a small ante-room, with
green wall-paper, which I shall use as a bathroom. There is a
very comfortable bed, and also several easy chairs in the main
room. I have a stove and mantel-piece, also a large mirror so I
shall be quite comfortable up there. You will probably be sur-
prised to hear that such elaborate dug-outs exist out here. Where
we were before, we had to be content with a few sandbags with a
sheet of corrugated iron on top. This was described as a 'bomb
proof shelter.'

"Amongst other things, I am Company bombing officer, so
hope for some fun when we get up. I have got some very 'hot
stuff' throwers among my bombers."

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The following is an extract from a letter from Private
B. S. Anderson, formerly of the Gait branch, from
"Somewhere in Flanders," dated 5th March, 1916. The
incidents herein described took place at Hill 63, one mile
from Ploegsteert:

"We are in a state of turmoil to-day as we were going to move
back to our old position to-night, when, 'at the eleventh hour/
the order was countermanded on account of an expected attack
here to-night. Let them rip! We can hold them here all right, aa
we can give 'Old Fritzie' twenty Hate-slabs to his one at any time
at this point. I got my Webley Service .455 revolver sent out from
home the other day and lots of 'pills,' so am fully prepared to be
generous in distribution! We had a scrap the other night in
conjunction (Bluff!) with a counter attack of ours further north,
and about 2 a.m. we let loose with all guns in the vicinity. At the
same time the infantry put over a huge volume of smoke (just to kid
Heine along) and opened rapid fire with rifles and machine-guns.
Needless to say the lines of communication were soon broken, and
as I was up in the forward observing station in the front line, I
had to 'get out and get under.' Well, the line was broken about
60 yards behind the front line parados, and as the night was as
dark as soot I had a lively 15 minutes. I started off O.K., and
then one of Fritz's machine-guns began to make itself obnoxious.
I made a wild plunge for what I thought to be a whizz-bang shell hole
and found myself 'carrying on,' so to speak. Instead of being a
shell hole it was a 10 ft. deep communication trench with two feet
of soft 'SLUSH.' Talk about Turkish baths! I came up looking
like an apology for a mud-turtle. I've never been so 'slushy' in
my natural before, and sincerely hope I never will be again! The
worst was, when I got in after fixing the breaks and crawled into
our first-line observation post, instead of being greeted with
sympathetic remarks and a 'shot* of rum, I got nothing but shriek*
of laughter for about 15 minutes! A joke is all right in the right
place, but — !! I got a new uniform out of it, anyway, which is
some consolation.

"We gave Fritz a right royal time for two solid hours, and he
only found enough energy to put over a feeble retaliation with a
few 'pip squeaks' (also called whizz-bangs) (77 mm.) which did no
damage. We hadn't a single casualty. I suppose you saw the
result of the counter-attack in the papers. It was quite successful,
which is all I can tell you.

"I expect we'll move soon, if nothing comes off. I don't

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

think the Boches can break through, down south, now that they
failed in their first 'strafe.' '

The following extract is from a letter from the late
Lieutenant C. W. F. Rawle, formerly of the Head Office
staff, and was written on the 16th February, 1916, on
board the transport ship "Marathon," on the way to
Mesopotamia, where Lieutenant Rawle was killed in
action:

"It is indeed gratifying to know that one is not altogether
out of mind though out of sight, and I appreciate your kind thoughts
very much.

"Since July last our battalion has been on the Peninsula in
all engagements. It took part in the evacuation both of Suvla
and of Cape Helles, and for its good work received a congratu-
latory message from the G.O.C. Since the evacuation on January
8th we have been refitting and resting at Lemnos and Port Said.
We left the latter place this morning, and are now going through
the Suez Canal en route for Mesopotamia.

"The weather in Egypt at this time is warm and at its best;
it seems hard to believe that far away in old Canada there is the
beautiful snow."

The following is an extract from a letter from Private
J. H. Matkin, late of the Kindersley staff. This letter
was written at Ploegsteert, Belgium, and the scouting
referred to was done in front of Messines Ridge:

"I have had a busy time lately, three patrols a night sometimes.
We, Bole and I, have made several good patrols, getting reliable
information and returning easily and safely, so that in a small way
we have become known. A French General recently sent one of
his young officers, a man with several decorations, to learn our
methods of scouting. As he put it, he wanted to find out how it
was that our scouts were able to send in such detailed and accurate
intelligence reports. The officer was a dandy little fellow, who,
however, could not speak English. We took him out with us on
three patrols and showed him the Germans at work, etc. He
enjoyed himself very much and wanted to pay us for our care and
trouble, — just as if we took any more care of him than we did of
ourselves!

"Well, next came an English officer on the same game. We
handled him in the same manner. Finally, during our last six
days in the trenches we had a Colonel of one of our Canadian

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regiments along with us. We had orders to take every precaution
and not run him into any danger. We fixed him up to his satis-
faction also.

"My late Captain called me into his hut about a week ago and
gave me a splendid Webley .45 revolver. He said he was getting
an automatic and would like me to keep the revolver."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant W. B.
Forster, formerly attached to the First Street West,
Calgary, Branch, written "Somewhere in France," on
March 2nd, 1916:

Lieutenant Forster herein refers to New Year's day,
1916, which he spent in "G" trenches at Kemmel Hill
in the Ypres salient.

The scene of his riding accident was Locre in the
Ypres salient:

"Winter is fast disappearing but the mud still remains as a
gentle reminder of the last few months of hardship. We now have
light frosts every night which make it rather cold when we turn
out in the mornings.

"You ask what a 'coal box* is; well it is a Howitzer shell,
5.9", which explodes with a noise like thunder and throws up large
volumes of thick black smoke. You can hear it coming quite
plainly, and when it is just overhead the noise resembles an express
train travelling at the rate of 65 to 70 miles an hour. 'Woolly
Bears' are high explosive shrapnel shells which explode in the air,
throwing great clouds of dense white and yellow smoke; when the
shrapnel comes over you the noise is terrific, and that is the time
we hug the parapet pretty closely. Trench Feet* resemble frost
bite more than an} thing else I can think of; men get them through
long standing in mud and water, the circulation leaves the soles of
the feet so in time they become quite dead. However, there is very
little of that around now.

"The Huns have a thing they call an aerial torpedo which
they delight in throwing at us; it is just like a large 14-inch
shell and full of high explosive. You can hear a dull thud in the
Hun lines and then you see this big shell rising into the air. It
goes up to a tremendous height and at first it is very difficult to
know just where it may land. It is a case of stand tight and
judge its course as it comes down. This is where good football
training stands one in good stead, as very often they come quite
close before you can form any idea where they are going to fall.
One does not mind a few of these, but when they amount to 20

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

or SO it becomes rather trying on the nerves, especially when they
fall in the next bay to you. Then again we have 'sausages,' which
are about 20 inches long and 4 inches in diameter. They go up
a great height too, and come down with a swishing noise; you can
observe these quite clearly during their whole flight through the
air. They have also bombs and rifle grenades, which are smaller
but can do quite a lot of damage for all that. Of course the Huns
do not get it all their own way as we have inventions equally as
good, if not better. I suppose that you have seen by the papers
that one of our boys, named Jackson, got the D.C.M. for a very
plucky action; he withdrew the fuse from a sausage which fell in
the trench beside him, thereby saving his own and many other
lives. He was recommended for the V.C., but got the D.C.M.
He is in my Company, so of course we are all very proud of him.

"Bands are a great help out here, as after a hard turn in the
trenches it certainly bucks one up to hear your own band playing
lively airs and welcoming you back again. It is very hard work
moving in and out of the trenches, as the roads are cobbled and the
communication trenches long and tortuous, especially when one is
weighed down with all his worldly possessions. Rifle bullets
spatter around, and occasionally a machine-gun rips off a few
rounds; often six or seven of these machine-guns keep playing on
you at the same time.

"We are always working when we are in the trenches, building
a dug-out here, a parapet there, or draining trenches somewhere
else, never knowing at what moment the shelling will commence.
. "Our battalion spent Christmas in billets, so they had rather
a cheerful time of it. New Year's Eve, however, we all spent in
the trenches; the night was exceptionally quiet, only occasional
rifle and machine-gun fire. At twelve o'clock, however, the men
who were not on duty sneaked out and gave the Huns five rounds
rapid just to let them know that we intended to give them a
very warm year of it. It quieted in about ten minutes time, and
an enterprising Hun shouted across 'A HAPPY NEW YEAR.'
We are pretty close together in one part, so we often hear them
talking and playing mouth organs. We have one or two cats in
the trenches, which are very popular, and the other morning a
fox terrier was observed running along the Hun parapet. I believe
that they have a number of cats and dogs around the trenches.
A cat recently came over, crossing 'No Man's Land,' paid us a
visit, and has now been adopted by one of our Companies.

"I was in the hospital some time ago through a nasty accident.
I was out riding, inspecting some new trenches, when my horse

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fell on the cobbled road. I rolled off to allow him to get up, which
he did in a hurry, but I found that my right foot had jammed in the
stirrup. The horse galloped off, dragging me, and after fifty yards
of seeing stars my foot fortunately slipped out. I received bruises
all over my body, but fortunately no bones were broken.

"I had a letter from Joe Mawhinney the other day. He is in
France with a signal company. Corp. Gordon, Allan, Morgan and
MacPherson are all well. I do not expect I shall get leave for
months yet."

NOTE. — Capt. MacPherson and Messrs. Gordon, Allan and
Morgan were formerly attached to the Calgary branch, and Mr.
Mawhinney to the First Street West, Calgary, branch.

The following is a letter, dated 17th March, 1916,
received from Lieutenant D. B. Woolley, formerly of the
Earlscourt branch, Toronto.

Mr. Woolley herein describes the evacuation of the
Gallipoli Peninsula:

"Many thanks for your letter, which I received about four
days ago. It seems to have been a long time on the way, but the
postal arrangements, or rather lack of arrangements, are quite
beyond my comprehension. I see you wrote just a week after the
evacuation of Cape Helles, and probably knew nothing about it
then. Now that it is more than two months old, I may give you my
impressions and my experiences, which were not nearly as exciting
as you might imagine. The very success of the evacuation neces-
sarily made it very quiet, following what was certainly the most
strenuous month I put in there. The Serbian retreat enabled the
Germans to supply the Turks with fresh guns and ammunition,
of which they had been obviously short for the last six months,
and some German gunners too, I think, as their shooting improved
enormously during the last month or six weeks. Also the Anzac
Suvla evacuation released more guns and ammunition. Altogether
we had a very hot time with shell-fire, though things in the trenches
were very quiet as far as the humble infantryman is concerned.
I know I often longed for the shells to stop and the Turks to come
on. I'd sooner face a battalion of Turks than half-a-dozen eight-
inch howitzer shells. However, to get on to the evacuation. Our
battalion was detailed to hold a line of trenches completely covering
the beach of embarkation. That is to say, we were a sort of
forlorn hope in case the Turks discovered what was happening
before we were all embarked and came on in force. This was
extremely unlikely, as they would have had to advance over four

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miles of unknown country thickly covered with barbed wire, mines
and all sort of obstacles. What we were afraid of was, that as
soon as they discovered our front line trenches were completely
empty, they would discover what had happened and shell the
beaches; which they did, only, fortunately, two hours after we had
all safely embarked. Our position made us the last battalion to
leave the Peninsula. We were in the trenches from 6 p.m. to 3.30
a.m., and very cold it was, and watched all the troops come down
from the trenches and support lines. Everything was most uncan-
nily silent, and I must say my heart was in my mouth once or
twice, when a shell came over and fell on the beach or in the sea.
Fortunately, no damage was done, and the Turks fired even less
than their usual nightly allowances. Everything went perfectly
smoothly and well ahead of scheduled time. About 3.45 a.m. the
last of us (800 strong) went on board a destroyer and pushed off.
About an hour after we left, the stores which could not be got off
were fired by a time fuse, and not long after that the Turks started
shelling the beach, a fine display of fireworks, which gave us a very
vivid idea of what an unpleasant time we should have had if they
had started a couple of hours earlier. After various unavoidable
delays we arrived at the Island of Lemnos, where we put in a very
pleasant and peaceful six weeks, though Mudros, the village where
we were, is a perfect hole; still, immunity from gun-fire made up
for any deficiencies of locality. Where we are now I am afraid I
cannot tell you, but it is a beautiful country, very hilly and still
mercifully well away from the scene of activities. I am leading
a very healthy, fairly strenuous life and am quite comfortable.
A tent is a great improvement on a dugout."

The following extract is from a letter from Mr.
B. G. Oldaker, formerly of the Brandon Branch, written
in France on 19th March, 1916:

"There is a lot of talk going around to the effect that this
division (1st) is to move soon, and I think it quite probable, as we
have been here a long time. We do not expect to go to as quiet
a place as this, and in any case there will be some stiff fighting this
summer, so you may expect to hear of something happening soon.
We shall have to give up a lot of our little comforts and regimental
institutions, such as canteens and our Y.M.C.A. huts, but we shall
probably move around more, which sounds attractive after holding
the same position for the best part of a year. The weather is
splendid now, a most welcome change from the snow and rain we
have had the last two months, and it is giving both sides the

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opportunity to strengthen their defences, which have suffered
badly from the winter rains.

"During the last week a few prisoners have been brought in,
and they did not seem to be at all downhearted. In fact, they said
they were surprised that we were still holding out. There is no
doubt that they (the Germans) have been copiously fed on 'hot
air,' and they are due for an awful awakening this summer.

"I meet quite a number of Commerce men out here from time
to time. There are several in my company, and a good number
from other banks. I saw Glasgow early in February, but we have
not met since then. He was in the front line with a dugout full
of bombs.

"I would like to say here how much I appreciate the generous
treatment I have received from The C. B. of C., especially con-
sidering the short term of service I put in and my rather hasty
departure."

The following is a letter from Private B. S. Anderson,
formerly of the Gait branch, dated 25th March, 1916.
The incidents herein recorded occurred at St. Eloi in the
Ypres Salient:

"I came up to the guns last night, and by way of a greeting
we had one grand mix-up at 4 o'clock this morning; our infantry
exploded five mines under the Boche front line, and at precisely
the same time we opened up with a barrage of fire behind their
line to prevent supports from coming up, and our infantry were
over the parapet and in their front line before they knew it. They
got it, and the second line, too, on a 1,000 yard front, and we're
holding the position. Fritz didn't retaliate to any delirious extent,
and most of the prisoners were glad to get out of it. We got
about 500 altogether; all fairly young, but a good size. They'd
willingly give you their tunics as souvenirs. I suppose they
expected the same treatment as they give their prisoners.

"Fritz will likely put over a violent counter attack to-night,
but I think we can hold the line all right, and we have a huge
stock of ammunition in expectation. I have my revolver in good
working shape and about 50 rounds of .455 revolver ammunition
in case we have any line work to do at close quarters."

The following extracts are from a letter from the
Commander of Lieutenant D. H. Miller's company,
explaining the circumstances which led to Mr. Miller's
disappearance. The date of the letter is 26th March,
1916. This occurred near Arras:

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"I am very sorry to have to inform you that your son, 2nd
Lieut. D. H. Miller, is missing, though I think there is good
ground for hoping that he is alive and well. The explanation is
as follows:

"It is customary for each company in the front line trenches
to send out one or more 'crawling patrols' almost every night.
These patrols are always given a definite objective, and in the case
when an N.C.O. is in charge, the route by which they are to go is
definitely laid down. If an officer is in charge he is left to decide
the details himself.

"Miller was very keen on this work, and three days before,
he had specially asked to be allowed to make a series of patrols,
one each night, for the purpose of making a systematic survey of
the ground in front of us, where it was known that the Germans
were trying to extend their trenches. On the nights of the 21st
and 22nd March he returned without mishap, though on the
second occasion he confessed to having been a little uncertain of
his bearings at one time. I therefore urged him to be sure and
take a luminous compass next night, and I gave definite orders
that one man of the patrol should keep as far behind the other two
as possible (without losing sight of them) so that if anything
happened to those in front he would be able to get away and fetch
help.

"On Thursday night Miller chose for his companions two of
the best bombers in the Company, Rfn. Cherrett and Rfn.
O'Connor. Both were thoroughly reliable, stout-hearted fellows,
who had very often been on the same job before. They each
carried two bombs, while Miller carried one and a loaded revolver.
At 10.30 p.m. another officer, Mr. Barker-Mill, took out a patrol
and returned safely about an hour later, having traversed a good
deal of ground on the right front of the Company without hearing
or seeing any signs of German activity whatever. Soon after
2.30 a.m. on the morning of the 24th, Miller's patrol went out.
He had selected this hour himself, because there would be a slight
moon. He went out from about the centre of the Company's
front, and left word that he was going straight out (towards a
German advanced trench, which could be plainly seen by day),
and after listening and watching for some time was coming straight
back by the way he had gone out, without going either to the right
or left. He also posted two men (in charge of a machine-gun) at
the place where he had gone out, with orders to remain there on
watch ready to support him in case they heard any signs of trouble.

"At 3 a.m. it was beginning to snow, and by 3.30 a.m. a heavy

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snow storm was raging, which made it impossible to see more than
a few yards. It is nothing unusual for these patrols to be late in
returning, as unexpected difficulties may be encountered, or they
may easily under-estimate the time it will take to cover a certain
amount of ground. I was therefore not surprised when these
patrols did not return to time, particularly considering the weather.
About 4 a.m., however, I began to get alarmed, and considered
whether to send out a search party or not. I decided not to do
so, however, for several reasons. First, the blizzard was now so
heavy that the search party was much more likely to get lost
itself than to find the others; second, if the two parties did meet there
was grave danger that Miller's patrol, not knowing that the search
party was out, would take it for a German patrol and open fire;
third, neither I nor any of the sentries, nor the special machine-
gun party already referred to, had heard anything at all to make us
suspect that the patrol had come to harm. There was therefore
every reason to suppose that the patrol had lost its bearings in the
blizzard, and was waiting till the dawn began to break before
attempting to get back. As a matter of fact, there was a period
of more than half-an-hour, just before dawn, when it was clear
enough to see the general direction of the trenches, but still hazy
enough to have enabled the patrol to get in unseen by the Germans
without any difficulty. They did not turn up, however, and to
cut things short, nothing further was, or has since been seen or
heard of any of them.

"The snow stopped soon after dawn, and it was possible after
a time to see the whole space between the lines quite clearly.
Long before this, of course, we had begun to search for them. A
number of people crawled out to the edge of our wire at different
places and scanned the whole ground. At two places Germans
were plainly seen standing on or outside their parapet, looking
about them. In fact in one case our people made so certain that
two figures they saw were our men, that they stood up and waved
their arms to try and attract their attention. The signals were
apparently not seen (luckily for us), for the two figures turned
round, walked about 20 yards back, and dropped into their own
trenches.

"All day we searched the ground in front with field glasses
and from every possible point of view, and had there been any
sign of them at all I feel sure we should have seen it, for the ground
is very bare, with few and small shell-holes only. And if any of
them had been discovered we should have made shift to get them
in somehow, for although the snow had stopped it was freezing

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hard all day, and to remain out there would have meant almost
certain death from exposure. As soon as night fell we sent a strong
patrol to search the ground from one end to the other, and when
they returned unsuccessful, a second patrol went out with no
better results. I therefore feel pretty clear in my own mind that
they were not hit in the open, since we should have been almost
certain to have seen or found at least one of the bodies. They
therefore either walked into a trap or lost their bearings in the
blizzard, and walked into a German trench, thinking it was one
of ours. And since there was no sound of a struggle of any kind,
I think there is good ground for hoping that they were taken so
completely by surprise as to be disarmed before being able to make
any resistance, and were taken prisoners alive."

Soon after the receipt of the foregoing we received
the following letter from the mother of Lieutenant
Miller:

"I have to-day had a letter from my son, Duncan, and hasten
to write and let you know. He is a prisoner of war and is not
wounded, but he states that a bullet went through his hat and only
grazed his head. The letter was a short one written the day after
he was captured."

The following is a letter from Mr. W. H. Dore,
formerly a lieutenant in the 32nd Overseas Battalion,
and at that time taking a course in aviation in England,
written at Netheravon, Wilts., England, on 2nd April,
1916. Mr. Dore was a member of our Winnipeg Staff:

"At the time of receiving your letter, I had just arrived at
this station, having reached here on the 23rd ultimo, in order to
undergo an advanced flying course and get my wings and certificate.
At Castle Bromwich I fell a little behind the officers with whom I
started flying there, and they were sent here for this advanced
course some ten days before I was. I arrived full of determina-
tion to make up for lost time and, with a bit of good fortune, my
efforts were not in vain, as I have now had my wings for five days.
Thanks to the best of luck, and the fact that I have not had any
leave since my arrival here, I got through in almost record time
without crashing anything. My flight commander recommended
me as a 'Scout' pilot, and now I go to the Central Flying School
each day to fly the 'Morane' monoplane, capable of climbing 600
feet in six minutes, and the aeroplane every pilot wants to fly at
the front. This machine is used chiefly for artillery observation,
which is very nice work, and I am doing my very best to learn to

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fly her well enough to have her in France. As an introduction to
the 'Morane,' we are put on 'Bristol Scouts,' very small fighting
biplanes that make 95 miles per hour flying level. I have flown
this machine without mishap for over three hours, making ten
flights, and hope soon to get on to the 'Morane.' After I have
completed my course at the Central Flying School, I hope to
obtain about four days' leave, and then go through the flying
officers' machine-gun course, which lasts ten days, after which I
shall soon be off to France.

"With the staff reduced by over 1,000, more men leaving, and
even untrained clerks not to be had, you must be pulling through
only with the greatest difficulty. Yes, we who return to find the
good old Commerce holding its own will feel that ours has not
been the hardest part of the war. I am afraid that the citizens of
the nation will not realize till after the war and the excitement is
over, how extravagant they have been during the war when the
Government was pouring out money and big wages were earned."

The following letter is from Lieutenant G. M.
Ingmire, formerly of the London, Eng., staff, written in
Mesopotamia on 2nd April, 1916.

At the time this letter was written Mr. Ingmire was
performing the arduous and responsible duties of a
victualling paymaster in the Persian Gulf. (Mr. Ingmire
died of paratyphoid at Basra in Mesopotamia on 7th
August, 1916):

"My pay is 10/- per diem, with an allowance for messing of
2/- per diem. This, of course, is very disappointing to me, especi-
ally in view of the high cost of living and the prevalence of disease
in these parts, and the huge responsibility of my position at the
present moment. Mess bills run very high, as most of our stuff
is of the tinned variety, and is got from Bombay, and owing to the
huge supplies necessary for the army up here, is very expensive.
And as regards my responsibility, when I tell you that I got 2/6
charge pay in the 'Sunflower' (one ship, mind you, with a crew of
80 odd), and come here in sole charge of victualling stores, etc., for
25 or so gunboats, and don't get charge pay, I think you'll agree
with me that there is something wrong somewhere. And to come
out here I had to pay £20 odd for tropical kit — no allowance granted
me for this whatever. Bit 'ard, eh? Well, I must stop here with
my financial growls.

"I had to stop this letter, as I was called away up river.
On the way I had a heat stroke, but am all right again now. The

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heat up here is now getting awful, but so far I have stood it all
right — it now averages 90° or so in the shade, but, by the time
you get this, it will be about 120° in the shade — the limit last year
was 189° in the shade. Work is impossible in the day between
10 and 2, and, of course, sleep is very difficult to get. Everything
considered, one cannot write home much about this country —
simply one mass of date palms as far as Kurna, then barren desert.
Why on earth Adam and Eve chose this spot to eat that apple the
Lord alone knows. The Garden of Eden itself is of no interest,
simply a date and orange tree. Ezra's tomb is interesting, though.
The natives are a lazy, indolent crowd, besides being most treach-
erous— the atrocities perpetrated on our poor fellows are too
disgusting for me to write about here.

"I had a most enjoyable trip out in the 'Medina.' Owing to
the Admiralty forgetting to send me my passage ticket in time,
they had to send me overland via Marseilles. She was two days
late there, and my stay there was quite enjoyable. I found Malta,
Port Said and Suez very interesting. Arrived at Bombay, I had
to stay there a week, during which time I stayed with the Maharajah
and the Ranee of Kapurthala (who joined us at Port Said). I went
to Poona and many other interesting places, and was very pleased
with the Indian country. From Bombay I sailed in a B.I. boat to
Karachi, called at Dwarka and Cutch Mandwee on the way.
After a day's stay in Karachi, I caught another B.I. boat, and,
calling at Muskat, Bushire, Mohammerah, arrived finally at Basra.
Quite an enjoyable trip, I assure you. As regards my 'job' so far
I can say very little, but I hope to do well — I have an excellent
staff, but transport, etc., will, I am afraid, worry me a bit. Still,
I am my own 'boss,' and, therefore, have a free hand, more or less."

The following is a letter from Private W. A. Paterson,
formerly of the Prince Rupert branch, dated 6th April,
1916. This letter was written in billets in Ypres,
Belgium :

"Our battalion has now been in the firing line for about a
month, and it is certainly a big change from being in Rupert. We
had not long to wait for our baptism of fire, as we had only been
two days at our billets when the order came for us to move up to
the trenches. The trenches were reached at night after a twelve
mile march, and we stayed in the front line for three days and nights.
The second day we were in we underwent a heavy bombardment
from Fritz, who kept sending over shrapnel, coal boxes and whizz-
bangs all afternoon, and we had a lively time of it. I am glad to

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say that I came safely through, but I am sorry to say that some of
the boys made the supreme sacrifice. On coming out of the trenches
we went back to our billets again, and, after resting for a week,
we moved off again, and we are stationed at a pretty hot corner
of the line. We are not in the trenches at present, but we are kept
pretty busy, as we go out at night on working parties. We
generally go out about eight o'clock at night and get back at four
o'clock in the morning. It is quite a long distance from our billets to
where we are working, and it is also pretty dangerous, as the enemy
is always shelling the roads, and besides we have quite a bit of
open ground to pass over, and here Fritz finds plenty of
scope for his machine-guns, and when you hear their guns go, you
drop right down and take no time to consider where you drop. I
am afraid if you saw me now you would hardly recognize me,
covered as I am from head to foot with mud.

"It is indeed pitiful to see the ruin that this war has caused, as
all around you can see towns and villages all reduced to ruins, and
it will be many years before this country is restored to anything
like it was before the outbreak of war.

"So far we have been blessed with good weather and I sincerely
trust that it continues.

"I have met quite a number of Rupert boys out here and all
of them are hoping that this war will soon be over, and then they
will be free to return to the old town again."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant J. S.
Williams, formerly of the Winnipeg staff, dated llth
April, 1916. This letter was written at Spanbrok-Molen
in the Kemmel sector and refers to incidents in that
locality:

"I am once more back and in the thick of it. The thick of it
this time means something more than it did before we moved to
this part of the line. By the time this reaches you no doubt the
papers will have published in detail with their usual exaggeration,
our doings in this part of the line.

"Everyone who has been out here is thoroughly acquainted
with the fact that it is one of the easiest tasks in this war to capture
a trench but to hold on to it is something totally different. Well
we have been doing the 'holding' part. The 27th had an awful time
and so did the rest of the brigade. We are back a little way
reorganizing to go back again in a day or two. The Boches came
over but we held on to the crater. The criticism in some of the
English papers was rather uncalled for, although it was prompted

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no doubt by the Berlin official communique where they stated that
they captured the line from the Canadians. The German artillery
is most diabolically accurate and they seem to have an abundance
of ammunition. They snipe now with some of their artillery, i.e.,
if they see even one or two men exposing themselves they send
over a shell. We all think that our previous experience in another
part of the line was a Sunday school afternoon picnic compared to
this place.

"I hope poor Curran is getting better. I understand he had
a whizz-bang burst near him and some of it got him in the chest.

"I saw about seventy prisoners come in through here a few
days ago. They looked the most undersized, criminal set of little
ruffians it is possible to meet. They were all jolly glad to be alive
anyway — they said that it was 'too much shell* for them."

The following is a letter from Private B. S. Anderson,
formerly of the Gait Branch, dated 12th April, 1916.
The attack herein described occurred at St. Eloi, near
Ypres :

(Private Anderson was killed in action 26th August,
1917.)

"Well, we have been having a pretty hot time lately, as I
expect you've seen in the papers. Swan (another signaller) and
I were up in the front line on the 6th instant when Fritz made a
very heavy and determined counter-attack, and we must have
been surrounded with horseshoes to have escaped O.K. We were
both hit several times by splinters, but only got little cuts and
bruises. At 3 a.m. (6th), Fritz began his bombardment prior to
the attack on his lost trenches, and, of course, all our communica-
tion was cut off in the front line before five minutes, so we had to
rely on rockets as a means of communication with the Brigade.
He kept up a heavy shelling of the front line supports, barbed
wire and communication trenches until 5 a.m., when they left
their parapet and charged the craters. Our infantry opened up
rapid fire immediately and also machine-guns. We put up the
S.O.S. signal and then grabbed our revolvers and made for the
parapet and blazed at every Fritz in sight. They were in close
formation, and were bearing over to the left for the craters.
(There were thousands of them packed close, and you couldn't
wish for a better target.) Of course, as soon as the brigade saw
the S.O.S., every gun in the vicinity opened up with rapid fire, and
it was a sight to be remembered to see the veritable hail of shrapnel
and heavy shells pouring into Fritz's lines. Of course, we weren't
left alone in that line either, and our front line was a miniature

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hell!! That's the only word for it. I think what saved us was the
fact that Fritz was using more percussion high explosive shells than
shrapnel. Two lit fair in front of us on the parapet and buried us
with sandbags and earth. I couldn't hear decently for two days
with concussion. It's funny to diagnose one's feelings during a
fight. You forget everything except what's going on at the time;
you don't feel any fear at all. Of course, there is a certain amount
of reaction on the nerves, after it's all over, but that soon passes
off. All we wanted was to come to close grips with them, and give
them what's coming to them, and it's the dickens to know that
you've got to sit tight and take it. Well, they never got farther
than a small part of the second crater, and they were driven out
of that two days later, and we now hold all we took originally and
then some. That bombardment kept up all that day, but not so
concentrated or severe. We were relieved at 12 o'clock, and
managed to get out all right. Of course, we had heavy casualties,
but they weren't one-fiftieth of Fritz's. We (the battery) went out
for a rest, four days later, down south, but were only there two days
when we were recalled and took up this position, about a mile
further along than our old one * nd covering the craters. We (the
B.C. party) have a house to ourselves for a billet, and have it
furnished and fitted up like a house. (I won't mention how we
got most of the furniture!) We moved in two hours after the
civilians moved out. They moved out because it got too hot for
them in this vicinity.

"Our battery was commended for promptness in responding
to the infantry's call, and for excellent shooting. That's the third
time we have been commended."

The following letter is from Lieutenant J. E. Ryerson,
the former Manager of the Wychwood, Toronto, branch,
dated Belgium, 14th April, 1916. (Lieutenant Ryerson
first entered the trenches in the Ypres salient.)

(Mr. Ryerson was killed in action on the 19th of
September, 1916. At the time of his death his rank was
Captain.)

"Last week I went into the front line trenches for a day to get
my bearings prior to a tour, and I was rery glad to get back. It
was my first visit, and it is not altogether a pleasant sensation to
have 'whizz-bangs' go off within a few yards, or to watch high
explosive and shrapnel shells burst a hundred yards away — each
one apparently getting closer. On my arrival in camp I found a
large parcel waiting for me — it was a splendid welcome. I enjoyed
the good things in the parcel very much indeed. It is the little

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luxuries like those contained in the box that we miss here, and
therefore enjoy them doubly, first, because they are luxuries, not
easily obtainable, and secondly, because they say in a very tangible
way that those at home have not forgotten us. It was a little
late for St. Patrick's Day, due to the mails, but the St. Patrick's
Day wrappings and decorations were none the less attractive.
We can buy nearly all the necessaries of life here, as well as most
of the famous brands of tobacco, cigarettes and chocolate, so
that the things we appreciate most in parcels from home are luxuries
in eatables, such as cake, biscuits and candies.

"I have just returned from my first tour in the front line
trenches. At first I was inclined to duck every time a bullet
sang by or a shell whizzed overhead, but in a day or two I got used
to it, so long as they didn't 'bang' right over my head. In the
part of the line I was in, the trenches were well made and dry, and
the men could be pretty comfortable.

"I enjoyed the day after I came out better, for we made it a
holiday and I went to a Movie Show, where there was a band which
played some good music. It may seem strange but the Movie
Show is within three or four miles of the front line trench, and is
crowded every afternoon and evening. It is a great boon to
Tommy and only costs him five cents.

"Aeroplanes sail over our heads continually, sometimes ours
and sometimes German. A Zeppelin passed overhead last night
and dropped several bombs on some place — not far off, judging
by the explosion. This morning a 'Fritz' aeroplane was overhead,
and our anti-aircraft guns were shelling it. Presently we heard
something coming whizzing through the air and go 'plunk' — it was
a 'dud* or unexploded shell, weighing 1% to 2 pounds, and it sank
two feet into the earth five yards from where I was sitting in my
tent. No matter how much we get used to this sort of thing there
is always a certain nervous strain. While in reserve we don't
work very hard. The time spent in the trenches is sometimes
pretty strenuous, so I guess we need the rest.

"We try as much as we can to make Sunday a complete rest,
but it isn't always possible — especially in the trenches. Someone
said 'war is a season of intense discomfort punctuated by periods
of agonizing fear.' So far I can not say I have suffered in the way
of ordinary hardships, for I have always managed to feel quite
comfortable. Beds are sometimes a bit hard, but I'm used to
that — even to tile floors as a mattress.

"The R.C. Churches in shelled towns present a most pitiable
sight. Some of them were very old and beautiful, but when a

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town is shelled there cannot be discrimination, and the towers also
are too often used for observation purposes.

'There is talk of peace in two months, but I can't see it from
the front line. Fritz isn't beaten yet, and we certainly are not.
Those in the front line will be the ones most pleased when it does
come."

The following is a letter from Private Noel Clement,
formerly of the Gleichen staff, dated 15th April, 1916.

This letter was sent from the Hooge sector of the
Ypres salient, to which point the 2nd C.M.R. Battalion
had been transferred from Ploegsteert, situated farther
south. (The Flemish town referred to is Ypres):

"We have just come out of the trenches, having had a sixteen
days' trip up the line, and I assure you it is a treat to get back for
a rest, which includes a working party to the front line every night.
We have been in this part of the line over a month now, and it
certainly is a hot corner, our previous trenches being like home
compared to what they are here. I may say we are in exactly the
same spot as the Canadians were in this time last year, and where
they put up such a good fight. We were only forty yards from
'Fritz,' and, incredible as it seems to one who hasn't actually seen
it, in one part of our trench there was a large barn in which the
Germans were at one end and our boys at the other.

"We have to pass through a very well known Flemish town
on our road to the bombing posts, and it is continually being shelled.
I had some lucky escapes in it, and I certainly had the biggest
scare of my life when my two companions were both hit and I was
unhurt, although being practically buried in debris.

"The 31st have suffered badly during the last week, but all
the Gleichen chaps have come through all right."

The following fish story is from Lieutenant E. R. C.
Wilcox, formerly of the Melfort branch. It is dated
17th April, 1916.

The episode occurred at Zillebeke Lake, about a
mile from the outskirts of Ypres. A portion of this lake
was under observation by the German artillery lookouts
on Hill 60. Lieutenant Wilcox and his companion had
unwittingly drifted into view.

"I have had plenty of excitement. One escapade got all over
this section and I got a lot of hot air about it. Our company had
a sickener of 'bully beef and another officer and I thought we

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would take a few bombs and go fishing. We threw our bombs and
got twenty-seven fish, and I said to Grant, 'fancy if a shell came over
— we'd get hundreds.' As I spoke Grant jumped out of the boat
into the lake and I heard a whiz — bang!!, and a shell landed five
yards away. The way I moved was not slow. Another shell landed
near and it gave me wings. Grant swears I beat the next one over
the bank and into the communication trench. As we dropped
into it two more whizzed over. We were soaked to the skin of
course, and one or two officers, who were in the trench, had a
great laugh at us. We laughed too, but not until we hit that
trench. You know you can hear a shell coming about a second
before it hits, and that was how Grant was out of the boat before
it struck the water. Had it exploded in the air we would have
been 'cold' by now. Needless to say we didn't go back to get the
fish — in fact we left the original twenty-seven in the boat too, and
ate bully again that night.

"I have just been given command of our Machine-Gun Section
and it is very interesting work. They put the fear into the Hun
— I know, for I've had to go out and put up the barbed wire entangle-
ments myself, and my hair just stood on end when a machine-gun
started to sweep us. It is as though a giant hand was reaching out,
feeling for you."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant W. E.
Bruges, formerly of the London, England, staff, written at
Alexandria, Egypt, on 18th April, 1916.

(The place where the Royal Engineers' stores were
obtained was Kantara) :

"I am having a kind of 'Odyssey' at present. I started at
Port Said. We had 'drill orders' there for a month or so. It was
a job getting the horses fit after their voyage. The sand is very
hard pulling, and occasionally a gun wheel has to be dug
out. Port Said is very much maligned by the 'profanum vulgus,'
but it is really not a bad place. Certainly my horse did tread on a
a dead (cow, was it?) once when going along by the seashore.
We used to find it great fun getting on the horses naked, and going
into the sea for a bathe like that. Generally, it was easier to get
the horses in backwards than forwards. There is even a golf
course by the station, but we did not play golf. After a bit, we
went SO miles down the canal, and took up our position. It was
just like summer in England the whole time. As you know, there
are two canals running side by side, the fresh water canal, con-
taining Nile water, and the salt water canal. Our horses had

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never seen camels before, and the road runs between the two
canals. What happened when our horses met a tiring of camels
can better be imagined than described. It was a choice between
salt and fresh water. (N.B. — The fresh water contains small

animals.) We had a very pleasant time at , drawing stores

(R.E.), etc., for making our camp and gun positions. We found
8-horse teams the thing. There was no regular work, just carting,
carting, carting. Only two horses died of sand colic in our battery."

The following letter is from Lieutenant Arnold G. A.
Vidler, formerly of the Vancouver staff, written at the
Duchess of Westminster Hospital, France, on 22nd April,
1916:

"As you will see by the heading, I am again in hospital after
a little more than a month at the front. My last year's wound
in the head gave me more trouble, and I was obliged to have another
trepanning operation. They found two loose pieces of bone
sticking in the brain still. They removed them and gave them to
me as a souvenir. The original shrapnel bullet was bagged by
the M.O. at the clearing station. I am still in bed, and I am being
sent across to London in a few days, and, with any luck, should be
back with the regiment by the end of June.

"D. Davis, from our Hastings and Cambie branch, was in the
opposite bed a few days ago with influenza. He is a lieutenant
in the 2nd Pioneers, C.E.F., and his cousin, W. W. Davis, also of
Hastings and Cambie, has just had a bullet through his shoulder,
and goes to England.

"There are a lot of Canadian officers in this Hospital, mostly
from St. Eloi, which our boys are sticking to like good men in
spite of a devil of a time. I jolly nearly got killed on patrol one
night beside the Hun's wire, as they spotted us, and only by lying
flat as pancakes did we escape being hit.

"Well, I have an impatient two months' convalescence yet to
go through before re-joining. We shall pull through eventually
by sticking it out, but it is a long job, and we want every man that
can be raised."

The following is a letter from Private A. C. Rigsby,

formerly of the Toronto branch, dated 25th April, 1916.

The incidents herein recorded occurred at Hooge

Chateau, near Sanctuary Wood, Ypres salient, in April,

1916:

"Here I am running around in rubber boots and no cap.
Can't raise leather boots or cap, no matter how hard I try. You

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

see, up in the last trench we were in, we wore rubber boots and
carried leather ones. I had my boots, cap, mess-tin, etc., sitting
next a box of grenades, and Fritz started his afternoon exercise of
soaking us with whizz-bangs, and one shell knocked in our parapet
and our bombs went off — so did my boots, cap, mess-tin, . etc.
Fortunately I was buried under the parapet, so, except for the
scare of a life-time and a thick ear, I was O.K. They certainly
soaked it into us that day. I shifted up the trench, and Fritz
pushed the parapet on top of me again, and a chunk of shell-case
jammed my helmet over my ears. Then I got a couple more sand
bags on the dome, and another piece of shell knocked the tin hat
off and a piece broke my rifle. If there had been a way out you
wouldn't have been able to see this brave defender of his country
for dust, but as there wasn't, Pte. Rigsby had to content himself
with looking for a subterranean route for China. I had the fear
of the Lord frightened into me that time. And the listening post
— my rotten luck to be picked for it — was a big mud hole and had
a dead Tommy lying in front. There were other deucedly rotten
things about that trench of the same nature, and Fritz was picking
chaps off all the time. I hope we never go back there. But then
it is simply out of the frying-pan into the fire; if it's not one trench
it's another as bad. Nevertheless Fritz has got nothing on us.
We'll wipe the floor with him yet one of these days. I'd hate to
be alive and let a German say he put anything over on us.

"By the way I saw Hilliard a couple of weeks ago. The men
of his battalion are acting as traffic cops, or something like that."

The following is a letter from Captain J. C. Mac-
Pherson, formerly of the Calgary branch, written from
Mrs. Arnoldi's Hospital, 47 Roland Gardens, London,
S.W., dated 27th April, 1916:

"I have been over here for nearly three weeks now and am
having a delightful time. We are well looked after, and have all
the comforts of home. The hospital is the home of Mrs. Arnoldi,
a charming lady, and there are 15 beds in all.

"The doctors are the best procurable, and I had my leg
X-Rayed by Sir Joseph Mackenzie Davidson, who is absolutely
'it* in that kind of work.

"Motors are constantly placed at our disposal, and I have
had some lovely outings to such places as Epping Forest, Epsom,
Richmond Park, etc.

"We had a hot time at St. Eloi in the early days of this month,
and our experiences were such as one would not care to go through

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more than once. I was very fortunate indeed, and came through
two and a half days of it unscathed, but had about hah* my company
killed and wounded — mostly wounded.

"Just after I had been relieved by another company — and
during the attack on the morning of the 6th April, my men were
placing bombs in sand-bags to assist at one of the craters, when
somehow one managed to go off very close to where I was standing.
I got off with a wound in my right cab*, and have a piece of shrapnel
embedded about two inches therein. I was very lucky.

"Gordon, Morgan, Mee from Peace River Crossing, and D. J.
Campbell from Medicine Hat branch, have all been promoted
from the rank of Corporal to Lieutenant in the 31st Battalion.
I think this is a fine record for the Commerce men."

The following is a letter from Private W. G.
Chisholm, formerly of the Saskatoon branch, dated
28th April, 1916. The incidents herein recorded oc-
curred at Ypres:

"As we are out for a rest I thought I would drop you a few
lines and tell you how the boys of the C. B. of C. are getting along.
The last spell in the trenches we had a pretty hot time, but we are
always able to give at least twice what we get. We had quite a
number of casualties the last trip in, among them two C. B. of C.
boys, namely Read and Guy. Read was hit on the back by a
small piece of shrapnel which seemingly hurt his spinal cord. I
saw a letter to his brother from the nurse saying he was dangerously
wounded but they thought he would pull through. We all hoped
he would, but we were all indeed sorry to hear last night that he
had died from wounds. 'Sammy* was well liked by us all and his
death came as a sad blow to us. He was the youngest of us who
enlisted together last July. Guy had only joined us two days
before we went in last time, and he got a piece of shrapnel in the
face but not a very serious wound.

"Last evening we had a small re-union of C. B. of C. Saskatoon
boys — G. E. Bain, who is Q.M. of the machine-gun company of the
6th Brigade, C. B. Smillie, who is Orderly Room Clerk of the 8th
Battalion, W. A. Elderkin and myself, and we had quite a pleasant
time recalling old times in Saskatoon office. It seems no matter
what battalion we go to here we are always sure to find a few
Commerce men. The Commerce is certainly well represented out
here."

The following is a letter from Captain H. E. Tylor,
formerly Manager of the St. Thomas branch, written in

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Flanders, on 2nd May, 1916. This refers to the St. Eloi
sector, near Ypres:

"I am at present living in a sand-bag villa, and our comforts
arc few. Our villa is a very small one, holds three with crowding,
but is quite safe except in case of a direct hit, either from a high
explosive shell or a bomb dropped from an aeroplane, in which
case our successors would have an untidy mess to clean up.

"We have had some splendid air fights here, and I have seen
two Hun planes brought down. We have, so we hear, a very fast
machine that has the Boche plane beaten with regard to speed
and length of flight. We are, however, in a bad place for these
fights, and a steel helmet is a good thing to wear when these fights
are on, as the fragments of shells are continually falling around.
It seems to be a habit of the Hun airmen to get over our lines and
spray our billets with fire from the two rapid fire guns they carry.
A few nights ago, about midnight, we noticed signalling behind our
lines; two of us went out to investigate, but, after an hour's hunt
in the dark, we had to return empty handed. At four, a Zeppelin
appeared — the first I had seen. It was very high up and out of
range of our guns. At first we thought it had been attracted by
the lights of the previous night or signals we had seen, as the Huns
shelled heavily at 6 a.m., but the papers came out with an account
of a Zepp. raid in England, and, no doubt, it was one of the machines
returning.

"We have had two gas attacks within the past weeks, with no
serious results to this battalion. In fact, the Germans suffered
heavily on one occasion; the wind changed and drove the gas
back over their own lines, driving them out of their front line
trenches. Our guns commenced a furious bombardment and their
losses were heavy. We stood to until midnight with our gas
helmets ready — most uncomfortable affairs, but very necessary.

"You would be very interested in the trenches, seeing the
revetting, dugouts, etc. New earth, or a new sandbag, is an
eyesore to Fritz, and, after putting up a splendid trench during
the night, he will pound it to pieces in the morning. We hear
that there are more Huns held in reserve behind our lines than at
any other point on the front; we take it as a compliment.

"You have, no doubt, seen a great many of Bairnsfather's
cartoons on the war. I had one on myself a few nights ago. I
was awakened at 1.30 a.m., after a hard day, by a messenger with
a telegram, which said 'How many stoves Primus did you take over
from the — th Division when you occupied their lines?' I have
not yet discovered what a stove Primus is. The joke is that, in

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

addition to being wakened at 1.30 a.m., we only took over a mass
of mud and a colony of rats that we could very well do without.
"Donald Davis and Wallace Davis are both officers in this
battalion. They have been out about six months, and are old
Commerce men (from Vancouver and Prince Rupert), and were
formerly privates. Wallace Davis was shot through the arm and
is at present in England. Donald Davis was taken out of the
trenches sick from exposure. Both will be back with us shortly.
There are numbers of Commerce men here."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant F. G.
Newton, formerly of the Windsor, Ont., branch, written
in Flanders, on 6th May, 1916. The incidents herein
recorded occurred at St. Eloi, near Ypres:

"The war keeps up its everlasting grind and everyone plods
unrelentingly on. News comes to us more in the daily papers than
of our own manufacture, although every future hour may hold
some new surprise.

"Flanders has taken on the raiment of Spring. The hedges
and tall spreading topped trees are just as green as are the north
woods of Canada. Jesamines decorate the shrub clumps and the
rhododendrons are in full bloom, and looking on the country on a
sunny day from a higher contour, one might pronounce it *a picture
no artist can paint,' yet up ahead a kilometer or two the guns are
booming and the re-echoing crash of a heavy shell landing some-
where near that famous scene of desolation reminds one that the
stage settings are a very superfluous part of a tremendous game.

"The morning of the last big show was a memorable one. The
time for the blowing up of those huge land mines which are the
largest on the British front was set for early in the morning. The
still of the night had not yet been broken by the increased crack and
ping of rifle fire that comes with every dawn. Seemingly not a gun
boomed on the whole Western front and the enemy showed no
sign of 'nerves.' The clock ticked scarcely two seconds short of
the set time. A field gun hah" a mile to the left broke the silence,
and as one, each officer and man turned his face towards the German
line.

"With a roar that shook the country for miles, thousands of
tons of earth rose as if forced by some unseen hand and falling
showered the place with desolation. The Boche trenches had
been blown as timed to one terrific crash, the guns behind our lines
put up a barrage absolutely impenetrable by anything human.
Then with flashing bayonet and a ringing shout the British 'went
over.'

11$

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"From that time on the Canadians have fought with an
incessant ardour and courage and have shown a determination
which one can scarcely conceive. They have faced odds almost
beyond the limit of human endurance, and when it seemed that
their energy was all but sapped they have proved themselves the
better men. The men of the 18th Battalion have won the right to
be called the 'Fighting 18th.'

"At present I am acting as Paymaster of the Divisional H.Q.
sub-staff, 2nd Divisional Signal Company and 5th Field Ambulance,
and so manage to keep busy. The financial system of the Army
in the Field is an exceptionally simple one, and I think the pay
department will all agree with me that no matter how fast you in
Canada will swell the growing army, the pay department will
keep up with the pace. There are quite a number of C. B. of C.
men in it."

The following is a letter from Private Robert Paton,
formerly of the Kindersley staff:

Private Paton was wounded near Sanctuary Wood in
the Ypres salient:

"I was wounded on 12th May, 1916, by a high explosive shell
during a heavy German bombardment. The shell landed right on
top of eight of us and knocked us all out. We were all buried and
had to be dug out by our chums, who were not hurt. Both my
jaws were broken, and I am bruised all over my body."

The following is a copy of a letter from the Com-
mander of the company in which the late Lieutenant
C. W. F. Rawle, formerly of the Head Office staff, com-
manded a platoon. This letter has been sent to us through
the kindness of Mr. Rawle's mother, to whom it was
addressed :

"I was very sorry to see in this morning's 'Times' that your
son has been killed. He was one of my subalterns in Gallipoli,
and I had the greatest respect for him and admiration for the way
he did his work. Only the day before yesterday I told my sister
that I hoped I would have young Rawle as one of my subalterns
when I rejoined. I have been looking at the diary which I kept
in Gallipoli and sent home to my parents, and I find it full of
references to your boy. On the Condor Castle — 'Young Rawle is
doing very well. He looks after his platoon in the right way.'
July 81st (at Lemnos) — 'My company officers now consist of Rawle
and myself, so if I get sick, "D" Company will be commanded by

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a stripling and a very good game one too.' August 3rd — 'I don't
know what I should have done without Rawle. He is the toughest
and gamest little chap I have ever met. I feel ashamed sometimes
to let him go on doing so many others' work.' August 6th — 'Just
before we started off I sent Rawle up to H.Q. to find out about
something, and while he was talking to the C.O. he got hit by a
bit of shell in the fingers. I saw him set off for the beach after
he had been to the dressing station, and he was very cheery about
it all, but I don't know what I shall do without him. He is one
of the very best.'

"Please accept my deepest sympathy for you all in your loss.
We in the regiment mourn the loss of a very gallant young officer."

The following letter is from Lieutenant J. S. Williams,
formerly attached to the Winnipeg branch, dated 23rd
May, 1916:

Mr. Jones herein referred to is Lieutenant R. E. N.
Jones, late Manager of the Alexander Avenue branch,
Winnipeg, who was killed on 6th April, 1916, while
gallantly leading his men:

"As you see from my new address I am the O.C. now of a
battery, composed of four guns, another officer under me, and
twenty-four N.C.O.'s and men. We are quite a separate unit,
being under instructions from the 6th Brigade. There are two
batteries to each brigade. I am afraid a very severe censor will
not permit me to tell you much about these guns. They are quite
a new thing and most effective — Stokes Guns to wit. We were
organized at the beginning of April, and as I run my own orderly
room and am my own 'boss,' it appeals to me very much, having
had to organize it myself and make things run properly, which
has been more interesting than a platoon commander's duties.

"I was through the St. Eloi 'scrap' with the 28th, as the battery
had not been authorized then. I think it is described pretty
fairly in 'Canada,' and no doubt you have read all about it.

"Before I forget it, Jones was hit by shrapnel, not by a sniper's
bullet. He was trying to connect up with the 3 1st Battalion on
the left when he got hit. He was killed instantaneously. Things
are a little quieter around here now, although the Boches have a
most annoying habit of sniping at parties of two men, or even if
one exposes oneself, with a 'coal box,' and the worst of it is they are
so diabolically accurate.

"I often wonder when this business is all over and all the
Germans are killed, what it will be like working away on B.C.'s

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S.C.'s, and all the other C.'s again. I shall certainly appreciate
working in a place where one has not always to be anticipating
evil-minded people trying to drop bombs on you or blowing you
up with a mine, or sniping at you if you show your head above the
counter.

"There is a 'bon mot' going its round through the trenches at
present. It used to be 'Berlin or Bust,' and now it is 'Blighty or
Nearer My God to Thee.'

"A very generous minded Boche came over to our trenches
just before the mix-up at St. Eloi to tell us that they were going to
attack. He was very obliging, but he wasn't obliging enough
in time for us to be fully ready, although of course we are always
ready for 'em.

"I am in the pink of condition myself, although I have great
difficulty in keeping cool in this weather. It has been most oppres-
sively hot the last two weeks, although that does not seem to
interfere with the 'scrapping' going on.

"I am just off to the trenches for eight days."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant A. G. A.
Vidler, formerly of the Vancouver branch, dated 26th
May, 1916:

"Just a few lines to say I am still alive and kicking. I went
out to France again last February with the Sussex, and had another
turn at Fritz in the trenches. They got busy on us in billets as
well, and put a lot of my platoon to sleep, but this time I only
got a chunk of brick in the back. However, early in April, some
broken bone left in my head from last year's wound got mixed up
with the brain, and I had to be sent down to Etaples and trepanned
again, which leaves rather a big hole in the skull. I met Donald
Davis, of our Hastings and Cambie, Vancouver, branch there; he
is a lieutenant in the 2nd Pioneers. His cousin, W. W. Davis, of
the same branch, had returned to England some weeks earlier with
a souvenir in the shoulder. I forget whether I told you that
Beatson, of Vancouver office, has a commission in the King's Own
Yorkshire Light Infantry, after being wounded with the 1st
Contingent last spring.

"I've almost forgotten what 'Branch Clearings' mean, though
'cash short' is not unfamiliar at times.

"I got two months' sick leave to pull myself together, and
expect to rejoin the regiment about mid-July. The weather is
lovely at the sea just now; it is hard to realize what's going on across
the Channel; it seems like a weird dream, in which we are bound
to wake up.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"I met C. Johnson (Vegreville) in London. He is still in
Strathcona's and had been to Dublin to see friends there, and got
mixed up in the riots. He managed to pot a Sinn Feiner with a
machine-gun, who did a high dive stunt on the pavement. F.
Fernie, another C. B. of C. man, is going to Salonica shortly. He
was wounded in France last year."

The following letter is from Major G. W. Marriott,
formerly Manager of the Strathcona branch, written at
Prior Park, Bath, England, on 31st May, 1916:

"Personally, I have run up against many angles of the military
life since leaving home, as, owing to my old unit having been broken
up for reinforcements, the senior officers were used for all sorts of
jobs, and, while it has not been satisfactory in some respects, it
has given me the opportunity to see a great many more sides of
this terrific business than an ordinary battalion rank would have
furnished me with.

"After putting in my lick on the front line trenches with the
3rd Battalion, I was instructed to report at Harfleur to see the plan
used by the British forces on the Rest Camps there, and report on
same. I had a very interesting journey through the north of France,
including the far-famed Normandy, which was not, however, 'in
apple blossom' at the time. After a short stay there gathering
data, I was finally brought back to England and instructed to
organize and open up the Canadian Discharge Depot at Prior Park,
Bath. This also is most interesting work, being the small end of
the funnel; all men who have been through hospital and conval-
escent home, and declared medically unfit, are gathered together
here, their necessary documents completed, gone over by the
Pensions and Claims Board, and then as soon as a boat is ready
they are sent from here to Liverpool to embark for home.

"Needless to say, some of the cases which we receive are very
sad, but the majority, although in many cases badly mutilated,
keep up an excellent spirit of cheerfulness. It is wonderful what
endurance the human frame has, and what one can go through and
still retain a cheerful smile."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant W. H. Dore,
of the Royal Flying Corps, formerly of the Winnipeg staff,
written in France, on 13th June, 1916:

"Our Squadron is composed of the fastest two seaters and
scouts used in the war. They are very small machines and very
sensitive in the air. During the eleven fine days I have averaged

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over two hours per day and one day did five and a quarter hours
on the lines. We don't often see the enemy machines while
up, but when we are all down they come over and our scouts go after
them, driving them home, or better still, doing them in. One is
continually shelled when over the lines and very often the machine
is hit, but seldom is it unable to get home. Our Squadron is called
the 'Guards' of the R.F.C., because we have machines superior to
the Huns, and all pilots are especially trained for the flying of our
machines. My Flight Commander in England recommended me
for the job, and I learned to fly them at the Central Flying School,
Upavon, but here flying is a different proposition and to land in
our small aerodrome was not an easy task at first, and not too
easy for me yet. There is not very much that I may tell you about
our work and machines, but may say that I am well pleased with
both. Our quarters are very fine; we live in Armstrong huts put
up around a nice green field surrounded by those big French trees,
under which we lie on hot days after we have done our work.
Although we can hear the guns from our quarters we are never
shelled and we lose no sleep. We get an occasional bomb but they
invariably miss the mark by 1,000 yards or so. We have discovered
a swimming tank on the Aerodrome and every fine day we indulge
in a dip in it, after which we have a cold shower bath in a hut just
across the field from mine. In fact when we are not flying we lead
a campers' life, which is most agreeable at this time of year.

"Last Sunday I borrowed a horse from a nearby Canadian
Hospital and rode out some ten miles to the rest billets of the 27th
and 28th Battalions. Saw a great number of the officers of these
battalions, and they all seem merry and bright.

"The weather at the time of my visit being very bad, their
quarters did not look very inviting. They are composed of very
low shacks built right down on the ground and, after our quarters,
looked bad, but the boys thought them O.K. after the trenches,
and were enjoying the rest to the fullest extent. They are back in
the trenches now, but when they are out again I hope to have a
few of them down here, when they can enjoy many of the comforts
of life and a swim, which goes a long way on these hot days.

"All the officers in this Squadron who know anything about it
say that the Canadians are always holding the hottest parts of our
lines, and when there is an attack planned they ask to be remembered
and allowed the honour of taking part.

"In the Flying Corps leave is granted every three months to
flying officers, which is a very fine arrangement to those who can
get home."

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The following letter is from Lance-Corporal George F.
Allan, formerly of the Calgary branch, describing
incidents which occurred at St. Eloi. (Lance-Corporal
Allan was killed in action at Sanctuary Wood on the
13th of June, 1916.):

"Just a line to let you know I am still in the land of the
living. Was wounded on the night of the 5th, after being under
fire for forty-eight hours. I might tell you about a party of
six who were cut off from their company. I was one of the party
and am sorry to say I am the only one alive. We went in on the
night of the 3rd. It was the calm before the storm. In the early
morning the Germans opened fire, and all through the day, and
night, and also the following day and night, the air was full of shells.
The boys were falling pretty fast. The Huns seemed to fire every-
thing at us except their guns. The night was cold and dark. The
mud and water quite deep. We had very little to eat or drink, and
of course sleep was out of the question. But all this did not worry
us much; it was the shells and the sights about us. It was about
eight o'clock, and we got word we were to be relieved, but our
companies coming up were hit pretty hard, so we had to hang on.
Shortly afterwards word came that the Huns were preparing to
come across. Six of us were by the machine-gun. The shells were
falling all around us and as we crouched down in what remained
of our trench, something hit us, and when I woke up we were all
buried. J. L. McPherson and some other boys dug us out, but
four of the boys were dead, and the other chap badly wounded
and has since died, so I am the only one of the six alive."

The following letter of condolence was written by the
late General Sir J. Stanley Maude (the Victor of Baghdad)
to the father of the late Lieutenant C. W. F. Rawle.

Lieutenant Rawle, who was formerly a member of our
Head Office staff, was killed in action on 4/5 April, 1916,
while the forces under General Maude were advancing to
the relief of General Townshend who was beleaguered in
Kut-el-Amara.

"Though personally unknown to you, I feel that I must write
you a line to offer you my warmest and most respectful sympathy
on the occasion of the death of your gallant son in action.

"To us his loss will be a severe one, for he was a most capable
and zealous officer.

"At such a time I know well that words avail little to lessen
the pain of the bereaved, and possibly the thought of the noble

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

death which your son died, giving his life freely and willingly for
King and Country and for a great cause, may bring some measure
of comfort to you in your great affliction."

The following is a letter from Private J. P. Baston,
formerly attached to the South Hill branch, written in
Belgium, and dated January 20th, 1916:

"We left England on February llth, 1915, and after a four
days' stormy voyage landed at St. Nazaire (Loire Inferieure) on
the Bay of Biscay. We then had two days' and two nights' train
travel, forty men in a box-car. If you stop to consider it, you will
not be surprised when I say that we were glad to reach Hazebrouck,
our destination, for these French box-cars are not as big as the
C.P.R. type.

"During daytime the railway trip through Southern Brittany
and Normandy was very enjoyable, but at night, O Lord! it was
the limit. There was not room for us to sit down, let alone stretch
out and sleep. If ever I get to a fancy dress ball again, I shall
certainly go as a sardine. I ought to be able to play the part,
after having had that journey under sardine conditions.

"From Hazebrouck we marched a few kilometres to Caestre,
where we billeted for a few days. This was a nice little place and
the inhabitants took kindly to us because we were Canadians (and
I strongly suspect, because we spent our money freely), and also
because we were the first kilted troops to be billeted there.

"Then we undertook a twenty mile march over these ever-to-
be-accursed pave (cobblestoned) roads of France, to the outskirts
of Armentieres. Here we billeted again, and from these billets
went for our first spell in the trenches. A wonderful experience
that was — then !

"This was our first trip 'in' and it was only for twenty-four
hours, with a British regular regiment, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
In the darkness going in, we passed through the destroyed village
of Bois Grenier, and I never saw a more thorough piece of destruc-
tion; hardly one stone was left upon another. From the village
we struck through the fields to the front line, in our 'greenness'
hardly daring to breathe as we plugged in single file through the
mud. A stray bullet zipped overhead and we ducked with a gasp,
while the 'regular' who was guiding us no doubt grinned in the
darkness. Again we ducked and crouched into the mud (guide as
well this time), as an 'Allemand' star-shell whizzed up and burst
into a brilliant light and then fell to the ground to splutter out.

"But after what had seemed an almost endless trip through
the mud, we reached the front line trenches.

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"That night we were initiated into the mysteries of listening
post and trench sentry, and worked filling sandbags and repairing
the parapet.

"At daybreak we were told to 'stand to our arms.' I almost
danced with excitement at the anticipation of an attack. And so
we stood with bayonets fixed until what some Johnny called 'the
cold, grey dawn' grew into broad daylight. I was really dis-
appointed that no attack came off.

"I enquired and found that 'stand to* every morning and dusk
was part of the daily routine of trench life. The grey light is very
favorable to attacks.

"Since then I have seen many 'cold, grey dawns,' some of
them merely cold, and some of them damned cold.

"Nothing eventful happened during the day, and when night
fell we made our way back to billets and got to bed about two a.m.,
glowing with satisfaction at having, without a tremor, done a day
in the trenches. But now we are veterans, and trudge to the
trenches in much the same manner as I pictured Shakespeare's
schoolboy 'creeping like snail unwillingly to school.'

"But there arc no 'shining morning faces.' Our khaki is
dirty and stained, and our packs are heavy; but our rifles are
clean and well-oiled as we plod along the road to our 'spell in.'
Our faces are red, as the rain drips from our bonnets and runs
down our cheeks or drops from our noses. We don't look like a
bunch of 'bleedin' 'eroes,' but we are not at all downhearted, and
I grin as I reflect that I have really found a place where it rains
more than in Nakusp.

"After our initial trip into the trenches, we moved south and
relieved the Seventh Division. We found ourselves on the north
of Neuve Chapelle and facing the village of Fromelles behind the
German lines. We held these trenches for a month, and then went
out for a rest to Estaires. We spent Easter (1015) in that town,
and had a visit from a Taube, which dropped a couple of bombs,
but did no damage. Also had an Easter service there by the
Bishop of London. Talking about parsons makes me remember
you very probably know the chaplain of the Sixteenth, Capt.
Pringle. He used to be a parson in the Yukon — a great fellow to
spin yarns. I omitted to say that while we were in the trenches
before Fromelles the battle of Neuve Chapelle was fought. We
were not in action there, much to our disappointment.

"We had quite a few casualties that spell in, and were glad
when the Fifteenth Battalion relieved us. We were dog-tired as

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we marched the road to Ypres, through St. Julien and Wieltje,
both behind the German line now.

"And no matter which way we turned our heads, we could see
the German star-shells, but on our left, in the direction of Hill 60 (the
action had been on about two days then), they were going up in
scores at a time, and we could also see the red burst of the shrapnel
shells.

"We got to our billets, had some bread and the inevitable
Ticklers' jam (our staple diet), rolled up in a blanket, and slept as
soundly as tired schoolboys.

"Next day I had a look round the town, but you don't need
any tales about Ypres.

"On the afternoon of the following day the Germans made
their first big gas attack. What happened has been fully chronicled
in the Canadian press, together with many things that never
happened.

"We counter-attacked at St. Julien about midnight, and about
two o'clock I passed through Ypres in a nice motor ambulance.
For me that was the finish of Ypres, and I don't think I was ever
so happy in my life.

"When I rejoined the battalion I found them at Festubert,
resting after their exploit of taking the orchard at La Quinque
Rue. They were only about a couple of hundred strong.

"We next took over trenches at Givenchy on La Bassee canal,
and remained in the neighbourhood for about a month, during
which the First Canadian Brigade attacked, but without permanent
success, and suffered heavy losses. We supported in reserve, which
only means we stayed in billets, standing to.

"While in this neighbourhood I visited Bethune several times.
It is probably the best town for shops, etc., in close proximity to
the firing line.

"About the end of June we moved northwards in two night
marches to the locality of Steenwerck and billeted for ten days.

"We had a fine celebration on Dominion Day — races and
sports and a concert. It was here that I was one of the minstrel
show.

"After this enjoyable rest we took up trenches near 'Plug
Street' (Ploegsteert is the correct name, but to the Tommies it is,
and always will be, 'Plug Street').

"We found ourselves in a rotten machine-gun position, and
our officer gave orders to build a new position. This we did during
the night. The enemy was just under a hundred yards away,
but we pulled down our parapet and built a ripping position with

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good head cover against shrapnel. We had just finished and were
feeling jolly pleased with ourselves, when the M.G. officer (Lieut.
S. W. G. Chambers, of Vancouver) came along, praised our work
and then said he would like a look at the traverse from the outside
of the parapet. So over he hopped with our corporal (since killed).
He had not been over a minute when there was a shot and a grunt,
and down went Chambers with a bullet in his stomach. It took
four of us to get him back over the parapet — he was a six-footer.
The bullet entered below his hip and travelled up into his stomach.
We carried him down to the Norfolk's dressing station, but he
died that night. This cast quite a gloom over us, and it was the
first night only of a sixteen-day spell in.

"Next night the Norfolks made a sham attack. They adjoined
our gun on the right, in front of 'Plug Street' Wood. They hadn't
passed along the word of this. The corporal and I (I was No. 1
on the gun) were sizing up an alternate position for the M.G.,
when the rapid fire racket started. We thought it was the real
thing, and we tore back to our gun ready to give Fritz ruddy hell
if he was starting to come over. But no luck! — we learned, after
waiting half an hour for Fritz, that it was only the Norfolks getting
Fritz's wind up.

"I'd love to kill a few hundred Germans, but during a year in
the trenches I have never had the pleasure of seeing the Allemands
advance against us; I only had to advance against them.

"That trip (sixteen days at a stretch) was the worst spell I
ever put in for nerves. The enemy had our trench ruined, and our
engineers were busy countermining to destroy the enemy saps.
The men were taken out of the ruined trench, but the M.G. had
to stay there in case of attack. It was a rotten experience. We
waited two days expecting to 'go up.' However, our miners got
their countermine off first, the explosion, of course, blowing in
Fritz's saps and rendering his mine useless.

"We sure needed our rest when it came. We went out to
billets near Neuve Eglise. That takes you with us up to the latter
part of July, 1915.

"Nothing very exciting happened after July.

"After completing a year in the trenches with the Sixteenth,
I was offered a job in the Ordnance, which I accepted cheerfully.
Nearly all the old men who are left have been placed in 'cooshy*
jobs. This is a good billet I have now — no more lice and bullets.
We only get occasional shells or aeroplane bombs here, about four
miles behind the first line."

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Extracts from a letter written by the late Lieutenant
P. M. Alexander, formerly of the London, Eng., staff.

(Lieutenant Alexander died of wounds on the 30th of
July, 1916):

"Here I am back in France again. My orders arrived quite
suddenly and unexpectedly, and, in fact, rather sooner than I
thought probable. However, now I am back at the old game once
more I am quite happy, and quite keen to get into the thick of it.
We crossed to the usual port (Boulogne) where all boats go from
Folkestone. We entrained between five and six p.m., and travelled
further down the coast a bit, not very far, to our base depot here.
We have remained in camp ever since, waiting the call for us to
proceed as reinforcements up the line to the front. In the mean-
time, we are quite comfortably quartered in ordinary bell tents,
three subs, per tent, and have been lucky enough to get camp
beds and a liberal supply of blankets. We have a pretty decent
mess here, too, rather overcrowded though."

The following is a letter written from "Somewhere
in France," on 8th June, 1916, by Sergeant C. H.
McMillan, formerly of the Milk River branch.

Sergeant McMillan herein refers to the Mount Sorel
(Ypres) operations when the Germans captured some
trenches and 800 prisoners on 3rd June, 1916. The
Scottish referred to were of the 3rd (Highland) Brigade,
1st Canadian Division:

"Well, since coming over here I have been driving a team. I
have been as long as fifteen hours in the saddle, and then out again
the next night. We take our chances in the column, too. You
will notice by the papers that the fighting around our front has
been very severe, and that our artillery and infantry have done a
good deal of bombarding in taking back the trenches that the
Germans occupied for a day or so. It is our particular work to
furnish the ammunition, and we have to get it there in all kinds of
weather. Some work, I can tell you.

"The first time I was under fire gave me a very queer feeling.
I did not know very much about the sound of shells, so did not
know just when to duck. The result was that I was riding on my
horse's neck nearly all the time we were in the danger zone, but,
as the chaplains told us at the base, I rode with my head down and
my heart up. I did not seem to realize that I might get hit, but
took it all as a sort of novelty.

"The noise of our own big guns all around gave one more of

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a scare than Fritz's guns. Those big fellows shake the ground
under your feet almost, and the detonation is deafening. First
you hear one gun of a certain battery shoot three rounds in quick
succession; then another battery starts up behind you, another
to the left, and all around you. Big doings, old man. Makes you
feel proud to think you are doing your bit for the cause; neverthe-
less, it is with a sort of relief that we get away as fast as we can
when we have unloaded.

"I always understood that bands were not used over here,
but such is not the case. For instance, when a certain Scots
regiment went up to help take back our lost trenches, they marched
in to the sound of the pipes. We were not out that particular
night, and we listened with a certain awe to the Scottish going in.
The pipes — about eight of them, with three drums, could be heard
quite some distance. They were playing 'The Campbells are
Comin,' and the step was as lively as could be. No wonder the
Scottish can fight well with the sound of the pipes cheering them
on. Of course, they do not play right into the trenches, but they
march from their billets to the sound of them.

"The air duels are rather interesting to watch. For a time a
couple of Fritz's machines came over every morning at 4.30.
The noise of our anti-aircraft guns used to bother me, but not so
now. I am often too sleepy for a little noise like that to waken me."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant A. G.
Mordy, formerly Accountant at Winnipeg, written at
Hope Lodge, Moffat, Scotland, and dated 15th June,
1916:

"My correspondence has got quite beyond me the last few
months, and I will begin at the middle of March, when I was
unlucky enough to get some sort of trench fever. After lying
around our transport for a few days, I was sent to a rest camp.
From there I got to the casualty clearing station at Bailleul and
they put a yellow ticket on me, labelled 4paratyPn<ricl,' and sent
me via hospital trains to Boulogne. It took us fourteen hours
to get twenty-five miles, and with a big train of wounded it wasn't
exactly pleasant. I was sent to England three weeks later, and
was discharged from hospital there after ten days. I was granted
one month's sick leave which I spent in Wales, but, unfortunately,
jaundice broke out in my system, and I had to go back to hospital
for two weeks. I was at a very fine place in Wales, and we had
every amusement one could wish for — shooting rabbits, wood
pigeon, etc., riding, motoring, billiards, and everything that goes

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

with a big country estate. The local gentry vied with each other
in entertaining us.

"The last few days I was in hospital in London I was allowed
out in the afternoon, and from the number of Winnipegers I met,
one would think the city had moved over en masse. The front
and London are common meeting grounds, and it also happened
that some of my friends in the 16th were over on leave, so we saw
some of the city in a limited way. After leaving hospital, I went
down to Bromley in Kent, for a few days and had some very fine
golfing; that is, the course was fine, not my play. My next move
was up to Scotland to stay with some friends, and I am returning
to London to-night, feeling quite fit again. England and Scotland
in May and June are ideal, and despite the fact that I was a bit
under the weather, I never enjoyed myself better. The people are
most hospitable, and I am fortunate in having some good friends
in town and up here. There is also a good golf course here, over
which I played nearly every morning, excepting when we went
up the burns trout fishing.

"I expect to return to the base at Shorncliffe next Tuesday,
and I have arranged with my Colonel to be returned to France
immediately. The poor old battalion has been rather shot up
lately, over half the officers being casualties, and I am anxious to
get back. The Canadians, as I suppose you saw, had 270 officer
casualties in only five lists. The Ypres salient is about the worst
place one could imagine. We get shot at from three sides, and the
support trenches come in for a hotter fire than the front line.
There one expects a little bit of a lull when in reserve, but everything
within miles seems to be shot at and occasionally hit."

The following is a letter, dated 21st June, 1916, from
Lieutenant J. K. Patterson, formerly of the First Street
West (Calgary) branch, latterly attached to the 26th
Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, Bankers' Battalion.

The incidents herein recorded occurred in the
trenches at Ploegsteert Wood, near Ypres.

"It seems years since I left Calgary for England, and I have
seen many different phases of life during that time. I obtained
my commission within a month of arriving at home, had pre-
liminary training at Cambridge, joined my regiment near London
(which was at that time the 15th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers),
afterwards moving to Shoreham in Sussex, near Brighton. In
January of this year I was transferred to the above-mentioned
battalion, which is also *The Bankers,' and arrived in France on

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the 5th of May, exactly one year from the day I left Calgary.
During that time I have been in training. I have seen a consider-
able part of old England, and have spent many a jolly week-end
in beautiful Surrey.

"As its name indicates, this battalion is composed of bank
clerks from all over the United Kingdom. One could not wish
for a finer lot of men, educationally and morally, but, unfortunately,
their physique does not overly embue one with confidence that
they will bear the stress and strain of hardship and fatigue in a
'big show.' So far their record of achievements in their course of
training is exemplary, and, should they retain the same standard
in actual fighting, their country will indeed be proud of them.
They have not yet been tested.

"We have been taking our tour of duty in the front line every
six days for the past month, and at present this company is in
support to the other three. We have had an experience of a heavy
bombardment as bombardments go in this part of the line, for the
heaviest gun the Huns have just opposite is a 5.9 howitzer. We
have also been through a cloud of gas without any casualties, unless
one counts the inmates of our dug-outs, which are not included in
the daily ration indent, namely, the rats and mice.

"I have had several trips into No Man's Land, and, on one
occasion, returned with some booty in the shape of a ground sheet
pinched from a sniper's lair, which was very cleverly concealed,
and not more than fifty yards from our line. The enemy's line
was one hundred and fifty yards from ours.

"As I sit here in my dug-out, it would not take a great stretch
of imagination to forget that a war was on, or, as one gets lost in
admiration of the immediate surroundings, to imagine that one is
having a glorious holiday. The hut, built with sandbags, is situated
just within the northern edge of a deep wood. As I write the air
is filled with the song of many birds; there is a perfect aviary over-
head. The tree-tops are soughing in the wind and are in full leaf,
as is the thick undergrowth. The little garden which borders the
hut is filled with wild flower blossoms, and this afternoon the
profusion of gentle colors is very beautiful. The blossoms are
glorying in the sunlight of the longest day (21st June), and
the little bits of lawn which encircle the flower beds are rich in
moss. The scene, as I look out of this narrow entrance, is calm
and peaceful, bubbling with joie de vivre, and yet as this little
paradise carries my thoughts away to scenes in a 'Midsummer
Night's Dream,' and I try to remember Shakespeare's lines—
whiz — bang! the Huns have finished lunch and have sent a

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messenger of death somewhere on our front line, which is only
three hundred yards away.

"We have had few casualties, and they have been unfortunate.
Fritz is inclined to be rather pacific across the way. An amusing
incident happened one day in the front line. One of our snipers
spotted the head of a German at an opening in his parapet, and
fired. The Hun immediately disappeared, but instantly a shovel
appeared and signalled 'a wash out.'

"A dog appeared in our lines one morning with a message on
its collar (the morning before we had received news of the North
Sea Fight off Jutland), saying 'We have sunk four of your battle
cruisers. Prosit.' We sent the dog back with a message in reply,
but evidently he could not find his way through the Hun wire
entanglements, for he returned to us.

"It is almost time for tea, so I must close. The silence is now
broken, for our guns are strafing an aeroplane and it is having a
hot time of it.

"Occasionally we hear the unceasing rumble of the 'heavies'
at Ypres, which is not very far away, where the Canadians are
having an opportunity of showing their worth, and at that they
are certainly doing well, too."

The following is an extract from a letter dated 28th
June, 1916, from Sergeant H. McNiece of the 3rd
Canadian Divisional Engineers, formerly a member of
the Winnipeg staff:

"After six days we at length reached the shores of France, and
all felt pretty glad to get off the transport and get a little more
freedom and exercise. After a day's rest, we loaded up on a French
troop train and slowly proceeded towards the line, which we reached
some twenty-four hours after. We passed through some pretty
French country, and at length got to the unloading station arranged
by the Towers That Be'. We unloaded in about an hour, and
after a long, tiresome night march over cobble-stone roads, we got
to some temporary billets, where we settled down at about three
a.m., for some rest, and although quite a little scrap developed
during the night, and our heavies pounded away from all direc-
tions, sending the shells whistling over our heads for quite a long
time, we were too much exhausted to let the noise trouble us.
Next morning, after having a good rest, we started to build a camp
of our own, but we had only about two huts completed when wet
weather set in, the weather having been very fine up till then.

"During the building of the camp we had lots of experience
of the now famous Flanders mud, which is of a very soapy nature,

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

and hard to walk on, although with a few hours' good weather it
dries up very quickly.

"We got a very comfortable camp built here in a short time.
The 7th Field Company, Canadian Engineers, can now, at this
date, claim lots of experience in the dug-outs and trenches, having
passed through some of the heaviest bombardments of the war
for intensity, and having seen all their work of months blown to
nothing in a few hours. Such is the effect of modern artillery fire
with high explosive shells.

"My work is at Company Headquarters and does not take
me into the trenches, unless for a little experience and sight-seeing,
which is of a rather exciting nature these days. There is, however,
quite a little excitement behind the lines, as the Germans seem to
take a delight in 'popping 'over nearly every day quite a few high
explosive shells and shrapnel, which seldom do much damage, only
one does not know at times where they are going to drop.

"In fine weather the aircraft of both belligerents is generally
very active, as well as the anti-aircraft guns, which fire innumerable
shells at the aircraft, but, so far, I have not seen a direct hit, the
target being so small and range so difficult to find. I have seen
several aeroplanes brought down, nearly always by other aircraft.

"Some nights, when having a walk several miles behind the
lines, the time of an ordinary watch can easily be read, such is the
brilliant light given by the German star-shells, and they appear to
have an inexhaustible supply of them.

"Well, as to the progress of the war, I cannot say much; you
probably have just as good an idea of the development of things
as I have, if not better. But of one thing I am certain, that is,
that in the C.E.F. we have a great and gallant 'bunch* of men,
capable of holding their own easily against equal numbers of the
enemy in a square, open fight; but lots and lots of guns and
inexhaustible supplies of ammunition are everything in this war of
scientific methods."

Captain W. B. Forster, formerly of the First Street
West branch, Calgary, Adjutant of the 27th Battalion,
writes under the date of July 6th, 1916, as follows:

The big fight referred to in the first paragraph is St.
Eloi, March, 1916.

Captain Forster's brother was killed at Fricourt on
the Somme:

"Many interesting things have happened since I last wrote to
you — indeed they would fill a book. In the first place I have been

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

transferred and promoted and am now captain and adjutant of
the 27th (Winnipeg) Battalion. This happened after a big fight.
I like my new battalion splendidly, but I rather disliked leaving
the one I started out with. Of course, these things must happen
in war time.

"I had bad luck in June, losing my brother Tom. He was killed
out in No Man's Land, 400 yards from our trenches. He ran into
a very strong German patrol and was shot through the breast,
living only one half hour. His sergeant carried him in the whole
distance under a heavy fire, also two of his scouts. We all feel his
loss very keenly, as he was a fine soldier. He belonged to the
Royal Irish Regiment. The 'Times,' of June 20th, records his
death. His colonel also writes, saying that 'he was the most gallant
and capable officer he ever had the honour to serve with; his courage
and daring being the admiration of the whole division.' In his
raids on the Hun trenches on two occasions he returned quite
safely. I was home on leave for a few days in May and he
happened to be there at the same time, so I fortunately did see him
then.

"I suppose you have heard that poor 'Dad' Allan was killed.
A big shell hit him, killing him instantly. Charlie Gordon has a
commission in the 31st Battalion, and is doing well. I suppose you
know that H. P. Morgan was awarded the Military Medal for
bravery; so our boys, you will see, are all doing their bit. As I
write, the Huns are busy shelling a battery about one hundred
yards away, so it is not very pleasant as some shells fall short, you
know.

"We have been in a good many scraps since I last wrote you,
and many things have happened. Everybody feels pretty good
these days, and we hope to see an early end to the war. I think
the Hun has a rather healthy respect for our boys. Some amusing
things happen. On one occasion, after a charge, some Huns were
captured, and, as everybody was busy digging in, they pointed
the direction in which the Huns were to go. They left six strong,
but arrived at their destination sixteen strong. On another occa-
sion we were holding a crater formed by a mine which we blew up.
A new draft from England had just arrived and casually surveyed
the excavation, one chap remarking, 'Gee! you fellows must dig
some. How long did it take?' It is this sort of thing that keeps
our spirits up."

The following is a letter from the late G. M. Ingmire,
Assistant Paymaster, R.N.R., written on board H.M.S.
"Alert," in the Persian Gulf, and dated 10th July, 1916.

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Mr. Ingmire died at Basra on 7th August, 1916, of para-
typhoid. He was formerly on the staff of the London,
England, office:

"I am getting on fairly well, but just like everything else out
here, things are in a very disgraceful state. I am kept very busy,
but 1 have at last managed to get a motor boat for my private use
and this helps me considerably. Of course one can only work,
both in the open and on board, for a few hours every day because
of the heat. The temperature in the shade since early June has
ranged from 100° to 125°. This month it has averaged 115°. It
is a damp sort of heat, and is, I am told, the equivalent of 140° or so
in Egypt. I stand it very well indeed, but deaths from this and
cholera average two in three days on board this ship and its tenders.
Out of a staff of four I lost two in a week.

"I wonder how London is looking now — one mass of khaki, I
suppose. Zeppelins seem to have stopped their little game lately.
The naval fight (Jutland) certainly looks now to have panned out
better than at first."

The following are extracts from letters written after
his death by brother officers of the late Lieutenant P. E. O.
Booth, formerly of our London, Eng., office, who was
killed in action on 1st July, 1916.

Lieutenant H. G. Harcourt under date of July 18th,
1916, writes:

"Percy was advancing with part of his section and had with
one gun team taken cover in a new shell hole. He was observing
the progress of our fellows in front preparatory to advancing him-
self, when he was hit in the stomach by a machine gun bullet.
He died immediately; his last words were: 'They're going along
fine in front.' He was buried two evenings later in Colin Camp,
near Serre." The letter closes with a splendid tribute to the dead
officer.

Captain John Moore writing on July 12th, 1916, from
France, states:

"I was your son's Company Commander in Grantham, and
should have commanded the company out here had not fate ruled
otherwise. The men of his section are never tired of telling of his
gallantry, and mourn his loss. I myself knew him to be one of the
best officers I had ever met, and the present Commander of the
Company tells me that he is a terrible loss to the unit."
Captain Kayll writes on July 4th, 1916:

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"His men speak most highly of his courage and fearlessness,
and his loss is deeply felt in this company. He was the best officer
I had and I feel his loss very much indeed."

Lieutenant H. Ridley Dixon writes of him in a letter
from France on 14th July, 1916, as

"A straight young fellow and a good sportsman right through.
Among many fine men whom I have met at home and out here,
there are none for whom I have a greater respect and affection."

The following are extracts from letters written by
Second Lieutenant D. E. Gordon's Commanding Officer
and one of his brother officers, which have been sent to us
through the kindness of Mr. Gordon's father, to whom the
letters are addressed:

Second Lieutenant Gordon, who was formerly a
member of the staff of our Saskatoon branch, was killed
in action at Longueval, on 14th July, 1916:

"He was one of the most efficient subalterns I have ever had,
never shirking a duty, never complaining when the job was an
unpleasant one. His loss will, I can assure you, be very greatly
felt by all the officers and men who are left who knew him, and
though it cannot be that we shall have him with us again, I can
truly assure you that he himself will not be forgotten."

"Your son, Second Lieut. D. E. Gordon, has been killed in
action during the attack on Longueval village on the 14th instant.

"He was the only surviving officer of his company, and during
the consolidation of the position won he was shot by a sniper.

"During these operations, both at Berrafay and Longueval,
he showed great gallantry and devotion to duty and was a most
capable and popular officer."

The following letter, dated 14th July, 1916, was
written by Lieutenant W. H. Dore, of the Royal Flying
Corps, formerly of the Winnipeg branch:

Lieutenant Dore was reported missing on 9th August,
1918, and was later presumed to have been killed on that
date:

"No doubt that in a previous letter I told you of the 'crash' I
had in landing an aeroplane in the dusk. Among other things the
propeller of the machine was broken. I have had a walking-stick
made out of the remains and am forwarding it to you shortly.
This propeller had a long life at the front, and had often been miles
behind the German lines, and had just as often been shot at, so

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that it may be considered a souvenir of the war. I wish, though*
that it had been taken from a Hun machine, when it would be a
real souvenir.

"Our squadron has been doing some very good work lately,
and our chief feat was the 'doing in* of five German balloons
('Sausages'). When out on one of the 'strafes,' three scout pilots
'did in' three balloons. Another pilot and I were to escort them
each in a fast biplane. We left the ground with orders to wait a
certain distance above the aerodrome until the scouts came up,
then we were to dash across together, and, while they made for the
balloons, we were to see that they were not attacked by hostile
aircraft. As the escorts were hovering over the aerodrome, a large
rain cloud came over, so we tried to fly over it; but there were
other clouds around and above it, so we went around it and to
the north until we were over the coast. I flew around there at
about 9,000 ft., waiting for the rain storm to blow over, flying in
clouds most of the time, until it got quite late and dark, when I
decided to come home in spite of the storm. I cut the engine off,
pointed it where I thought home was, and glided 7,000 ft. before I
saw the earth, and I was then at 2,000 ft. For a few moments I
wondered whether the ground below was Hun land or British, but
I soon recognized it to be behind our lines and near the aerodrome,
so was soon safely home. The other machine landed earlier in a
Belgian aerodrome and crashed. The pilot decided not to take
a chance on the clouds and rain storm, but I always like to get home.
I was very surprised to learn that the exploit had been successfully
carried out, and at a height of 3,000 ft. lower than intended, so
that it was done below the clouds and between the showers as well.
Each of the three pilots got the Military Cross, and they well
deserved it. My only regret is that I was done out of the show by
the clouds; otherwise there was a Hun machine that I might have
'done in.' '

"I have been amusing myself of late in photography over and
back of the enemy lines. This is done from a fairly safe height,
i.e., 6,500 ft. to 9,000 ft., and if one is careful one doesn't get many
'archies' that put holes in the machine. Last week I did some
photography from a rather small height, i.e.. 2,500 ft. I was over
the lines nine times at this height and thought it quite pleasant,
for if they were firing machine guns from the trenches I didn't
hear them, until they got our range with field guns, when it became
a little warm, although the exploding shells looked very pretty.
We got some lovely exposures of the Hun's front line, however, and
exactly what we went after. On one of these trips I left the

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

aerodrome at 9 a.m., took eighteen exposures and was back with
machine in hangar in fifteen minutes. Our photographic facilities
are much better than the Hun's, and we go in for it more than he
does. We very seldom have a fight in the air, as the Hun only
comes over once a week, and then at a height of 12,000 ft. We are
not a reconnaissance squadron, so never go well back of the lines
where Huns are met. About a week ago, while taking photographs
well back of the lines, three Huns were hovering around at 'out of
range.' One was on my own level, and whenever I would point
my nose towards our lines he would follow me; but when I turned
in again to take exposures on my new course he would turn also.
They did not interfere with me in my work in any way, but if a
Hun tried to do the same over our lines he would at least have to
knock a couple of our machines down. We have no fear of the Hun
on this part of the line.

"One of our fellows was killed, though, on the aerodrome, a
few days ago, through trying to climb too rapidly and stalling his
machine. He nose-dived to earth, and he died twenty-four hours
after the sad accident, having sustained serious internal injuries.
He, poor chap, was our only N.C.O. pilot, and had just returned
from three weeks' sick leave, followed by one week's leave. This
is the first man to go since I joined the squadron."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant J. S.
Williams, formerly a member of the staff of our Winni-
peg branch. This letter was written in the trenches on
15th July, 1916. At this time Lieutenant Williams was
in command of a Canadian Trench Mortar Battery:

"Since my last letter to you I've had the time of my young life.
I was through the third battle of Ypres. That, with St. Eloi,
makes two battles through which a very kind protecting angel has
guarded me. We went into Hooge on a Monday night, coming in
at twelve, midnight, my guns being in the support. At 1.30 a.m.,
the Boches commenced bombarding our front line like blazes and
kept it up for two-and-a-half hours, and then came over to capture
our trench. It would really have done your heart good to have
heard the good old 28th front line open up with a roar and at 'em
as the Boches started across to our line. Well, the Boches were
beaten off, but the next day the Hun artillery commenced again
at 2 p.m., and kept it up for four hours, during which time they
blew up four mines under the 28th front line, and when they came
over again, there wasn't a squeak left out of the two companies
and officers who were holding that part of the line — all wiped out.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

So the Huns captured that trench and came on, and then we in
support opened up with a roar and beat 'em back. The Roches
made several attempts on the 6th Brigade front during the time
we were in there, but were beaten off each time. We supported the
left flank of the 1st Division, as they went over and captured back
the trenches they had lost a short time previously. The bombard-
ments were terrible, and we gave the Hun the surprise of his life.

"The big push is well started now, and good news keeps coming
up to us in the trenches about the goings on down there. Great
news came through to-day, but it would be no use my telling you,
because you will have read it before this reaches you. I wonder
what 'Big Willie' thinks of the 'contemptible little army* now!

"May I correct an error in the list of casualties of the officers
of the Bank in your admirable little book? Pte. (now Corporal)
F. D. C. Morrow, who is reported as missing is very much alive and
well. He is still in the Fifth Battalion. I met him on my way
through Ypres.

"We all feel out here now that the Hun is on his last legs and
expect this war will be over by September at the latest. Every-
body is most optimistic and happy now. The offensive on all
sides has been most admirably planned. I don't think, after all,
that it will be necessary for the Home Guard to turn out at all.
I have been recommended for my captaincy and hope to see it
gazetted any day now. I am already anxious to know if the Bank
will have me back again. There's optimism for you.

"We do not have much rest now. Ten days in the firing line,
five days' rest, then in for nine days; four days' rest, and now in
for sixteen days, and hope to be out for eight. This is the eleventh
day in, and I am writing this to you in my dug-out with the noise
of the shells passing overhead. As long as they do not shorten
the range I shall be able to finish."

With regard to the foregoing, Sergeant Charles B.
Smillie contributes the following correction.

Sergeant Smillie, who was formerly a member of the
staff of the Saskatoon branch, died of wounds on 14th
November, 1917:

"On reading over No. 6 pamphlet of 'Letters from the Front,'
I noticed two little lines that I am in honour bound to take excep-
tion to. They are contained in a letter from Lieut. J. S. Williams,
dated 15th July, 1916, and printed on pages 44 and 45 of the book:
'We supported the left flank of the 1st Canadian Division as they
went over, and captured back the trenches they had lost a short time

previously.'

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"As I have been with this Division since 8th May, 1915, con-
tinuously, and during that time have had every opportunity of
knowing full particulars of any action the Division participated in,
I can only say that it is a gross libel on the old 1st Division, which
in two years' active service in France has never lost a trench, and
had a record that is unrivalled in the field.

"I appreciate the fact that Mr. Williams was no doubt laboring
under a misapprehension, but his letter, to one who had been
through the action quoted, is somewhat mortifying, as we were
retaking the line lost by another division.

"In conclusion I trust my point is appreciated, and that the
error on Mr. Williams' part may be erased or corrected in the next
issue of the publication."

The following is an excerpt from a letter written by
Captain J. C. MacPherson, of the 9th Reserve Battalion,
late of the Calgary branch, under date of 16th July, 1916.
When this letter was written, Captain MacPherson
had just been discharged from hospital and was attached
to the 9th Reserve Battalion, Shorncliffe, Eng., he being
temporarily unfit for general service:

"Since I wrote you last there have been many changes in the
old battalion (the 81st). Allan, the paying teller, was killed in the
last fighting. Poor chap! he was wounded with me at St. Eloi,
and had just rejoined the battalion in time to get into the thick of
it again. He will be much missed as he was very popular, and the
life of his platoon, besides being cool and courageous. Rogers,
who was second messenger, was killed in the same fight and was
in the same company. Lieut. Campbell, a member of the Medicine
Hat Branch, was killed the other day. He was a fine chap and had
been a scout corporal with us for a long time. He only recently
received his promotion.

"I expect to rejoin my battalion later on, as I do not feel that
I am entitled to stay here indefinitely — even though one might
want to.

"Capt. W. L. Gibson is quartered here also and I see quite
a lot of him. He is looking very well and the life seems to
agree with him."

The following is a letter from Major W. Leggat,
formerly Assistant Manager of the Montreal branch,
written in Belgium on 28th July, 1916:

"We are now in the zone where our training has brought us,

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

and feel that we are doing something in the great cause for which
so many of our gallant fellows have given up their lives. I have met
no end of friends from all parts of Canada, some of whom I had not
seen since the Winnipeg and Vancouver days. You would be
proud of the splendid troops that our country has provided. They
are second to none, and can fight like demons.

"In one of my trips not long ago I came across the grave of
our old friend, Donald Cameron. It had a nice cross over it, and
the grass was nice and green, in fact, quite spotless — the same as
the dear old fellow used to keep himself.

"Our fellows are all 'jake* (fine) — which appears to be the
expression over here among the Tommies — and are enjoying the
experience. I see Hamilton (A. L. Hamilton, formerly Manager
at Quebec), occasionally when I need money. He is the field
cashier and looks natural as life, but pretty stout. He is doing
good work where he is. His training as a banker has come in
useful.

"From all appearances it looks as though the tide has turned,
but we have a formidable enemy to contend with, and there is a
lot of hard fighting ahead.

"I enjoyed my stay in England. The work was very hard,
but interesting, and everything possible was done to make us
efficient. I did not see Barker. I am sorry, as he was not far
from us, but we were busy getting ready to leave. I saw the
commandant of the camp he was in, and he told me that he was a
splendid officer and had a good battery with him. I expect that he
will be along soon now.

"This is not a life that I would take up from choice, but it is
an experience nevertheless, and one gets pretty close to human
nature. The shells are a bit strange at first, particularly the Hun
one known as the 'Silent Percy', which lands without any previous
warning. I have a splendid specimen which I picked up in our
back-yard last Sunday.

EDITOR'S NOTE. — "Silent Percy" was a name given to any high
velocity shell. It was the projectile fired from a naval gun,
mounted on a land carriage, and its speed was such that it out-
distanced the report of the gun from which it was fired.

The following is a letter written from Dulmen in
Westphalia, by Mr. H. G. Wylde, formerly of the Halifax
staff, who went overseas with the 20th Battalion. Mr.
Wylde was transferred to the Canadian Mounted Rifles,
and later taken prisoner:

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"Just a few lines to let you know I am still alive and kicking,
and not much the worse for being a prisoner of war. I suppose I
was reported missing for a time until the War Office was notified
that I was a prisoner. The only things I want are parcels and lots
of them, particularly beans, smokes, cake, preserved fruits — in fact,
anything that is good to eat. Please send a tooth brush, paste
and some soap in the first parcel. There is a canteen in the camp
but you can only buy paper and envelopes, tobacco and stuff like
that, so you can see why I am writing for parcels. We are allowed
to write one postcard every Sunday, and a letter on the 15th and
30th of the month."

The following is a letter from Second Lieutenant A.
Milligan, West Yorks Regiment, formerly of the London,
England, staff, dated 9th August, 1916:

"After two years of war I have at last arrived in the trenches,
and the front ones at that, and have seen some of the evidences
and ravages of war. In one of the trenches close by there is a
dead — very dead — German, very near the surface, and in this
hot weather I think I would prefer a living one. I have not been
in much danger, yet, although last night there was what may be
described as 'some' bombardment. As a matter of fact it was a
beautiful sight, as long as nothing came very near.

"Of course the guns are going night and day, but I have not
felt very scared yet, and only hope it is never any worse than this.
However, that is too much to expect. . . . The weather here just
now is beautiful, but I can imagine in wet weather the trenches
will be anything but pleasant.

"I shall stop now and have some tea. So far as I can see we
never want for something to eat."

The following is a further letter, dated 16th August,
1916, from Lieutenant A. G. Mordy, written in England
after he was wounded.

"You will probably have seen my name in the casualty list,
and I know you are wondering how I fared, so am taking the first
opportunity of writing to you.

"I was hit in the knee by a revolver bullet fired by a Boche
officer who 'saw me coming' while I was on a reconnaissance. I
was in a huge mine crater at the time, and had to do some lively
scrambling to get back to our own lines. They livened up the
journey for me by throwing bombs at me, none of which hit me,
fortunately. I had the bullet removed at the casualty clearing
station next day, and as soon as I could be moved I was sent to

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LETTERS FROM THE FR.ONT

England. I am in the best officers' hospital in London (Viscountess
Ridley's), and, besides being assured of the best medical treatment,
I am living in the lap of luxury. I can't get any satisfaction as to
the length of time I shall be in hospital, and all I know is that I
will have a permanent 'limitation of action' in the knee, as the
doctor puts it.

"I hate to think that my days of active service may be over,
as I always had the feeling that I wanted to leave France with
something to show for it (outside of a blighty). As you know, a
plethora of major men and such like existed at Shorncliffe — officers
who had been promoted much too fast in Canada; and these were
all cleaned out and sent to France. This killed the promotion of
senior subalterns like myself who had ten months or a year's active
service to our credit, and these people landed in on us just at the
time we expected to be confirmed as company commanders.

"However, I am 'grousing.' Shortly after I was hit, we got
word to move south to the Somme, and if the push there is to be
continued I am afraid it will be another edition of Ypres. It is
generally conceded that the First Canadians and the Guards Division
are the two best divisions in the whole British army, and when we
noticed recently that the Guards had left Poperinghe, near Ypres,
for the Somme, we expected to get word to follow shortly.

"I think July marked the turning period in the war, and next
July should see the Boche down and out, but I wouldn't count on
a finish before then — they have a wonderful system."

The following is an extract from a letter written at
the Somme in August, 1916, by Private Eric Stainton,
late of the London, England, staff:

"I was very much impressed by the areoplanes when we first
arrived. They circle around in scores, coming and going over the
linos, and it is very interesting to see an over-daring scout running
the gauntlet of hostile shrapnel.

"To sum up, we have plenty of work, fair rations and quite
decent huts, so have no real cause to grouse.

"I was very sorry indeed to see the names of P. M. Alexander
and Ingmire among the casualties on Saturday. The good luck on
which we had been congratulating ourselves has ended very sadly
and abruptly."

The following is a letter written on 22nd August,
1916, by Lieutenant J. M. Walton, 35 th Machine Gun
Company, formerly of the Saskatoon branch:

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

This letter refers to the Somme offensive of July and
August, 1916.

Lieutenant Walton was subsequently re-transferred
to the Canadian Army:

"As you know, of course, I was offered a commission in the
Imperial Forces in June, 1915, and after a few courses of training
was moved out to the trenches. I am now in charge of a machine-
gun section out here, and we are having a very interesting time.
As I write the big guns are booming, and when, in spite of every-
thing, we feel a bit bored, Herr Boche sends over an aeroplane
with a challenge and then we wake up for a moment.

"I know there is a wide divergence of opinion as to whether
this life is an enjoyable one. Well, I find it a mighty interesting
one, taking it all round, and the work behind a good machine-gun
is decidedly good sport.

"I dare not tell you where I am out here, but I may tell you
that we have had a hot time in the Big Push, and that our machine-
guns were an important factor, having done good work.

"There is every kind of infernal machine at work here — gas,
liquid fire, whiz-bangs, aerial torpedos, high (very high) explosives,
mines, bombs and a multitude of minor 'diversions.' I wish I
were free to tell you all, but of course a very strict censorship is
necessary, for the way Fritz manages to get wind of things is posi-
tively eerie. However, when I get back to Saskatoon I shall
expatiate on them all.

"The billets on both sides of me have been badly shelled, and
we live a life expectant of 'big things' in the shape of German
15" Obus."

The following is an extract from a letter dated 26th
August, 1916, written by Gunner C. W. Davison, for-
merly of the Montreal branch. This letter was sent from
Belgium and refers to the Ypres sector.

"The right and left sections of our battery are separated by
about two miles, Major W. Leggat (C. B. of C.) being in charge of
this section. At times when I have been called to repair lines
between here and the other section, I have stepped in to find Law-
rence, Dalton and McBride doing splendidly.

"I must say my work out here is somewhat different from that
of receiving deposits in 'D to K' box at Montreal, yet the life is a
great health builder, and those of us who return will be better able
to discharge our duties than before."

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BETTERS FROM THE FRONT

The following is a letter written about the end of
August, 1916, by Sergeant J. A. Caw, formerly of the
Langham branch.

Mr. Caw was at this time with the 5th Battalion,
and this letter refers to the fighting of June, 1916, in the
Ypres salient:

"Well, as you may know, we had quite a flare up on our part
of the line in the early part of June, and as my battalion moved
into the front line trenches on the last day of May, we came in for
the full blast. On June 1st the racket started, if I remember
correctly, at about nine in the morning. Fritz simply swamped
our trenches and supports with shells of every size, not to mention
rifle grenades, trench mortars, sausages and the like. He continued
this for about five or six hours, blew up a mine and then came over
on our left. Of course as soon as he left his trenches the bombard-
ment ceased, and then we started to get our own back. All the
boys who had any sporting instinct at all were out of the trench in
a twinkling, sniping at the Boches from shell-holes, etc. We
had him where we wanted him; hah* way up a slope, no cover, and
digging himself in, in full view in broad daylight, range about six
hundred yards., Three years ago anyone who would have suggested
that I could take delight in firing at a human being with intent to
loll — I would have called him something. But, nevertheless, I took
a fiendish delight in it on June 1st, and, for excitement, man-hunting
has all other kinds of hunting beat a mile. I could not say how
many I nailed, but I'm sure of three. The boys with the tele-
scopic sights had an advantage, as Fritz showed himself as little
as possible, and was most inconsiderate, as he would not keep still
to give us a chance to get a good bead on him. From June 1st to
June 13th it was a matter of attack and counter-attack. During
the day, a man could get no sleep or peace for the shelling, and at
night every man was required for patrol, working parties, etc. Gas
alarms were the thing of the day, and, believe me, it is not pleasant
business to 'stand to' with gas helmets on for a matter of two hours
or so, every minute expecting the Boches to come over. They
gave us all kinds of tear gas, and at the end of a week my eyes
began to feel as if they were stuck on the end of poles like crabs'
eyes. I was as deaf as a post and as dirty as a tramp. Water was
very scarce, that is, good water; even the tea tasted of dead men.
What was left over from breakfast we saved in our water bottles
— 'dead man soup,' we called it. Well, anyway, after various
narrow escapes (they say that 'the devil takes care of his own'),
I got hit in the back with shrapnel. I had three pieces taken out

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

of my back and shoulders, and one piece in my neck — which the
doctor decided to let stay.

"I am at present employed in the quartermaster's stores.
The work is not heavy, and, above all, quite 'bomb-proof.' The
Q.M. store is, in a way, the mother of the battalion, and we
handle everything from bully beef to tent pegs, and from needles
to crowbars. All the drafts proceeding to the trenches remain a
day or so here for equipment, finishing touches in their training,
etc., as well as the men who have been wounded, or who are coming
down with sickness. I met George Otto and Walter Gordon the
other day. Gordon has managed to get across to England, but
Otto has gone up the line. He has, I understand, a pretty good
job (i.e., 'bomb-proof'), in building huts, etc., back of the line.

"I don't know whether I ever told you, but John Muir was
killed alongside of me at Festubert last May. We both got hit
when we went over the 'bags' on the 24th. Poor fellow! he was
in mortal agony, and, after morphine was administered, died
unconscious. He was badly hit in the thigh, and the bullet had
run up into his abdomen. I saw Capt. Milne, McGovern, and
several of the 28th Battalion officers a week or so before the racket
started — we were out for a rest at the same time — and they subse-
quently came up to relieve the 3rd Division, after Fritz had come
over on 1st June. Port Arthur has lost heavily.

"Well, I heartily wish it were all over, and I were back in
Canada. However, what's the use of wishing? We've got to
teach the Boche his lesson first, and we are hard at it now. Our
guns are hammering it into him every day, and I think he is
beginning to learn. He's singing a different song from what he
sang last year, and we're all hoping to notice a far bigger change
before long.

"I think when I come back I'll have to go for a month's outing
in the woods. Oh! just to get away from soldiers and soldiering
for a while — forget form fours, etc., wake up when one wanted,
go to bed when one wanted, and generally be one's own master.

"I wonder if I could slip into the Bank and commence work.
I'm afraid the Branch Clearings would keep me guessing, and the
H.O. Instructions and arrangements with other banks would be
great mysteries indeed. I think I could still figure up a sterling
or Hong Kong draft, but would the Chink sting me?"

The following are extracts from a letter from
Sergeant A. C. Scott, of the 46th Battalion, Canadian
Infantry, formerly of the Innisfail branch, dated 8th

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

September, 1916, and written in a dug-out at Vierstratt —
M and N trenches, — near Ypres:

"Just received a copy of 'Letters from the Front,' and it has
succeeded in making me rather homesick for the office and rattle
of the typewriter and adding machine, and the old routine. Any-
way, it took my mind off chasing the 'Wily Hun* and took it back
to the old days.

"You will notice by the heading that I am no longer in the
old regiment (the 51st Battalion). When they left England I was
quarantined with the measles, and as a result was transferred to
the 46th Battalion, and came over with them about six weeks ago.
We have a pretty good time of it in France. I have been in the
trenches a number of times, and it is part of our regular
routine now. I have slept in tents, barns, holes in the
ground, sandbag dug-outs and all sorts of places. I have even
slept sitting on a trench step in the pouring rain. One gets
used to it, though, and it really is immaterial where we sleep.
One little experience I would like to relate, though. Six of
the other sergeants and myself were put into a deserted hen-
house for a few days, and we called it home for the time being.
We got nicely asleep the first night when the rats started in. They
chewed up our clothes and everything in general. We did not
mind that so much, but when they started walking over our faces
we immediately raised an objection. We got busy and rustled a
few candles, and the light succeeded in keeping the rats quiet.
We got nicely sleeping again, and were enjoying wonderful dreams
of beating up Heine, when we were awakened by the old reliable
rooster. He couldn't be driven from his old home. To wind up
the experience, the next day we started by casting sidelong glances
at each other. The end of it was that we all beat it back to our
hen-house to read our shirts. The news we found was very inter-
esting and provided us with a half-hour's sport.

"As for 'eats,' we do not do so badly. Of course, it is mostly
canned stuff, but we manage very nicely. I have been dubbed
Tickler' by the other boys, on account of my propensity for getting
away with jam. Tickler is the maker of most of the jam we get,
hence the name. So much for the 'social' side of life. Coming
down to the actual fighting is where we get our real excitement and
hard work. Of course, you will know what the trenches are like
in appearance, but they are quite different when one actually has
to live and fight in them. We are down in them and Heine is the
same in his, hence we do not see much of each other.

"I was sent out in 'No Man's Land' one night, putting up some

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wire along with about twelve others. Heine got wind of our party
some way, and opened up his machine guns at about ten minute
intervals. We were out for three hours, and, believe me, he kept
us ducking, but we finished the work we went out to do.

"We see some great sights in the trenches, though, when the
artillery opens up. They sure blow the Fritz & Co. trenches into
an awful mess. One hears the screaming of the big shells and
then the explosion, and tons of dirt going up in the air. The last
time I was in we saw a Hun blown about thirty feet in the air,
together with a few yards of his trench. Of course, he comes
back at us with shells of all descriptions, and then we have to do
some ducking and dodging. The ones we can see are O.K., but
the ones we don't see are what get on our nerves. His rum-jars,
sausages, and fish-tails (all high explosive and shrapnel trench
mortar shells) can easily be seen, and provide a lot of sport dodging
them, but the other that cannot be seen, well, we just stand tight
and take a chance. We give him about twenty to one, though, so
we know we provide him with a whole lot more fun than he gives us."

The following is an extract from a letter from
Private W. G. Chisholm, formerly of the Saskatoon staff,
dated 9th September, 1916.

The 2nd of June, 1916, was the day on which the
Germans tried to smash their way through at Ypres for
the third time. Princess Patricia's Canadian Light
Infantry stemmed the onslaught at Sanctuary Wood,
Ypres.

"I am getting along fine now. I had an operation a month
ago; had a piece of shrapnel taken out of my chest and a piece out
of my right forearm, consequently I had my arm in a sling for
three weeks, but it is all healed now, although it still feels pretty
weak.

"As you doubtless know, I was wounded on that never-to-be-
forgotten 2nd of June, when so many fine fellows made the supreme
sacrifice. I never wish to go through the same experience again —
I shall never forget the awful sights I saw that day. I was very
lucky, I was wounded in the afternoon and made my way safely
to the dressing station, although a large number of fellows were
buried alive on their way out there. I was very sorry to hear that
Elderkin had been killed that day. He was in No. 1 Company,
which was surrounded on three sides by the Germans, but very
few of them were taken prisoners."

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The following are extracts from a letter from
Lieutenant A. B. Morkill, formerly Manager at the Oak
Bay Avenue branch (Victoria), dated 15th September,
1916.

Lieutenant Morkill herein describes his first visit to
the Somme. The letter was written in the ruined city of
Albert.

"Life over here is very interesting and full of variety. I love
the work and the country. The latter must be the most wonderful
in the world, that is, in spirit. No one could see it without feeling
the greatest admiration. Apart from this, it is most beautiful, and
I have enjoyed every foot of the journeys. The coloring is soft
and lovely, and the little rivers, villages, etc., etc., are all fascin-
ating. In spite of all this, it will be a jolly fine day when we get
back to good old Canada. At the present, we are back a few miles
from the trenches, having a rest. We had four days in, and the
poor boys need the break after a pretty strenuous time. The
bank life seems like a dream, but I suppose, if I am taken back, that
I will soon settle down to it again. I got off very lightly in this last
show, but hope to see more of the next. The battle-fields are
indescribable. What villages there were, are as flat as ploughed
fields, and most certainly the country is one of desolation. Not
a tree, but occasionally the stump of one to accentuate the barren-
ness, and at night when it is lit up by the flames and the flashes of
the guns, it leaves the impression of a very modern hell.

"I ran into McGachen, of Winnipeg, down at the base. He
seemed very fit. Joe Bridgman and Arthur Crease are here with
the 29th. This is one big meeting place, and I run into someone
every day. Did you know Billy Casey? He was my company
commander, and I am sorry to say he was killed the other night."

The following letter is from Captain James H. Lovett,
written in France on 3rd August, 1916. Captain Lovett
was formerly Accountant of the Alexander Avenue
(Winnipeg) branch, and had been twice wounded since
reaching the front:

"Since receiving your letter I was in England for nearly eight
weeks, and, after coming back, on my first turn in the trenches, I
again got into the casualty list by getting too close to a bursting
trench mortar, which closed both eyes for me for a while. One
was rather difficult to fix at the dressing-station, so they sent me to
the base, where I had great difficulty in persuading them not to

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send me to England. However, I am again back and have received
my captaincy, also a company.

"The country around here is very beautiful, much like Ontario
with its rolling hills and woods and streams. The chalk beds make
the trenches very nasty when it rains. After living in them for a
few hours you become as white as a miller.

"Out here the French government have an issue of paper
money for use in the towns and cities and the adjoining localities.
The censor is very strict these days and, as you know, we are
unable to tell our whereabouts, but I think I might enclose a deposit
for account of, say, the souvenir fund — 1 franc. I am to-day
wearing a good smile, as we are located in a fine billet and share a
real bed for to-night, but as we rise at 4.80 a.m. I shall not have
much time to enjoy a good sleep.

"I saw Mr. Mordy (of Winnipeg) just before he was wounded,
also Brander (of Winnipeg), when I passed through the base.
There are Commerce men everywhere out here. It was a matter
of great regret to me to hear about my old manager, R. E. N.
Jones, as I had seen him such a short time previously, and I had
planned to go over and see him again."

EDITOR'S NOTE: Lieut. R. E. N. Jones was killed in action
on the 6th of April, 1916.

The following is an extract from a letter from Captain
H. E. Tylor, formerly manager of the St. Thomas branch,
written from "Somewhere in France" on 30th September,
1916.

This letter refers to the Somme offensive:
"Just a year ago to-day since I left the St. Thomas branch.
Five months' training in Canada and England, seven months'
service in Belgium and France have made up a wonderful twelve
months, and what a difference in our favour in that time. We
had a most interesting trip down through France. I acted as Billet-
ing Officer, probably through my knowledge of French (!), which is
nil. I came with my small party by way of the coast, and had a
swim in the sea, the first and only this year, and very enjoyable.
That was an extra day; we were usually one day ahead of
our outfit. We arrived at our destination one afternoon and
were taking up our position just as an exciting air fight was in
progress. The Hun was shot down in our lines. From that day
until this we have been very busy, and it has been one steady
advance day and night — Mouquet Farm, Courcelette, Martin-
puich. Our air service has been wonderful. A strange thing about

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this advance is that the German trenches in front of us are given
Canadian names before being captured, and as they are taken the
names are absorbed into our front.

"I have seen the Tanks, especially 'Creme de Menthe* and
'Cupid.' They are splendid, their action and armament wonder-
ful. One feels such an atom in this great offensive. ... I am
hoping to be back next year."

The following are extracts from a letter written by
Gunner G. H. Jackson about two weeks before his death
in action at St. Eloi, on 27th March, 1916. Mr. Jackson,
who was formerly a member of the St. Catharines branch,
was a gunner in the 10th Battery, C.F.A., and went
overseas with the First Contingent. The letter was a
private one to his family, and was received after his
death:

"I am now in one of France's large cities going to school — yes,
going to school. It seems funny in the army, nevertheless it's
true. Lectures from nine until eleven a.m., and two until four p.m.
The course is on gas defensive measures. We study the construc-
tion, chemicals used, etc., of all apparatus concerned in both
offensive and defensive use, in order that we can better understand
them. Of course, we have practical work, too, in going through
the real gas and in studying other chemicals the Germans use.
It is all very interesting, but oh, my! On rejoining my battery,
it will be up to me to see that all the men's helmets, etc., are in
good order; explain the use of different chemicals, etc. All the
time we are not at lectures is our own, therefore, we roam around
and enjoy ourselves. Am at present in a fine, big Y.M.C.A., where
plenty of reading and writing materials are provided — a coffee
bar, chairs, tables and stoves, so you can imagine it's an agreeable
change. Of course, it is all run by soldiers. There are also two
moving picture shows, loads of caf6s, restaurants, etc., but darned
little money. Am getting used to that, so that doesn't matter.

"By the way, was through the gas this morning, and it turned
my brass buttons black, destroyed the illuminated dial on my
watch and turned my khaki uniform a reddish brown. Say! what
would it do to your lungs without protection? I have had some of
it while in action, without protection, but not very strong."

The following is a letter received from Lieutenant
T. C. Floyd, 16th Battalion, The Canadian Scottish, 1st
Division, B.E.F., France, dated 13th September, 1916.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Lieutenant Floyd was formerly in the Superintendent's
Department at Winnipeg.

This letter refers to the trenches at Mouquet Farm,
the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of the entire
Somme offensive:

"We are back in billets for a short period, having completed
our tour in the trenches. It certainly was some tour. I hope I
never have to go through such another. The shell-fire was some-
thing terrific. The enemy guns never let up once all the time we
were in. Night and day it was the same, a continual 'crump' from a
rain of shells exploding. Really it is impossible to describe the shell-
fire we were under. How it was any of us came out is a mystery.
As it was I couldn't get out with a whole skin. A piece of Fritz's
shell took a small portion of my right cheek with it, while another
piece took the shoulder out of my raincoat and another cut the
top of my steel helmet, besides numerous other shells which landed
too close to be welcomed very much.

"I certainly was a bright looking person when we got out of
the trenches with about a six days' beard, and absolutely plastered
with mud from head to foot. If you could have seen me I don't
think you would have recognized one of your old staff.

"Saw MacMillan a short time ago. He was quite well. It
is getting late, so will close for to-night."

The following letter is from Lieutenant J. K.
Patterson, formerly of our First Street West (Calgary)
branch, who was wounded on 15th September, 1916, near
the French village of Flers.

Mr. Patterson herein describes the British attack at
Flers on the day he was wounded. In this action tanks
were used by the British for the first time:

"Here I am back in old England and I sometimes wonder how
I ever got here. Last time I wrote we were at Ploegsteert,
Belgium, and having quite a 'cushy' time for trench life. We knew
it was soon to be our turn to see something more active than
sedentary lif e amid sandbags and dug-outs, and we all looked for-
ward to the change.

"The day arrived and its dawn broke grey and foreboding.
It was a bitter dawn for me, for one of my platoon officers, a young
chap I had taken a great interest in, was shot through the head
within half an hour of leaving the trenches. One effect of his
death was to strengthen the stern resolve to carry out those duties

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allotted to me with one idea above all — to bring out the best in
men and officers when our time came to leap the parapet and go
for the enemy. We had not long to wait. After a few weeks'
vigorous training we moved up to the rolling hills behind Albert.
It would require the pen of a genius to describe adequately the
scenes which lay around us as we bivouaced. Here, indeed, we
saw the fruit of the superhuman energies of the Empire. As far
as the eye could see thousands of bivouacs dotted the hills, clouds
of dust marked the roads where the endless streams of transport
worked with ceaseless energy to and from the battlefield. At night
the scene was even more magnificent. The British Tommy, no
matter where he is, in wrecked, battered trench or in pleasant
camp life, finds enough fuel and tea to make a brew in his billy-can,
and he prefers to have it when darkness falls. There is no time
allotted in the military schedule for supper, but Tommy makes a
time, and often I have wished that I could don his rank in the
evening and join him in jollification when the brew is set and the
tale is told. As one sees a huge city from a mountain top with its
twinkling lights, so appeared the hills and valleys of the Somme on
this night in September, alive with humanity. Amid the ceaseless
roar of the guns through the night, one heard the vociferous snore
of Tommy Atkins in his palatial bivouac.

"The next morning (it was the fourteenth of September) we
struck camp and marched out, taking the trail eastward; and,
having read the story of the glorious 15th, you will feel as I do,
that it was a trail which lead to glory and honor. As I rode the
'Rabbit' (named such from his white tail and roaming habits) the
countryside seemed blue as an ant-hill seen through a powerful
microscope. Everywhere were mule wagons bearing shells and
S.A.A. of all kinds — a tribute to the women we had left behind —
ambulances, gun limbers, cavalry, infantry, each moving by its
prescribed route to the battlefield. It was a beautiful evening,
herald of a glorious morning. As we drew near our first halting
place we passed over the scarred and battered land significant of
bloody battles, through the ruins of Mametz, Fricourt and Mont-
auban. We halted at a dump in a valley where we loaded up with
water and ammunition, shouting to make ourselves heard above
the screech of 18-pounders, recognizing each other in the flashes of
the guns. The trail was long and tortuous from this to Delville
Wood, part of it made with gas helmets on. I cannot describe
the wood to you or what remained of it; a tornado more terrible
than the imagination can conceive had torn it, leaving a mass of
blackened earth, tree trunks and terrible objects which had once

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rejoiced in life and freedom. Time was racing ahead, and, in the
starlight, the scene was a nightmare; the rattle of machine-guns
was nigh. Another noise attracted and amused us. We knew of
the 'tanks' and recognized the chut-chut of its exhaust as one of
the monsters moved into position. The Boche had not yet seen
one of these and the noise of a motor-car in the front line astonished
him. He sent up flares, sent over shells, rattled away with his
machine-guns at the sound. He was soon to know to his cost the
meaning of the sinister noise. As the first few streaks of dawn
lightened the sky, we were in position. It always seems to me as I
watch daybreak from the front line after a 'dirty' night how calm
and serene it is, reminiscent of days gone by, and to me it is essen-
tially 'civilian,' if I may use the expression.

"The hour arrived and off we went, overhead our shells tearing
and screeching, making a wall of death in front of us. Our first
Boche prisoner came stumbling through it, a youth with red hair,
hands upraised and eyes staring at us, terrified, questioning eyes
— 'Would it be his fortune to escape one terrible death only to
meet another less terrible, surely, but yet death?' We did not
stop to answer him; our task was to seek out others of his kind
and take possession of their funk-holes. As on parade-ground the
men moved across that soil, each square yard a shell-hole, dogging
the creeping barrage. We topped a ridge and before us lay Flers.
Into my mind flashed a picture I had seen, at a time when picture
books were my joy, of a stormy petrel skimming a turbulent sea,
in the background a rocky island hah* hidden in spray by the angry
waves. Thus to me seemed Flers, as our shells screamed into it
— surely nothing living could exist there. However, my time was
drawing near, and within a stone's throw of the village a bullet
caught me in the chest, spinning me into a shell-hole. The rest
is blurred, the remembrance of a shell playing handball with me as
it threw me into another hole a few yards off, luckily doing no other
damage. I have been told I was out there thirty-six hours, but
when I woke it was a glorious afternoon and our line was now
well beyond Flers. You know my weight, so you can imagine
how plucky were the stretcher-bearers who carried me between
two and three miles to the dressing-station.

"Here I am and getting on quickly. The lung was grazed,
but the wound is not serious now. Soon I shall be in harness again.
Meanwhile I am enjoying the luxury of linen sheets and soft,
white hands and nothing to do; the last is not the least of all in
the miracle of changes.

"I have written a long screed to-day and it is almost lunch

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time, so I must close. There will be many more scraps before the
next twelve months are out, but I do not anticipate anything more
glorious than the 15th of September."

The f ollowing is a letter from Flight-Lieutenant W. H.
Dore, of the Royal Flying Corps, late of the Winnipeg
staff, written in France on 6th November, 1916.

Mr. Dore was subsequently promoted Captain. He
was reported missing on 9th August, 1918, and was pre-
sumed to have been killed on that date. No trace of him
was ever found.

"To-day there is a 70-mile gale blowing itself around. I was
to go to Paris to fetch a new type of machine we are having in the
squadron and fly back one of the old type that we are getting rid
of, but the wind is too strong. The new machines, though rather
difficult to handle at first, are very warm for winter work and faster
than the types used by us last summer. Next spring, however,
we must have something newer still, for the Huns' machines are all
very fast. Did I mention in my last letter anything of a fight 1
had with three Huns? One fellow came over our aerodrome and
I pushed off after him. He got within range when I was seven or
eight miles over the lines and only 5,000 feet high. He was joined
by two others and then they attacked me. I shot one down, drove
the second down, and while chasing the third my gun jammed,
whereupon I broke off the fight. Whenever one meets a Hun on
his own level and within long range, unless he is caught unawares,
one invariably finds another Hun higher up and in the act of diving
on the Britisher. If you don't get him as he comes down, or if he
doesn't get you, he keeps going down and glides homewards, and
the one at your own level pushes off also. We all wish up here
that the Hun would put up more and better fights. One of our
boys got a fellow alone a few days ago who tried to fight, and:he
soon sent him to the earth in flames.

"Owing to the shortage of pilots in our flight, I missed my
turn to go to Paris. I should have left yesterday. We go there
for our machines, and so far all who have brought machines from
Paris report having had a delightful time.

"Excepting at the Sorame, things are extremely quiet on the
whole front — too much so, in fact. We all think that in a few
years we may be able to guess when the war will end, but very
few want it to end now; they would prefer to see the Boche
thoroughly beaten and give their lives to help in the doing rather
than see peace declared now.

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"In another three or four months I should be going to England
for a 'rest' lasting perhaps five months. While 'resting' one teaches
others the art of aviation, but I should prefer staying out in France.
I would do anything for a short trip to Winnipeg, though.

"We are all a very happy and comfortable family here, and
the best of friends. There is no partiality shown by our O.C.,
who is a major and D.S.O., aged twenty-six, and therefore every
officer and man is in his proper place, and when a dud man is next
for promotion he is got rid of — usually before he gets far up the
list.

"I was very sorry to hear that both Mordy and Curran have
been so badly knocked about. I hope Mordy is getting along O.K.
and is able to throw himself about as swiftly as ever. Curran has
done his bit, and should be given a good job, if they need him, or
allowed to resign."

The following is an extract from a letter written in
England on 8th November, 1916, by Lieutenant R. B.
McCarthy, formerly of the Winnipeg staff.

Lieutenant McCarthy was killed in action on 9th
April, 1917:

"The course we are taking here is very comprehensive, includ-
ing, as it does, lots of practical work, such as map-work, trench
making, night attacks, etc., and we are given numerous lectures.
There are about seventy of us here living in long, low buildings
called 'huts.' They have electric light, hot and cold water, open
fireplaces, etc., so we can hardly say we are roughing it. Imperial
as well as Canadian officers are here, but in our hut we are nearly
all Winnipegers, the 100th, 107th, 108th and 144th all being
represented.

"The mess is very formal at night — six or seven courses, each
with a ten minutes', or so, interval. We come off very well, though,
for we have five meals a day ! — a bite and cup of tea before physical
training, breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. All the
instructors have been in the present campaign and wear either the
D.S.O. or M.C., or both.

"We are less than thirty miles from London, so, naturally, we
are able to go there quite often, especially as we have the week-ends
to ourselves. London looks pretty dismal at night now, for they
enforce the laws regarding lights. Still, with a little practice, it
is fairly easy to find one's way around through the main parts.
When you get into one of the theatres, restaurants or large hotels
at night, it is hard to believe that there is a war on at all. Not

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having quite got over the habit of digging out financial facts, I
learned that the Hotel Victoria, where I stayed on one visit, took
in on the average £400 per day, while the Savoy on the day I was
there took in £607 through its restaurant alone.

"We see no signs of our going to France yet, but can expect
such a move as soon as this course is over, I believe."

The following is from a letter written "Somewhere
in France," by Lieutenant G. E. Scroggie, formerly
Accountant at the Walkerville branch. (This letter was
written at a farm one and a half miles south of Poperinghe,
which is the fair-sized town mentioned):

"I left Toronto with my platoon on November 25th, 1915;
sailed from Halifax on the 27th, and, after a very quiet and unevent-
ful voyage, duly arrived in England.

"It was my fate to be sent to Larkhill Camp, Salisbury
Plains, where I was attached to the Canadian Reserve Cyclist
Company, which company was attached to the Imperial Cyclists
for training. After the experiences of the Canadians on the Plains
the year before, you can imagine how pleased I was to go there,
And our unit was the only Canadian one there last winter. We
found the accommodation much better than we had expected,
though. We had quite comfortable huts, but the mud was such
that we were unable to do any training as cyclists, and, in fact,
we could hardly venture out of our huts at all.

"One would never know by the faces of the people of London
that a war is on, for all seemed cheerful and bright and there was
little or no sign of poverty. It was certainly wonderful to see the
troops from all parts of the Empire, and also from the other Allied
Countries, all gay and happy in their holiday mood and not at all
worried about the progress of the war. It was pretty quiet there
at night, though. The streets were very dark and liquor was not
sold after 9.80, which made the cafes and hotels close much earlier
than in the past.

"We were advised near the end of February that our company
was to provide the Cyclist Company for the 3rd Division, and there
certainly was some rejoicing when it became known. We left
England the last week in March and have been on the scene of
action ever since, for we had only one day at the base.

"We are certainly much more comfortable here than I had
ever expected to be while on active service. We are billeted at a
farm, and the officers have bell tents or shacks to sleep in. I have
a bell tent with a wooden floor, cot, wash-stand, etc. I have not

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

been so comfortable since I joined the army. We have a room in
the farm-house for our mess-room, and as there is a grate fire in it,
we can enjoy the comfort of home at night. We can also buy fresh
eggs, milk, etc., which help to make our ration issue very palatable.
The men are billeted in the barns and other outbuildings, and, with
the liberal use of straw and by the ingenious construction of stoves
from empty biscuit boxes, etc., they are 'all to the merry.'

"We are fortunate in being billeted quite close to a fair-sized
town where we can buy nearly all the necessaries of life if we feel
so inclined. The Army runs a canteen there, where we can buy
foodstuffs at five per cent, above cost, and the five per cent, profit
goes to Red Cross funds. The Army also runs a vaudeville show and
a cinema there, and they are both of a very high order, especially the
vaudeville show, which compares very favorably with the best shows
which I saw in London. There is a special gallery for officers at the
cinema, with little tables where they can have afternoon tea with
fancy cakes — and all within range and sound of the guns. Seems
incredible, doesn't it? There is also a sort of club for officers where
they can read the latest magazines, etc. The men can all have a hot
bath once a week in this town, and they are issued with clean under-
wear and leave their old to be mended and washed. I can get the
London papers of the previous day before breakfast every morning,
brought to my tent by a newsboy.

"The normal work of our unit in open warfare is scouting and
reconnaissance, but in trench warfare they are using us for a number
of things, mostly road patrolling, controlling traffic and dispatch
riding, and it is all very interesting and quite exciting, too, for most
of our work is up in the forward area which is shelled regularly and,
of course, the roads are always under observation, as it. only takes
the presence of one or two men to tempt the Germans to throw a
shell over.

"We see lots of fighting in the air and it is most interesting.
An aeroplane flying at high speed some hundreds of feet up is not
an easy mark, and it is not very often that they are brought down
by shell-fire. Twice recently the empty shell cases fired at enemy
planes have fallen quite close to our camp, in the adjoining field,
so we have to look out for our own guns as well as the enemy's."

The following are extracts from a letter written by
Lieutenant N. L. Wells in the German internment camp
at Friedberg. Mr. Wells, who was formerly a member of
the Regina staff, left for England in October, 1915, in
charge of a detachment from the 68th Battalion. In

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March, 1916, he was sent over to France with reinforce-
ments for the 4th C.M.R., and had only been about four
days in the trenches when during a terrific artillery
bombardment lasting for four or five hours, he was
wounded in the right side and partially buried. He was
then taken prisoner, interned at the Kaiserin Augusta-
Schule, Cologne, for a while, and later transferred to
Friedberg:

"I am now feeling quite fit, though my hearing is not right yet.
I was in hospital for seven weeks, and it was fine to get out. The
hospital was nearly filled with Russian soldiers and there were only
seven English officers. We went out for one walk while I was there
in order to attend the funeral of a British officer, and we were
greatly admired by a large concourse of children, who acted as a
body-guard. I left Cologne at the end of July and went to Mainz,
where I stayed two days only. The whole of the journey was in the
Rhine valley by the side of the river, and the scenery was splendid,
though rather monotonous. There are steep, wooded hills on both
sides of the river (which looks extremely dirty) and innumerable
castles perched on crags close to the river bank. The castles look
very picturesque, but they must be extremely uncomfortable to
live in. I had two guards, and they would persist in talking
German all the way. As my German consists of about three words
the result was rather one-sided, but I scored off them by murmuring
'Nix panimi' (which I believe is Russian for 'I don't understand'),
and they were completely nonplussed as to what it meant. I
continued making this highly intelligent remark with different
expression at intervals during the journey, and so succeeded in
adding quite a tone to the conversation.

"There is a big yard at Mainz where hockey is played, and there
is also a billiard room where there is one good English table and
four French or Russian tables. Of course everything is supplied
by the officers themselves. We left Mainz after two days, and had
a far more comfortable journey to Friedberg. Fortunately we
had a German officer with us and we had the inestimable privilege
of travelling second class. Part of the way I travelled on an ice
wagon, and I entered the town in state. This is supposed to be
one of the best camps in Germany and is about two hundred and
fifty yards square. The place was originally intended for a Non-
Commissioned Officers' school, and there is a fine place for shower
baths. I have not played tennis yet, but I hope to do so soon.
We have practically all our food sent from England and so live

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

quite well, though it is not a very healthy existence. It is prac-
tically impossible to escape. I am sick of being here, naturally,
and I should like to get back to the front, though it is rather exciting
there at times. We had an awful time, with no chance to hit back.
I saw a photo taken from a German newspaper showing four of
the 4th C.M.R. officers unwounded. I think there were only ten
unwounded officers altogether from all the battalions engaged, and
as they must have come over on a mile or two frontage you can
imagine what happened to the remainder."

The following is a letter dated 28th September, 1916,
written in France by Mr. E. P. Blake, who enlisted
from the London, England, office, and who was one of the
first detachment which took the special course of training
for the "Tanks."

The tanks went into action for the first time on
15th September, 1916, at Courcellette, on the Somme.

"I daresay you may care to hear how I fared since I launched
on the 'Great Adventure' in this country. You will probably have
seen in the papers how well things have been going on lately and
also all about the 'Tanks.' A great deal is true about them, but
I am afraid a certain amount is somewhat exaggerated. However,
their moral effect on Fritz the first time we went into action was
undoubted, as was also their fighting ability, but I can assure you
the feeling of being boxed up like that under intensely heavy shell-
fire of all kinds, was worse than anything I have ever felt before.
I am getting used to being under shell-fire now by degrees, but
it takes some getting used to. We have been up amongst it now
for a fortnight, sometimes sleeping in the tanks, sometimes in the
dug-outs. It gets intensely cold by about three o'clock in the
morning, and to make things worse, we have had quite a lot of
rain. However, we are expecting to be relieved by another
company in a day or two, when we shall no doubt get a few days'
complete rest, and most of us have well earned it.

"The life is extraordinarily interesting, as it is so novel in
every way. Just a short way further up from where I am now
the dead are lying about in scores, practically all Germans. The
working parties are unable to get up near enough to bury them,
owing to the Hun shell-fire, which is kept up pretty incessantly
during day and nig\ht in a vain attempt to prevent our supports
from getting up. Oiar infantry is absolutely splendid. It is quite a
sight to see them going over the parapet as if there were nothing in
the world like enemy machine-guns or a barrage of fire. We went

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

in with some Imperial battalions and the New Zealanders. I have
not seen the Canadians in action; they were some distance away
on our left. I hear they did some more splendid work. Well,
they could not beat the New Zealanders. They are magnificent.
I may not tell you exactly where we have been, but it is about the
hottest shop on the line. There is no such thing as a quiet minute
as far as I have heard, but one learns gradually to sleep through all
the din. I was out with a working party two or three days ago,
when, quite suddenly, a 'coal-box* burst right amongst us, doing
rather bad damage to some of our boys and killing one outright.
I had my tunic unbuttoned and flying loose, and one side is now
quite riddled with splinter holes. I had a most miraculous escape,
with only a bad shaking up. A night later I was walking along a
road with a message, when a shell burst about five or six yards
away from me. The concussion knocked me over, and very
luckily, too, as I should otherwise probably have stopped a bit of
flying shell. However, these things are all in the days' work, and
the infantry must have escapes like that two or three times a day.
It is a common saying out here that so long as you hear a shell
singing you are practically safe, but you never hear the one that
gets you. Nevertheless, you duck instinctively the moment you
hear a German shell, except in the case of a 'whiz-bang,' when you
get no chance to duck, as they come over like a flash, and the whiz
and the flash are virtually simultaneous. The Hun tear-shells are
very unpleasant and make one's eyes extremely sore before one
can get a mask on.

"You never saw such a sight as the countryside is now — one
mass of shell-holes everywhere you look. The woods are blown to
pieces, and only a few branchless stumps remain of what must
once have been very fine little thickets. As for the towns and
villages — well, they simply don't exist now. In one village just
behind us there is practically not a brick left standing on another,
with the exception of one side of the church, which has marvellously
escaped. The war has really developed into a violent artillery duel,
in which the infantry and ourselves go forward to complete what
the artillery has left undone, and we are absolutely undoubtedly
on top in every phase of it. The doings of the past fortnight must
have brought the end appreciably nearer, but even now it is
utterly impossible to forecast, so much depends on the weather.

"I am pretty fit myself, except that I simply cannot sleep
since my shaking; that will no doubt wear off when I get away from
the din for a bit. As you know, my nerves were never of the
strongest; it is the man with the iron nerve and will who scores out

here.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"I can't say much about what the tanks do, but of course you
have read about it in the papers. They certainly seem to have
created a sensation, not only amongst the Huns, but also in British
journalism. We of the corps evidently kept our secret very well.
The papers will tell you more than I am allowed to by an eagle-
eyed censor, but I notice that the papers say very little about the
poor devils who made the success of the tanks possible, namely
the crews. People at home will no doubt get the idea that we were
well protected as compared with the infantry. Perhaps so, and
perhaps not. I can assure you that it was a splendid test of a
man's nerve and pluck, and you might be pleased to hear that,
whatever the tanks have been through at any time, there has never
been once any sign of a panic amongst any crew. Not a bad^thing
to be able to say for absolutely raw soldiers, and some of us have
been through it a bit, too.

"I received No. 5 copy of 'Letters from the Front.' They are
very interesting, aren't they? I hope you will see that I get all
subsequent copies. There is just one other thing, too. If you
ever hear of anybody who has magazines to spare, I should be
mightily obliged if you would mention my name. They would
greatly help to pass the few spare minutes away for all of us.

"I trust all the boys are well. Have you lost many more
since Green and Cridland? I was very distressed to see that P. M.
Alexander and Ingmire had gone over to the great majority; it is
very sad. I have not seen any of our boys out here yet; I search
for dear old Lawson in every officer I see. I hope he is still alive.

"Must close this letter now as it is too dark to see any more
and I have no candle."

The following is a short letter written from a hospital
in England by Mr. Eric Stainton, formerly of the London,
England, staff:

"Just a line to enable my 'traverse' of the address register to
be brought up to date. The address is due to a lump of shrapnel
which I was foolhardy enought to try to stop with my face, in front
of Lesboeufs village during the big offensive on 25th ultimo. The
damage is not extensive and I hope I shall not have to carry more
than a slight scar as a souvenir.

"We get splendidly treated in'hospital, botirhere and in' France,
and I consider (myself extremely lucky to have regained 'Blighty*
so comparatively lightly."

The following extracts are from letters written by
Miss Wynne-Roberts, formerly on the staff at the Toronto

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

branch, who served as a V.A.D. Nurse in No. 1 Southern
General Hospital, Dudley Road, Birmingham, England:

"Our marching orders were not long in arriving. I was sent
here with four other Toronto girls, one from London (Ont.) and
two from Ottawa. We arrived on Saturday night. On Sunday
morning we were told in what wards to work, and now we feel as if
we had been here for months. For the present I am in the con-
valescent section, so am not overworked, nor do I get much actual
nursing experience. The others are nearly all in surgical wards
and have started in right away on dressing, etc. The work is very
interesting and it is good to be able to do something for the poor
chaps. Some of the wounds are horrible, so bad that one wonders
if it would not be more merciful to let the men die. And yet the
boys are so plucky, always ready with a smile and a joke, and those
who can get about at all, always ready to help.

"Everyone here is very good to the Canadians and the
Canadian men are as pleased as can be to have us here. We have
pretty well all the colonies represented in the hospital — a great
number of Australians, quite a few Canadians (one Toronto man
who enlisted with the 81st is in my ward) and a few from the utter-
most parts of the earth. I have not found out the exact number of
patients yet, but am told that it is well over 2,000. The main
corridors are each over a quarter of a mile in length. Imagine
walking that distance every time one needs something from the
nurses' home!

"Just suggest to the staff that if anybody has an occasional
paper or magazine, especially Canadian, there will be lots of boys
very grateful for them. I have some six or seven Canadians in my
ward, and the few papers we get, pass from hand to hand and from
ward to ward, until there is very little left of them. The boys are
dears. They do every single solitary bit of work which does not
absolutely need a woman's hand. They sweep, dust, make beds,
hand out meals, wash up and everything else, so that I am not a
bit overworked, really. And the pranks they are up to! The
place is in an uproar half the time.

"It is not quite such an ordeal now to get up at 5.45, but just
imagine the luxury it would be to lie in bed, listen to the old reveille
bugle and be able to turn over and sleep just as long as one likes!

"The camera is as popular as ever. The boys are crazy about
being 'snapshotted' under every possible condition. The oftener
they are taken, the better pleased they are.

"I discovered a C.B. of C. man in my ward to-day. His name
is MacMahon, of the 2nd C.M.R. He was in the Bank at Watrous,

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Sask., I believe, and knows Mr. Beck and a few others. The world
is small, after all.

"Just been informed that time is up. Now for a bite of tea,
then work again. It's a strange life, but I wouldn't miss it for
worlds."

The following is a letter written in Shorncliffe on
6th October, 1916, by Lieutenant F. A. Day, formerly of
the Mirror branch :

The big push herein referred to is the Somme offen-
sive which commenced on 1st July, 1916:

"Since leaving Canada in 1914 I have had quite a varied and
interesting experience. In June, 1915, through an error, I was
commissioned into the Middlesex Regiment, left England and
went to Egypt to join the British Mesopotamian Expeditionary
Force. After two weeks in Alexandria I was sent towards
the Tripoli frontier where the Senussi Arabs were a bit trouble-
some. On Christmas Day two of us officers were recalled to
Alexandria, and on December 29th we left for Cape Helles
on the 'Arcadian* just in time for the evacuations. From there
we returned to Alexandria, and after a few days were sent down
the Suez Canal to a place called Shabuffa, where we crossed
and started digging trenches. It was quite amusing in a way here,
for no sooner had we our trenches nicely fitted up than a sandstorm
would come during the night and the trenches were no more; in
many cases all trace of them was destroyed. Here, only our
outposts got in touch with the Turkish outposts. On the 12th of
March, we left Suez for Alexandria once again, where we embarked
on the 'Transylvania,' said good-bye to the B.M.E.F. and left that
same night for Marseilles. Arriving in France on the 17th we were
nearly frozen to the bone, for on our first night some snow fell,
and most of us were still in our tropical kit.

"Nothing of importance occurred until the 24th of June,
1916, when at 5 a.m. the big bombardment which lasted for seven
days commenced. With few exceptions, we were all war-stained
veterans, and it gave every man ineffable joy to know we were to
take part during the opening days of the long-waited-for 'Big
Push'. Our division, the 29th (commonly known as the
'Immortal 29th'), were to make a frontal attack on Beaumont
Hamel. We had another regular division on our left and a 'new
army' division on our right, with a Territorial division as the corps
support. The first of July was a beautiful summer day, and I do
not think that any person who is living to-day who went over the

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

parapet on that day will ever forget it. A slight breeze was blow-
ing towards the German line, and everything seemed dead in front
of us; the grass had all lost its colour from the gas we had sent over
during the seven days' bombardment. Our line could be traced as
far as the eye could see by the difference in the colour — green on
our side. The great advance was timed to start at 7.80 a.m.
The sun had been up for hours. At 7.20 the Beaumont Hamel
mine was sent up. This is supposed to be the largest mine ever
exploded. It terminated under a redoubt in the German front line,
was 150 feet deep and contained 22^ tons of ammonal. Strange
to say, it made no noise. The earth shook and dirt, rifles, parts of
Germans, etc., were thrown hundreds of feet into the air. The
crater was some 200 yards in diameter. I was fortunate enough
to be only 500 yards to the right of it. I shall not dwell on the
attack; it was too awful for words. Sufficient to say we were not
successful. The Germans simply annihilated us with machine-
guns. I actually saw some of them get up on their parapets
and open fire on us with their machine-guns. They, of course, did
not last long. During the night the news was very reassuring
when we heard of the success, of the boys on the right, and of the
French.

"One of the happiest moments of my life was when I got a
wire from the headquarters of the corps saying that the Canadian
headquarters had asked for my services, and if I was desirous of
transferring. On the 17th of July I left for England once again.

"I am now brigade musketry officer to the 1st Canadian
Training Brigade. I am glad to be back again, but the pluck,
endurance and cheerfulness of the officers, N.C.O.'s and men of
the Imperial army are far beyond any possible imagination.

"The sight that impressed me most of all was a bombardment
and attack at night. Just imagine a fire- works display on the
largest scale possible, and that is as near as you can get to it. Take
a dark night, with the shrapnel bursting in the air, which looks
like so many eyes blinking at you, each having its fringe of black,
yellow or white smoke, the high explosive shells bursting on the
ground, looking just like a rising moon, the machine-gun and rifle-
fire, just like fireflies, and the star-shells and Bengal lights, red,
blue, green and white, some going up blue and bursting into golden
rain, and it is a most awe-inspiring sight, glorious to behold."

The following is a letter from Mr. A. C. Caton, for-
merly of the London, England, staff. This letter was
written on 10th October, 1916, from a hospital in England,
whither Mr. Caton was sent after having been wounded.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

The fighting herein described occurred at Hebuterne,
opposite Gommecourt, on the first day of the great Somme
offensive, 1st July, 1916:

"You will probably be surprised to learn my new address, I
got here last Wednesday, after ten days in hospital in France, and
expect I shall be here for a few weeks yet. I managed to get in
the way of a shell, a piece of which went through my left thigh,
but without breaking the bone, so I shall probably be quite fit
again soon.

"I had intended writing many a time to know how the fellows
were at the office, but since July 1st we have scarcely had a minute's
leisure. On that date I was one of the eleven men left in my
company out of about 170 who went over, and the other companies
were almost as badly cut up. The whole day was a series of narrow
escapes so far as I was concerned. I was buried by a shell before
we left our trenches (quite a good beginning) but felt all right after
I was dug out again. Then in the afternoon I found myself cut
off with about a dozen others; we kept our end up until it was a
case of either surrender or try to get back to our own men, which
meant running the gauntlet across the open. However, we did
not want to be prisoners for the rest of the war, so we risked it.
I have only heard from one of them since, and he is in hospital.
We have been over twice since then, but did not suffer so heavily."

The following letter dated 31st October, 1916, is
from Lieutenant A. P. MacMillan, formerly in the
Superintendent's Department at Winnipeg.

This refers to the Mouquet Farm strong-point on the
Somme front.

Mr. MacMillan was killed in action on the 26th of
August, 1918:

"You may possibly have noticed that I was wounded last
month, and you will probably be interested to know that my wounds
are quite healed and that before long I shall be as fit as ever again.

"I arrived in France in June last, and from that time until
September my battalion was engaged in the ordinary routine of
trench warfare. There was usually something happening, and
sometimes there was quite enough excitement, but my personal
experiences were quite within the bounds of the many stories of
trench life which I know you have from time to time heard or
read. Since my short stay on the Somme I realize that my life in
France up to that time had been a safe and peaceful existence.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"My battalion was in the first general offensive in which the
Canadian troops were engaged on the Somme front, that which
commenced on the morning of September 15th. I with my platoon
had as my objective a farm, which, by the way, is one of the best
known of the many small strong-points which Fritz has everywhere.
Our artillery support was splendid, as far as my little share was
concerned, and everything worked out as we expected, and I think
that was the experience all along our line. I was shot through the
lung just after we had cleaned the Fritzes out, which was about
ten minutes after we started, so that my experiences were very
limited, but they were right up to the mark so far as excitement
was concerned.

"I thought for a time that I would be some time recovering,
and that I might have got back to Canada for the winter, but once
I had begun to improve I made much more rapid progress than
was expected, and I was out of hospital in less than a month.
Since then I have been up at a delightful country house in York-
shire, having a lazy but most comfortable time. I can assure you
that, when there are no more serious results than I experienced,
being wounded is far from unpleasant. From the time that I
toppled into a shell-hole I have experienced nothing but care and
kindness in superlative degrees.

"It is a rather difficult matter to find the people whom you
want to see in France, but I have run across or heard of quite a
few Commerce men. Short and Darcus (now a sergeant), of the
Medicine Hat staff, were both hale and hearty up to the time that
we went to the Somme. Mr. Floyd, who left Winnipeg with the
same battalion as myself, was wounded shortly after I was. When
I last heard from him he was getting along satisfactorily. Mr. J. C.
Matheson, also of the Medicine Hat branch, is still in France and
I saw him occasionally. He was, during the summer, transferred
to the staff of the 6th Brigade, a change and promotion which all
who know him over there feel he richly deserved. You will, of
course, have heard of the death of D. J. M. Campbell, formerly
at Medicine Hat branch, who obtained a commission in the 31st
Battalion. I happened to meet the brigadier of Campbell's
brigade some little time after Campbell had been killed. He knew
him quite well and spoke in the highest terms of the work which he
had done as scout officer in his battalion. His work, which was
of a most dangerous nature, must have been indeed efficiently
carried out when it was so familiar to his brigade commander.

"I have been transferred to the First Canadian Mounted
Rifle Battalion, 3rd Division, Canadians, B.E.F., France. It is,

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

however, not probable that I shall be sent back to France until
the beginning of the year."

The following is an extract from a letter from Mr.
J. A. Brice, formerly Accountant at the St. John, N.B.,
branch, in which he gives his impressions of the Somme
offensive, 1916.

This letter was written near Courcelette:
"I can't help but feel impressed by the tremendous force which
seems to be behind this drive of the British. Of course we only
see the little portion we are in, but in that little bit the guns,
horses, men and supplies of all sorts seem to be inexhaustible. As
quickly as a few hundred yards' advance is made, big working parties
make new roads (and good ones, too), all running in the one direc-
tion. Before the road is half-done the guns have been brought
up to new positions and the stream of ammunition wagons soon
becomes unbroken. Then slowly but surely the telegraph wires
— thousands of them — are put up as the advance keeps creeping on,
so the advance camps come creeping up. It is all very wonderful,
and the traffic is so dense that at each junction of any two or more
roads there is a 'traffic control' who has much the same powers as
a London policeman. The lorries — and there are hundreds of
thousands of them — seem to be run in trains or sections. At the
headquarters of any one lot you see a big board just like an arrival
and departure board at a big station in Canada. Every lorry has
a distinguishing mark indicating the kind of job which it is doing.
I know the meaning of hardly one of these signs, but the pre-
dominant sign is one indicating big gun ammunition. Others
indicate different things according to the way they are drawn, the
part of the lorry on which they are placed, and the color which
they are painted. Then at times we see hundreds of our old
London busses and, although they are now all painted a sombre
black, advertisements for 'Pears' Soap' still remain inside, and on
the sides of one the other day I noticed some wit had drawn some
fancy work and printed the words 'All the way for a penny.'
Most of them, as well as the lorries, bear the name of their drivers'
sweethearts."

The following letter is from Major J. C. MacPherson,
late of our Calgary branch.

At the time this letter was written, Major Mac-
Pherson was Staff Captain in the Second Canadian
Reserve Brigade, Shorncliffe, England:

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"I am still in England holding down a job at these head-
quarters, and must say that I am fairly well satisfied, although
there are times when I feel I should like to be in the game again;
but I question very much if I could stand it now.

"It was very sad about poor Arbuckle who was just killed
five or six days after rejoining the battalion. John, as you know,
was wounded at St. Eloi, and came over to this country with me
and thence to the same hospital. He left again on the 20th of
September, and when the news came back, almost by return, it
was at first hard to believe.

"Poor Charlie Gordon, after almost thirteen months' steady
in the firing line, was plugged on 26th September. He was just
about one of the finest boys one could meet, and proved a 'brick*
— always cheery and bright, showing no signs of fear even during
the heaviest bombardments. He and Jerry Morgan were a great
pair, almost inseparable, and two of a kind. Morgan, who was
badly wounded, is never mentioned by any of the old 31st without
a feeling of pride, and Charlie Gordon is not far behind. It takes
the trials of this war to make one fully realize what men are and
who are the real men when danger is present and it means life or
death.

"Young Oliver, who went to the P.P.C.L.I., is wounded and
in hospital over here; also Woods. Jones, manager at Mount
Royal, has just arrived with the Lethbridge Battalion, also
Alexander from the Superintendent's Department, Winnipeg.

"The fighting in France must have been damnable lately, and
the accounts from some of the boys who were there — well, enough
said."

The following is a novel little note of thanks from
Messrs. C. J. Jeffrey and C. N. Ward, formerly of the
Toronto branch, for one of the boxes forwarded to them
by the members of the staff of that office:

"Your box of eats was certainly appreciated and arrived in
good condition.

Brushing through pine and through hemlock,

Tearing its way o'er the hills,
Galloping up from the valleys,

Bumping along on the rills;
Snorting and foaming, well lathered,

The team of our battery came,
And out of the wagon there tumbled

Your box which had made the nags lame.
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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

What are the windfalls that welcome

The royal and rich at their birth?
What was the manna from heaven

That alighted like this upon earth?
Rien, nichts, nil, zero or nothing

Compared to your cardboard godsend.
So we hustled it off to our tepee,

Then, turning it over on end,
The bunch soon had pried the thing open,

Ye gods ! what a sight to behold —
The Oxo and jelly, the 'Campbell's'

And smokes and biscuits that rolled,
That leaped and jostled each other,

Seeking their fate in our joys;
And two tired hungry young rough-necks

Dug in like so many boys.

Gone are the biscuits and jelly,

Gone are the cookies so fine,
Gone are the cake and the Oxo,

And ditto the blackberry wine.
But with us remain the young heater,

The stove (or whatever it be),
And we'll heat many comforts upon it,

Such as bouillon, Scotch — rather — tea —
And whate'er be the beverage taken,

The vision resulting will be,
Even if the H.E.'s are exploding,

The staff of King West Twenty-three.

"We are both working hard, but in the best of health. Holds-
worth of Head Office is here and in the same tent as ourselves.
The weather is growing very cold and we are hoping that the
battery will soon get orders for Toronto."

The following are extracts from a letter written by
Lieutenant A. K. Harvie, formerly in the Superintendent's
Pepartment at Winnipeg.

This letter was written after the march of the 4th
Canadian Division from Belgium to the Somme. It was
oi 4ie Somme that the 4th Division first went 'over the
top.' The villages 'X' and 'Y' are Courcelette and
Martinpuich, respectively.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"A sojourn of some two and a half months in France and
Belgium has taken me out of the peace time soldiering class and
has shown me many, many things that a reading of the papers,
no matter how close, could never convey to anyone who had not
been here.

"On our arrival in France we were shipped up to Belgium —
and 'shipped up* is the proper expression — and landed some miles
behind the firing-line but close enough to see the trench flares,
hear the rattle of machine-gun and rifle-fire and the distant boom of
artillery.

"After a few days' tramping from camp to camp our turn to
go into the trenches came around. The fates were kind and the
particular trench to which we were to go to receive our baptism
of fire was reported to be a very quiet one; nevertheless we had the
uneasy feeling that everyone experiences the first time in, that
every bullet had its billet just where we happened to be at that
particular moment, and how we did keep our heads down when
the guide passed the word along that we were coming to a dangerous
spot!

"A tramp of some hundreds of yards along a communication
trench and then out into the open, across which we carried on for
a few hundred yards more, brought us to where, behind an irregular
line of sand-bags, we were met by an English officer, who casually
mentioned in reply to our inquiries as to how much farther it was
to the front line, that we were there, and that the Hun was only
some 120 yards away from us. The look of surprise had hardly
had time to fade away from our faces when he equally casually but
very cordially invited us to come into his dugout either for tea or a
drink. Then we began to feel at home and have an idea that the
trenches were not quite so bad as they had been painted.

"Our first tour was short and we suffered very few casualties.

"We returned behind the lines, and for the next couple of weeks
supplied working parties to repair trenches, dig drains and the
like — a very unwelcome job.

"To my great surprise I was detailed then to attend a month's
course at the Second Army School of Instruction to learn a few
more advanced points in the gentle art of making war.

"While at the school I learned that the battalion had com-
menced on a trek to France on foot, but I was fortunate enough
to be able to follow them by train, only a matter of some fifty miles,
but the time occupied in covering the distance by train was three
days.

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"On the way down I began to realize that our first experience
in Belgium was almost child's play in comparison with what we
were going into. Every few hundred yards along the roads were
enormous piles of ammunition, while the amount of traffic on the
roads beggars description. Hundreds of motor lorries loaded with
ammunition, motor busses with troops, ambulances and guns
moved in one continuous stream towards the battle front, while
empty lorries, loaded ambulances, etc., were going back. Here
and there the traffic was held up to allow the passage of a limousine
either going or coming, carrying a staff officer or other fortunate
beggar who was not engaged in seeing the battlefields of France
on foot.

"At presjent we are encamped on the main road to the firing-
line and the amount of traffic that passes both day and night
would make Main Street look like a little country town. It is
really a marvellous sight.

"While we have not yet been called upon to take our place
in the firing-line here, we have been furnishing parties practically
every night to repair trenches, dig new communication trenches
and cable trenches and carry up supplies, a job cordially detested
by everyone, both men and officers. Leaving camp some time
in the afternoon we tramp our way over the ground recently
captured from the Germans, where the work is carried on under
incessant shell-fire — but strange to say where there is almost no
rifle-fire — a thankless job, as it means just dig, dig, dig, without
any chance of retaliation — and there is a considerable amount
of satisfaction in at least being able to fire a rifle in the direction
of the enemy. Six of my lads were wiped out by one high explosive
shell a few days ago.

"We read in the papers that an advance of 1,000 yards has
been made and that we have captured the important villages of

X and Y , but to the lay mind this conveys no idea of

what this means. The Biblical expression (my Scottish parentage) !
which says that in the beginning there was nothing, best expresses
what the ground gained looks like; earth turned over time and time
again by shell-fire, and now just one mass of shell-holes; houses
merely a pile of brick-dust and trees just stumps shorn of all
foliage and splintered into matchwood. In the pale greenish grey
of the moonlight, with the faint (at first) odour of the dead, it is
a scene of the most appalling desolation.

"I believe that Macmillan and Floyd have both been wounded
and are now in England. I have not yet run across any Commerce
men in France."

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Lieutenant A. G. Mordy, late Accountant at the
Winnipeg branch, writes from England on 29th October,
1916, as follows:

"My plans are very much in the air as the sister who mass-
ages me says my leg 'might be fit again in the spring.' It has im-
proved beyond anything I hoped for, and if I can only get it fit
enough to be passed for active service abroad, I shall, of course,
return to the regiment as soon as possible. There are only four of us
left, and the second in command, who is taking command shortly,
has asked me to come back if at all possible. Some of the best fellows
in the world pegged out in the Canadian Scottish, but they left
a great spirit behind them. George Lynch was probably the only
one you knew, but they were all chaps of his sort.

"I wish everyone had the idea of doing all that he could, just
as soon as he could, in this game and the war might end a year or
two sooner. I was talking to a friend of mine, a major in the Irish
Guards, over on leave, and he says the situation on the Somme is
'generally speaking, just so-so.' It costs the British alone upwards
of half a million for the few miles we gained, and the result of the
offensive goes to show that about the only way to win is to sacrifice
the men. All last winter when we were sitting around unable to
retaliate to the Boche artillery on account of the shell shortage,
he was improving the positions. The result, of course, is that our
inability to assume the offensive earlier is costing us an awful lot
of men.

"I am removing to Lady Ridley's about the 3rd of November
to have my knee broken down, and after that I am going over to
some friends in Ireland until I am fit to come home. Ireland is an
interesting place now, and I am looking forward to my visit.

"I see Lobley in town occasionally. Lovett has done famously.
He had his temporary majority at the front as O.C. Company,
but he has been wounded a third time. Harold Strang has his
left leg off above the knee, but is doing splendidly. Cruickshank
is plugging away as an N.C.O. in the Pay Department. The whole
game is pretty much one of chance."

The following is an extract from a letter written by
Captain H. E. Tylor, formerly of the St. Thomas branch:

"We have plenty of work here, but it is a great rest after the
Somme, and we hope to stay here for a time at least. Looking
back over the events of the past six weeks, one cannot describe
the situation clearly — it is all a nightmare. You will have had
some splendid accounts of those stirring times from the Canadian
papers.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"W. W. Davis, of the Bank, is still with us and has done
excellent work; has been recommended for the Military Cross.
I certainly hope he gets it. D. Davis, also of the Commerce, is
at present in England and has just completed a course for officers.
His standing was exceptionally high. I occasionally run across
Commerce men here, and am always glad to see them."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant J. M.
Walton, formerly of the Saskatoon office, written in
France on 29th October, 1916:

"I was reminded of shooting this afternoon by a bevy of
partridge outside my dugout. They were only about 500 yards
from the Huns and they seemed to ignore utterly the shots and
shells falling about. Occasionally one of my men brings down one
which goes to enrich my dinner at night. It comes as a welcome
addition to our rations, and I have an excellent cook who turns out
a five-course dinner for me.

"I live while in the lines in a nice dugout. It is quite strong
and safe and well boarded all round. While resting behind the
lines we have all the comforts of home in a decent house, good
beds, fires and easy chairs — regular lap of luxury, in fact.

"I have come through some fearfully stiff fighting, and some-
times I pinch myself to make sure I am still alive. I have seen
some sights which I shan't forget in a hurry. I have had my
share of narrow escapes, too. War is a wonderfully interesting
game, and one doesn't have much chance to be bored — except by
a bullet. The destruction and desolation in some places are deplor-
able; whole towns and villages have been blotted completely off
the map.

"The other day I was standing in a particularly hot spot when
a large shell dropped thirty yards away, completely disintegrating
an officer and sergeant-major, and wounding two men. It was
Friday, 13th, so I had 'the wind up' for the rest of the day and it
was some day. They shelled us unceasingly with large stuff and
finally gassed us that night. But we have the preponderance in
artillery and in everything else, in fact, and we give them twenty
shells to their one. How they live through our terrific bombard-
ments is a wonder to me. I used to get two hours' sleep per day,
and that was in a little funk-hole much too small. The other
twenty-two hours were taken up with fighting and work. We
stuck this for ten days and then we had a rest — some rest. It
was simply lying down as we were, in the mud, after a six-mile
march through a continual stream of thin mud, in the dark. We

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found next morning we were sleeping in a small military graveyard.
My men were wonderful. Never a grumble or a groan, but actually
an undercurrent of humour ran through all our miseries. In spite
of all our trials we are a wonderfully cheery bunch.

"We smell victory in the air and we go into the fight with
increasing confidence. I fire sometimes 40,000 rounds a day into
Herr Fritz with the hope of thinning out his numbers. I have a
very scientific job at present and I am going back to the base
soon for a month's higher course. This will mean a nice change
from the eternal din of artillery and bullet."

The following is a letter dated 17th October, 1916,
from Second Lieutenant W. E. Bruges, late of the London,
England, branch, and at that time with the Royal Field
Artillery engaged in the operations against the Bulgarians.
This letter was written just after the attempt to take
"Piton des Mitrailleuses" at the battle of Machukovo,
September, 1916. On the morning following the night
of the attack, the British were driven off the hill by fire
directed by the enemy airmen. The last paragraph
describes conditions in this region:

"At last I have unfortunately landed myself in hospital and
am at present in the 5th Canadian. I got malaria, kept going
down, eventually becoming weak as a fly.

"Campaigning out here has been very unlike what it is, or
was, reputed to be on the western front. All through the summer
the sun has as much if not more power than in most tropical
countries. Living in bivouacs and moving continually at a
moment's notice is the routine. In England if you saw a house
half a mile away across country and you wanted to get there you
would walk or ride straight to it; here, what looks like flat ground is
intersected invariably with huge 'nullahs'; and you would find that
to walk straight there would mean climbing up and down four or
five cliffs, or something not unlike it. Nullahs may be anything
from a ditch 10 feet deep to a ravine 100 feet or even 200 feet deep.
Except just near Salonika the north wind blows almost continuously.
One day may be tropical just now and the next as cold as ice.

"Driving wagons along narrow roads which are really only
ledges half way up the sides of mountains in pitch darkness, is heart-
rending, especially in wet weather. One position we took up
happened to be somewhere near the place where some infantry
were resting. The Hun could see us, we knew, if we were not
careful. It was one of those places where troops might be hiding

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and the enemy kept dropping shells at weekly intervals. The
infantry promptly lined up as they would for a football match to
watch us firing. After making them lie down, of course, we pro-
ceeded with the show. The Hun hasn't got much ammunition
and aims very accurately in order to get a hit first time. He gave
us fifteen rounds or so of H.E. Luckily only one person was hurt;
got a splinter in his anatomy — a flesh wound. We aren't there
now. We were making dugouts when I left the battery, but, of
course, we all hope to winter in Belgrade."

From "Somewhere in France" Mr. William J. Dalton,
late of the Toronto branch, writes as follows:

"As you may notice from above address, we have left Belgium
and are on the French front. In the six weeks around here we
have experienced much more activity. Our own guns have been
on the go constantly. The battery has suffered quite a few casual-
ties, just last week two men having been killed when Fritz put
some shells into our midst. I was very fortunate myself in not
being hurt, as I was close to two bursts. The mud and pieces of
shell flew very thick all around for some time and it was surely
with some relief that I got up with a whole skin. These little
surprises are to be expected, though, as we do the same thing
day after day and night after night.

"I heard quite recently from Ingram and Whittaker.
Ingram, as you probably know, is in the Pay and Record Office,
and Whittaker when I last heard from him was progressing favour-
ably in a hospital in London. They had seen each other and spent
some time together. Lindsay is also in the Pay and Record Office.

"I receive once in a while the Head Office books of letters from
the front. They are very good and I look forward to their coming.
You in Toronto branch must expend much care and expense in
your thoughtful contributions towards the boys over here, but
believe me we appreciate your efforts."

The following are extracts from a letter from Sergeant
R. B. Gibson, formerly of the Sherbrooke office, written
in France on 2nd November, 1916:

"During the last twelve months I have spent about nine well
within the shelled area, but have been lucky enough not to be
caught as yet. My particular job is a bomb-proof one compared
with the men in the front line, but our time spent in the shelled
area is much longer than theirs, so that sort of counterbalances
things. My duties, however, take me to within 200 yards of the
front line and are sometimes much too interesting to be pleasant.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

I am sergeant in a signal section attached to the 8th Canadian
Infantry Brigade. If you remember, this was the brigade that was
so badly cut up on June 2nd at Ypres. I was lucky enough to be
on leave in England during that period, but when I came back it
was to find most of my chums and associates gone.

"When in England I saw Jim Purdy. He is a lieutenant in
the Pay Office at London and is a married man now.

"During our stay on the Somme front we saw, as you know,
quite a bit, and helped in the big push. It is when one is there and
sees what the British Army really is that you slap yourself on the
chest and say, 'Well, / am pleased to be a Britisher.' Our airmen
are simply great down there. One sees about 250 British machines
to every Fritz and, when he does show himself, it is only for a
moment or he is made short work of. Our aeroplanes are every-
where and our airmen seem to know no fear. I have seen numbers
of our aeroplanes flying over the German lines about 300 feet up,
directing artillery fire on the German lines. Flying is a game
Fritzie started, but we have him hopelessly outclassed. Talking
about flying, it has been my luck to have a trip in an aeroplane
over the German lines, and into German territory for about
twelve miles. The sensation and experience were grand. Fritz
took numerous shots as us, but I am glad to say the men at the
German anti-aircraft guns are very poor shots indeed. Then as
to our artillery, guns and ammunition are everywhere. When we
bombard previous to making an attack, it is something that cannot
be put into words. Shells, and big ones at that, burst on every
yard of the German front every two or three seconds. We usually
bombard this way for a few minutes before going over. Of course
Fritz does not take all this without some retaliation, but I am glad
to say his fire is only about sixty per cent, of ours. However, that,
I assure you, is quite bad enough — in fact, it has crossed the
'enough' mark.

"My job is to see that telephone communication is kept up
between the front line and brigade headquarters — a job that
sounds easier than it really is. I remember one day in particular
we had a stretch of line that was rather worse than usual. We
had forty-three breaks in that small 300 yards in a day, and when
anybody went out to fix same it was the last we expected to see
of him. That was the worst day we had, but I assure you
repairing lines on that front was hardly what one would call safe.
Linemen work practically sixteen hours a day and are under the
most intense shell-fire during that period. But telephone com-
munication has got to be kept up, for on it rests the success and

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co-operation of the whole attack. During our period on the
Somme our General was never out of communication with his
commanders forward, and we were never farther back than one
and a half miles behind the front line. It took some doing, but
it was done. However, I came through it all O.K. and am glad
to say that I have been there, although one's thoughts don't just
run that way while one is there. I am sorry to say, though, that
the majority of my chums were not quite so lucky.

"I met a fellow from Sherbrooke the other day who had seen
Paul Engelke, a German, who worked with me for eighteen months
in Sherbrooke. This fellow had spoken to Engelke, who was
taken prisoner by the British on July 26th. I passed through the
town where he was in a prison camp, but I did not know that he
was there at the time. Engelke left Sherbrooke the day war was
declared. I don't know how he got over to Germany, but I believe
he had a hard time getting there and was only in Germany two
months when he was captured."

The following extract is from a letter written in
November, 1916, in Le Havre, France, by Lieutenant
George K. Holland, formerly of the Market (Toronto)
branch.

Lieutenant Holland was killed in action on 6th
November, 1917:

"The men all pass through here before they go up to the lines,
and it is here that the finishing touches are put on. Le Havre is
a typical French town, being about the size of Toronto, I should
judge, but, of course, not nearly so neat — more like the French
part of Montreal. Very few of the French people speak English,
and it is quite funny trying to make the store-keepers understand.

"Colonel McMullen and his battalion (Oxford's Own, 168th)
are with us at West Sandling. They are to be attached to the 12th,
I understand.

"I was in charge of about 600 men and was adjutant on the
boat coming over. I got a First Class Number One Certificate at
Hythe, you will be glad to hear, which was all I expected, as there
are only two or three 'Distinguished' each time, and it is extremely
hard to get a 'D.' The marks are given as follows: 100% for a
'D,' 80% for First Class, 60% for Second Class. The latter is
considered rather poor.

"The weather was rather cold at the Canadian Base all the
time I was there, and being in tents is not as comfortable as the
huts at West Sandling. The lights are not shaded at Le Havre

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as they are in England. Everybody is wearing a uniform of one
kind or another, and things look very warlike indeed."

The following is an extract from a letter written by
Mr. A. R. Mclver, formerly of the Parksville branch.
Mr. Mclver joined the Army Service Corps at Aberdeen,
Scotland, was transferred to the Royal Naval Air Service
a few months later at Liverpool, and at the time of
writing was with the British Squadron of Armoured Cars,
operating with the Russian Army.

This letter refers to the Mush-Bitlis front, south of
Erzerum, Turkey-in-Asia. The operations were con-
ducted by the Russian army of the Caucasus under the
Grand Duke Nicholas, Viceroy of the Caucasus. The
British Armoured Car Base, at the time this letter was
written, was at Kars, on the borders of Russia-in-Asia:

"We have been here four or five days now after doing some
work up on the firing-line on the X — — front. We were doing all
right up there, but the roads are so bad that we could not get
supplies up with the wet weather coming on. The Russians were
quite pleased with our work, and the Grand Duke Nicholas has sent
a few decorations. Our stay up the line was mostly hard work on
short rations, but we all enjoyed it. Our road or track ran along
cliffs and hills, with a tremendous drop on one side most of the time,
and, when you remember that we were in huge cars, with the surface
giving way under the wheels, you can understand that it wasn't a
journey for anyone with a weak heart. Our gun had the good
luck to do the best work, and our Chief Petty Officer in charge
and the first gunner have both got medals. There will probably
be quite an account in the English papers of our doings and, if
you hear of the Turks being put to flight, etc., you will know
which section did the damage."

Lance-Corporal A. L. Dundas, formerly of the Kit-
silano (Vancouver) branch, writes from Moore Barracks
Hospital, Shorncliffe, England, on 13th December, 1916,
as follows:

"I am afraid I shall not have many thrilling tales to tell you
on my return, as my adventures in France were brought to an
abrupt ending on September 16th, 1916, when I hurt my foot and
was sent to a hospital in France. After being sent from one place
to another, the doctor told me I would have to have it taken off,
but, although it was very painful, I asked them to try and save it,

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which they did, and then sent me to England, telling me that I
had finished with the army; but if I get a chance I shall go back to
the line again.

"The doctors say I have temporary paralysis, club foot and
several other complaints of my left foot, and I am walking around
on crutches unable to place my foot on the ground, which is very
inconvenient.

"In France we found soldiering very different from at home.
We were out for business and hard work. We had a rough time,
as we thought, getting to where we were to take over the line, but
very soon banished all vanity and made ourselves very comfort-
able. We were near Ypres and were lucky as things up there were
not very lively. We had a few exciting times and captured some
prisoners who were very scared when brought in and insisted on
kissing a sergeant who was watching them go by. My dugout
was blown in twice, but both times I was outside. I was also
buried a few times, but beyond that I had nothing to worry about.
I said that not thinking, as we had so many of 'them* — I mean
rats and lice.

"Lieut. R. S. Ross from the Superintendent's Department at
Vancouver, who was our bombing officer, was very active in the
trenches, and was unhurt and well when I saw him last.

"The Canadian troops have made an excellent name for
themselves at the Somme and still go on gaining ground and have
Fritz properly scared."

The following letter was written on 18th February,
1917, by Lieutenant C. B. F. Jones, formerly Manager of
the Mount Royal branch, Calgary. This letter was
written in the trenches in front of the ruined village of
Calonne, near Bully-Grenay, France. Vimy Ridge is
about three miles south of this point.

Calonne was a very quiet sector at this time, so much
so, that it was jocularly affirmed that newspaper boys
from Bully-Grenay came up and sold their papers in the
front line trenches:

"I am doing my best to get through this thing safely, and am
becoming quite an expert in dodging the few shells that Fritz sees
fit to put over in the morning and evening sessions. You know
that Lloyd George has worked the munition market up to such a
state of perfection that here, at any rate, the Hun hasn't a chance
with our artillery, which appears to have an unlimited supply

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and bombards the enemy's lines effectively at all hours of the day
and night. Fritz does very little retaliation, and it is only when the
Canadians pull off one of their raids, that they have carried out
all during the winter and still continue, that the Hun's artillery
gets busy, and I have done a tour of six days in the trenches without
a single casualty. You couldn't do that in the Ypres days when
Fritz had the superiority.

"Since coming to France last November, I have had a very
easy time. The month of November was very wet and most of
the time I spent in the trenches; so I know all about French mud,
rats, etc., also fourteen-mile working parties on a stormy night
and arriving in billets at the wee sma' hours of the morning,
drenched to the skin. In December I was sent to an Imperial
army school near Boulogne, where I had a very 'cushy time* for
five weeks, played golf and met chaps from all over Canada. We
had about 150 officers there, Imperial and Canadian. When I
came back to this deserted district I found the battalion at rest;
so we went back to the old days of forming fours, which I find the
men in France hate as much as your chaps hate checking interest
on the savings bank. Finally we went back to a different part of
the line and have been there ever since. We have had exceedingly
cold weather for three weeks, bright, snappy cold days and cold as
charity at night, in fact, just like Alberta winter (normal). The
French around here state that they have not had anything like it
since 1870, and believe me, it certainly was cold in the front line
at nights. I always had on a heavy sweater and over that a fleece-
lined trench coat, and even then felt cold, and was mighty glad
when the rum man appeared on the scene about 6.00 a.m. When
anyone tells you that France is in the banana belt, don't believe
him. However, it was one blessing, as it put an end to the mud
and damp, and, when we were relieved, we went out of the trenches
with dust on our boots — a most unheard of thing in February
out here.

"We are certainly holding down a strange part of the line, as
the trenches run directly in front of what was once quite a decent
town, and they work in and out among the ruins, through gardens
and across squares. We all live in cellars and have plenty of furni-
ture and good stoves left by the French population and plenty of
fuel, so officers and men are as comfortable as could be under war
conditions. I should imagine that the Hun o'er the way is having
a fairly decent time also — except for our shells.

"I have been with the artillery for about six days aud had an
insight into their work which I found most interesting. I have

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found that my training in the old C. B. of C. has been of consider-
able value in this life — to respect your superiors and do what you
are told. The returns are most simple after what we used to get
in the Commerce, the Parade State (the most complicated one)
being a dead cinch after the Financial Statement; and, when a
Staff Major walks down the trenches, you can tell him at once
without any hesitation, if you have had a banking experience, how
many rounds of ammunition there are (even if there aren't any)
in a certain place, how many pairs of socks your men have and
when last darned, where the S.O.S. rockets are, and what you
would do if a mine was blown up on your front, with as much
ease as we used to answer that long list of questions the Inspector
delighted in trying to catch us on. When a 'brass hat' (i.e. Staff
officer) appears hurriedly around a trench, you quickly pick up
all the empty cartridge cases that your machine-gun crew should
have picked up and didn't, shy them over the parapet, put your
foot over a Mills grenade that you know should have been in a box,
do all these little things instantaneously just in the same manner
that you used hurriedly to grab the current account balance book
and tick off in blue or red the last three balances when you saw
the Inspector coming down the street. As for the General, he
does not make me tremble nearly as much as when Vere Brown
appeared in the old days.

"I meet C. B. of C. fellows and other former bank chaps
everywhere. Alexander (Superintendent's Department, Winnipeg)
is in the next room having a snooze, having just come in plastered
with mud. Floyd, another Winnipeg C. B. of C. chap, is in the
next company, McGowen (Molson's Bank, Calgary) is here also,
and an ex-Merchants Bank chap has the responsibility of holding
down about 400 yards of filthy trenches on my left, and I don't
suppose he is nearly as worried as when John Smith exceeded his
authorized credit by a few thousands. On my tour of duty I have
run into ex-bank clerks standing on the fire steps, or sitting in a
listening post, 40 yards from the Hun, plastered with mud. I ran
into one the other night from a C. B. of C. branch when I was out
inspecting posts who asked me in a cheerful manner if I would
, like to count his cash. And these are the chaps that form a part
of the great army that shortly will show the Kaiser where he gets
off.

"This certainly is a strange war. From a high point near here I
can see the two lines of trenches about 250 yards apart, at some
places closer, and, unless you have a powerful glass, you won't
detect a sign of the enemy. I think I am safe in saying that for

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miles along this front the enemy in the past month has not made a
single attack, and he seems quite content to let well enough alone.

"Some nights I have seen our trench mortars play all along
his front line, smashing it to bits, yet he seldom comes back.
Whether he is running short of ammunition or is saving for the big
spring push, it is hard to say. Some days it is just as peaceful in
the front line and apparently as safe as Elbow Park, but you never
know your luck. I have seen chaps that have been all through
the heavy fighting last summer get picked off by a fragment of
shell on the quietest of days. I am having a cinch this trip, as my
company is in support, and, while I have to be ready for an emer-
gency and sleep with boots on, I have not much to do but sit in
a cellar before a comfortable fire and detail working parties, read
and write. The thaw has set in and the trenches are in a very
messy state; even the rats are getting frisky. The Canadian
soldier looks to-day more like a drain digger than a soldier, and
those who are not on duty are busy with the shovels.

"Well, here's hoping that this summer will see the last of the
Hun, and from all signs we can do the trick. My very best wishes
to all and hoping that the C. B. of C. has another good year. It
wasn't such a bad old institution after all, but I wouldn't miss this
experience for anything, though I should hate to keep a wife on a
lieutenant's pay."

The following is an extract from a letter written by
Lieutenant J. R. Purdy, formerly of the Winnipeg staff.
At this time Lieutenant Purdy was attached to the
Canadian Pay Office, London, Eng. :

"I have been running up against a great number of old Main
Office men lately. Mr. Lobley, who is now a major, holds a very
high position here, and other members who are in the Pay Office
are Lieut. Illingworth, Pte. Cruickshank (whom I hope to see get
a commission in the near future) and A. H. Bunk hart. There are,
of course, a great number of Commerce men from all over Canada
besides, and I am glad to say in the particular branch in which I
am assistant officer I have two lieutenants and about twenty
N.C.O.'s and men, all Commerce men, doing splendid work under
me. This goes to show the splendid training a young man gets
in the C. B. of C. when it allows him to fill positions here in the
Pay Office successfully, and you know the work is of a very intricate
and heavy nature.

"Illingworth was telling me that he saw Lieut. Don'- a few
days ago at the Imperial Hotel. I believe he was spending his

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honeymoon, having just been married. He is now at one of our
flying schools, acting as instructor.

"MacLennan called in to see me a few days ago. He was just
returning to his unit from sick leave, having been at his home in
Scotland. He was looking very fit and was full of news about
Winnipeg and the Main Office.

"Before I close I must say that I hope the date is not very far
distant when we shall all be back in Canada and the war brought
to a conclusion with a glorious victory for us and our allies."

The following is a letter from Mr. F. S. McClafferty,
formerly of the Winnipeg staff, written in France on 2nd
March, 1917.

Mr. McClafferty herein recounts his impressions of
campaigning in France:

"I am not going to go into the details of our life here, as you
have no doubt heard all about it over and over again, both by letter
and at first hand from some of those who have already returned
home. However, I might say that, as far as I am concerned,
soldiering out here, even under the worst conditions, is like every-
thing else in life, and the anticipation was by far the worst part of
it; and, altogether apart from the duty part of it, I should not like
to have missed it for lots of reasons.

"First, there is the recruiting poster question: 'Daddy, what
did you do during the great war?' Then there is what I might
call gratified curiosity — the feeling out for or testing of, how much
one can stand in the way of hardships and military discipline
which was the harder of the two for me, as I always was inclined to
get hot under the collar when anyone ordered me to do this or
that when I preferred him to express it as a wish.

"Then, too, there is the opportunity which has been afforded
me to see a little of the world and to become acquainted with the
customs of people other than our own and be able to make a com-
parison between the two; and, lastly, it has taught me to appreciate
more and more how much farther ahead we are in Canada in both
business and farming methods than the older countries we are now
in.

"Since leaving Canada I have had the pleasure of meeting
several old Commerce boys, among them being Purdy, Cruick-
shank, Ross, Scully, all of the Pay Office, London; Curran, who was
on his way home on leave, and several of the boys since coming
to France, among them being Hay, Cunningham, Tandy and
Buzzell. I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting Jim Lovett,

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or, in fact, any of the other boys who came in the first lot, but am
still hoping to do so.

"I don't think I would be satisfied to finish off this letter with-
out first letting you know what I think of the weather conditions
in France. I thought, first of all, that France would somewhere
near live up to the name 'sunny' which is often applied to it;
and I also thought that I was pretty well hardened to cold, but find,
much to my displeasure, that I was very wrong in both cases.
Of course, every old timer here will tell you, 'It's the coldest winter
we've had in twenty years,' and so on, but that's an old, old, story,
and the song Take me back to Canada' appeals very much to me
at times; although, of course, we must first finish the job, and I
sincerely hope that I am in it at the finish.

*4You will, no doubt, be surprised to hear that we have already
had the opportunity of seeing at the movies 'The Battle of the
Somme,' as shown in Canada and elsewhere. It certainly was
good, and I enjoyed every minute of it."

The following letter is from Major H. I. Millar,
formerly manager of the Wetaskiwin branch, and was
written in France on 21st January, 1917:

"I suppose you are more or less loaded up with letters from
your 'old boys' at the Front, but, even so, one more may not hurt.

"Our battalion, following the fate of practically all the others,
was broken up in England in October last, and I came to the 49th,
another Edmonton unit, as you are doubtless aware, and one
which has made an enviable name for itself in many hot engage-
ments and tight corners. It is simply remarkable how many good
old C. B. of C. men one runs across out here and in England.
They seem to be everywhere and in every capacity; many a good
old gossip I have enjoyed over old Bank days. One of the boys I
have regretted never having been able to run across is Billy
Gibson, although I have heard of him repeatedly.

"Winter weather in the front line trenches is not exactly as
pleasant as a comfortable office, but, honestly, with mud hip deep
and rain and cold, it is hard to find a grouch; and, no matter
under what conditions, there is a perpetual smile on the faces of
all our splendid fellows. Everywhere is the firm belief that the
Boche is beaten at his own game, and it is only a matter of time
until he is made to crawl. Our artillery is magnificent, and one
of the most agreeable sights one can imagine is some of our 'heavies'
pounding the very daylight out of Fritz's trenches, and to see the
air fairly crowded with sand bags, trench mats, earth, etc., etc.,
and occasionally other things that look more human.

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"There is rather a good story told over here of a young chap-
lain who returned to England a short time ago and was asked to
take part in the service of a large city church; incidentally, he
had taken considerable interest in drill. The church was crowded
and several soldiers were standing to attention immediately in
front of the reading desk. The lesson was the parable of the
Prodigal Son, a certain passage of which the chaplain read as
follows, with his eye on the men in uniform standing to attention
in the front row: —

"And the young man said unto himself, I will arise and go
to my father and will say unto him: 'Father . . stand at . .
Ease!"

The following are extracts from letters received from
Miss B. Wynne-Roberts, First Southern General Hospital,
Dudley Road, Birmingham:

Miss Wynne-Roberts was formerly a member of the
staff of our Toronto branch:

"Many thanks for the scrumptious parcel which I received
yesterdav. Really I have been feeling quite Christmassy since it
came. Whose brilliant idea was it to include sugar? I have not
seen lump sugar since I left — at least I haven't handled any — and
even ordinary sugar is about as hard to get as diamonds. In
celebration of the great occasion, the Sugar (capital *S') had a
highly ornamental bowl all to itself and took the place of flowers
as a centrepiece — only, unfortunately, the unmannerly guests
would insist on eating the lumps wholesale, to see how they tasted !

"I am still in 'D' block and shall, I suppose, remain there
now to the end of my time here. By virtue of my lengthy stay
I am now senior V.A.D. in the block and have a good deal more
interesting work to do. Instead of the eternal cleaning or supervising
of cleaning I now spend my mornings and evenings doing the
surgical dressings with a sister or an assistant nurse, going the
rounds with scissors, forceps and probe, applying fomentations,
putting packages of gauze into big holes in the flesh and winding
yards and yards of bandage round arms and legs and heads.
Rather a change from banking anyway. At first I found it awfully
trying — the smell of the antiseptics and lotions made my head
ache and the sight of poor battered bodies made me dizzy, but
now I am used to it and love the work. There is a tremendous
satisfaction in seeing dirty wounds become clean and big holes
close up, to say nothing of having the boys one by one gradually
become convalescent and have restored to them the use of their

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limbs. We don't get any of the worst cases over from the main
hospital, but I am glad of the experience I get, and some of the
cases are scarcely trifling. I have an Australian in my ward with
both legs amputated and two wounds in his back. His military
age is 'twenty-one,' but he looks about sixteen — such a handsome
youngster, with a mop of curly hair and the bluest of blue eyes.
After seven months in hospital — seven months of infinite pain —
he is to be operated on again and have more of one leg cut off.
It is cases like this that bring home the horror of war. Yet the
brave lad is always cheery and contented. I'm thinking things
will need to go very badly with us after the war before we shall be
graceless enough to complain.

"There is something very touching and beautiful in the way
in which the boys look after one another — the lame lead the blind
and the man without an arm wheels the man without a leg. At
the Christmas morning communion service two men went up to
the altar together to receive the Sacrament. The one had his head
bandaged and his right arm in a sling, the other had his leg bound
up and could only walk by supporting himself with one hand on
his friend's uninjured shoulder. As they stood before the priest,
I wished there had been an artist present to paint the picture they
made."

"Things are moving fast nowadays. The big offensive (the
advance on the Somme) has meant an enormous number of
casualties, so that the men are just pouring into the hospitals.
Ours just now is a clearing station. A convoy arrives one day and
the men are bathed, clothed and surgically dressed, and next day
they move on to an auxiliary hospital, and others take their place.
They come in at the rate of about 300 a day — walking cases most
of them, for, on account of the submarines,, they are keeping all
the worst cases in France."

"I wish I could take a photograph of the convoys coming in
— but just then, of course photography is the last thing to be
thought of. All the way down the corridor is a steady stream of
Bairnsfather's models. Previously I had always imagined 'Frag-
ments from France' to be tremendously exaggerated, but, believe
me, this is not so. Dirty, dishevelled, unshaven, with their clothes
in tatters and their boots encased in mud, the men pass slowly
down, some limping badly, some assisted by their comrades; all
evidently relieved to be safely in Blighty. The passing of the
regiments along King Street, all so spick and span in their new
uniforms, so splendidly virile, used to give a queer sensation of
tightness in the throat; but the coming of these boys straight

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from the fight, war-scarred and weary, brings the tears perilously
near. Hr.vever, there is no time for sentiment in war. In the
ward thert is lots to be done. After being given a bed and a new
outfit their temperatures must be taken, the worst cases put to
bed and bathed, and the others escorted to a bath by the orderly
and scrubbed down — the first wash any of them has had for four
days. Then a hot meal all round and, finally, the surgical dressings.
The hospitals in France are crammed to the doors, so that most of
the men have not had their wounds dressed for several days, and
are consequently a trifle dirty. It is a strenuous time, and feet
and back begin to ache long before the day is out, but there is a
tremendous satisfaction in seeing the real men emerge from all the
accumulation of dirt and beard, in gradually evolving order from
an apparent chaos. When at the end of the day the ward is filled
with nice, clean men in clean clothes and bandages — well, at least
we feel something has been done."

The following letter was written on 4th December,
1916, by Mr. J. H. Thompson, formerly of the Bassano
staff, in a Canadian convalescent hospital in England.

Mr. Thompson herein describes the attack of 15th
September, 1916, on Courcellette, on the Somme. It was
in this action that the British Tanks made their initial
appearance :

"No doubt you have heard long before this that I was wounded,
about the same time as poor Barker (at one time Manager of the
Strathmore branch and also at one time on the New York staff)
was killed. He and I both went with the same battalion, but we
were in different companies. I saw him before we went into the
trenches on the night of September 14th, also Johnson, and they
were both looking Al.

"It was on the morning of the 15th September, 1916, that we
all jumped out of our trenches at 6.15 a.m. on a six mile front, and
paid Fritz a visit after our artillery played heU with him for about
fifteen minutes. It was then that the dirty work started in earnest,
when we forced Fritz back for a distance of two miles and took
from him the village of Courcelette. In present day warfare the
infantry do not go forward to the attack in a mass, but in single
waves so many yards apart. Well, I was in the second wave on
this day. The first wave was to jump Fritz's first line trench and
make for the second as soon as the artillery barrage (ours) had lifted
to this third line. It was our duty in the second wave to commence
on Frita's front line and to clean it out at the point of the bayonet

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and bomb the dug-outs. This was done in first-class style. As
each succeeding wave came up, it passed over us and made for the
remaining lines of trenches. We then started out over open country
for the sugar refinery which was our objective. We had the
assistance of the tanks at this place. There was some stubborn
fighting here, but the 'land dreadnoughts' soon put the enemy
machine-guns out of action and then 'walked over* the remains of
the refinery. The latter place was captured by 10 a.m. The
men thought this was such fun and quick work that they asked for
permission to go ahead, which was readily given.

"I did not get any further than this, as I was beginning to
lose the power of my arm, where I was hit in coming up. I did
not know that I was wounded until I went to bandage another
chap who had got a piece of shrapnel in the eye. I bandaged his
arm up first, but when I went to put my hand up to his head, I
could not hold it up and then I felt the blood trickling down my
arm. I then got fixed up and made my way to the dressing station,
which I thought I was never going to reach. I finally got there and
had my wounds properly dressed. I then blessed Fritz for letting
me out of it so easily — I had been cursing him right along up to this
— and I was more than thankful to get out of it alive with my
limbs all secure. I gradually made my way back to Blighty. I
arrived in England on September 18th, and was sent to the hospital
in Manchester, where I had a good time and was sorry when I had
to leave it. I was in Manchester for nine weeks and have been
here for two but am going out to-morrow, as I wish to get my leave
and be home for Christmas.

"I met MacMahon (of Watrous) here. He was wounded in
the leg some time in October on the Somme. He looks as well as
ever, and wishes to be remembered to all his old friends. I had
a letter from R. N. Hanna (of Bassano) about two weeks ago.
He was then in Havre, but, expected to go 'up the line' shortly.
He was sent to the 7th Battalion. He wanted to go to the 81st,
but he had no say in the matter. 'Go where you are sent and do
what you are told' is the Army rule."

The following is a letter from Lance-Corporal A. A.
Cooke, who left the Hanna branch in June, 1916, to
undertake military service:

"I have now been in England nearly two months, and must
say how much I appreciate being 'home' again, although life in this
country is altogether different from what it was four years ago.
The streets, both in London and in the Counties, are practically

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devoid of lights at night, and one has a pretty busy time steering
a clear course through the usually crowded streets.

"The Government here is taking pretty drastic steps now in
several directions: food, travelling, luxuries, etc. The prices of
meals are limited to, I think, 8/6 for luncheon for officers and
civilians, and 6/-for dinner, diminishing as rank lowers. The
latest report is that we are to have certain meatless days. Travel
at Christmas has been practically forbidden, and I am sorely afraid
the soldiers at home will have to give up Christmas and week-end
leave altogether. Of course, as is only right, our Tommies at the
front and on leave here will be allowed to travel just as usual. In
regard to the above paragraphs I may mention that statistics show
that there is ample food in this country, as well as what has been
provided from overseas, but I suppose our politicians are looking
ahead and considering supplies, etc., 'for a rainy day.'

"Every man here has to give a full account of himself now,
and the women are doing splendidly. Besides making munitions,
they also build aeroplanes, huts for the troops, and some, I believe,
are even learning to drive locomotives.

"When I was going to Edinburgh on my first leave (eight
days), there were two chaps in the train who had just come from
the battle of Somme, and they could not say enough about the
Canucks. One of them told us the Canadians were the most iron-
willed fellows that ever fixed a bayonet. The poor chap who was
talking had been at the front with the Northumberland Fusiliers,
29th Division, for seventeen months, and was on his first leave.
He went through ten bayonet charges, and the morning he got his
pass he was under orders to 'go over' again at six o'clock, but
luckily, he received his pass about 3.30, and, in his own words,
he 'beat it right then.' He got ten days' leave, and then back he
goes to do another little 'bit.' '

The following is a letter from Lieutenant E. C.
MacCallum, formerly of the Winnipeg branch, written
in France on 28th December, 1916:

(Mr. MacCallum was killed in action 31st October,
1917.)

"Another Christmas has just passed and we still find ourselves
confronted by a grim task of warfare. The brave men whose duty
it was to hold our front line on Christmas day did not partake of
any rest or special comforts, but increased their activity by making
numerous raids into the Boche trenches with a good degree of
success. Furthermore, on the same evening, British Forces took
over a considerable portion of the French front. We now hold

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practically all the front that was the scene of the Allied offensive.
"We had a regimental dinner on Christmas Eve, which was a
huge success, thanks to the energy of our officers. Major Bingham,
our Commanding Officer, who has taken over command of *B'
squadron of the Fort Garry Horse in this Brigade, took advantage
of the occasion to make farewell remarks to his unit, which were
warmly received by all.

"I have seen photos of the Deer Lodge Convalescent Hospital
and, judging by paper comments, it is a model home for the disabled
fellows from the front.

"I hope you are successful in recruiting another battalion of
the 100th Regiment, and I realize what a difficult problem recruiting
must be. We hope the young men will come forward to the colors
and save our country from compulsion.

"The morale of the Canadian Forces in France was never
greater than at the present time, and we enter the New Year with
ill confidence, knowing that the hardest work is yet to be done."

The following is a letter from France written by
Lieutenant R. S. Hicks, formerly of the Gleichen staff.

This letter was written in the ruined village of
Roclincourt in front of the southern extremity of Vimy
Ridge:

"I am in a very nice dug-out twenty-feet under the surface.
We have two stairways and three rooms. Four of us — two ser-
geants, a batman and myself. — have bunks to sleep in and are very
fine. This is quite the softest spot the Canadians have ever struck,
and we all hope to stay the winter. If we don't bother Fritz, he
doesn't bother us. I expect somebody will get ambitious soon and
start a strafe, and we shall have to move from our happy homes.

"I have been over here about a month and have seen some
fighting, but not any very big stunts. However, there is lots of
it to come.

"I never saw such men as the Canadians are for souvenirs —
helmets, buttons, belts or anything at all. Men take the greatest
risks just for the sake of some souvenir off a dead Fritz. A saying
of the German prisoners is 'the English fight for honour, the
Australians for glory and the Canadians for souvenirs.'

"About three weeks ago I had a long talk with Clementa
(formerly of Gleichen staff). I certainly was glad to see him. He
has a bomb-proof job at present looking after a canteen in a
German Prisoners' camp. He got pretty well shaken up twice this
summer in the big show (the Somme) and deserves a rest for a
while.

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"The trenches are in bad shape now, mud up to your eyebrows.
The mud worries us much more than the old Hun does. In this
particular spot we have been putting it all over him in raids —
artillery and snipers. Every way we have him going, but he is
far from quiet yet."

The following is an extract from a letter written by
Private G. Whitehead, formerly of the Penticton branch :

"We had a pretty stiff time the last trip up, though the
Penticton boys came out pretty well. Percy Coldron (of the
C. & C. store) lost an eye and has one or two other wounds. Otto
Gaube was wounded in the face; Bert Schubert, of Hedley, was
killed, also one or two other Hedley boys. Pat Hunter is getting
along splendidly; he has charge of one of the machine guns.
Glenn is a stretcher-bearer now. Bentley is looking fine; was
talking to him yesterday. He was trying to think of some of the
language you would use if you were in the trenches here for a few
days. Lieut. Acheson was killed yesterday. He was a nephew of
Miss Fowler, I think, and used to spend his holidays in Penticton.
I haven't heard anything of Bill Mason since we left England, but
expect he will be about due over here, if he's not here already.

"I am glad to hear B.C. is going dry. This is a dry country
too, spiritually, though we occasionally get a lot of rum."

The following is an extract from a private letter to
our Penticton Manager, to whom we are indebted for its
publication. The letter pays tribute to the pluck dis-
played by Private James ("Pat") Hunter, and refers to
Private J. F. Glenn, both formerly of the Penticton
branch :

"Your bank can feel proud of Pat Hunter, as the last time
coming out of the trenches his particular chum, A. B. Peele, dislo-
cated both his ankles, when Pat, game boy that he is, brought
Peele (a man of 6 ft.) to the nearest dressing station, and also carried
out his gun and spare parts — a two-man load — right to a camp
about five miles away. It took him five hours to get Peele two
miles. This was through some of the worst mud you ever saw.

Most boys would have said 'to h with the gun,' and thrown it

away — but not so Pat. I was so pleased with him that I reported
{.he case to the O.C. and hope that he will congratulate him per-
sonally. It's a fine example.

"Glenn (also of Penticton staff) is a stretcher-bearer now, and
the boys all take their hats off to the S.B. They have the most
wort: to do when the bombardment is the heaviest, and they do

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

this work without a murmur while everyone else is under what
cover they can get. Anyone who thinks that an S.B. gets a safe
job is away off. They can't even peep in the trenches, but have
to travel with their cases overland."

The following is an extract from a letter written in
France by Lieutenant W. T. Alexander, formerly of the
Superintendent's Department at Winnipeg, and who was
shortly afterwards reported as seriously wounded.

This letter was written in a dugout in the ruined
village of Calonne, north of Vimy Ridge, sometime in
February, 1917:

"The worst feature of the war in the winter time especially,
is the mud. I don't think I could describe it for you and do it
justice. However, you will have some idea of it when I tell you
that I walked in one place for half-a-mile and each step I took
landed me away over the knees. Of course we have rubber boots
which come up to our thighs, but, although they save us to some
extent from being troubled with wet feet, they are very slippery,
and often one finds oneself sitting in a sort of miniature lake of
mud admiring the scenery and making the air blue with cuss
words.

"Of course just now over here there is not much of what the old
chaps, who have been down on the Somme and at such places, call
'real fighting,' going on. We are simply holding our trenches until
it gets dry enough to do something else. Still we see quite enough
of Fritz's shells and 'Minnies' (trench mortar shells) to keep us
from getting the feeling that the war is all over. Minnies are
funny things. They come wobbling at you through the air, giving
you a nasty, creepy feeling all over your spine. When they hit the
ground they lie there for about a second and then explode with a
crump, shaking everything within about 100 yards of them. One
can see them coming and, if one keeps one's head, one can run far
enough away while they are dropping, to avoid any serious contact
with them.

"At present we are in a piece of the line where it runs through
a mining village. The village is more or less in ruins from shell
fire, but we have excellent quarters even up in the front line, in
the cellars of the houses. The people seem to have left most of
their furniture, so we have lots of tables and chairs. Coal is to
be had in plenty, as we are just between two abandoned mine
shafts, no farther than £00 yards away on each side. The former
residents also left us quite a lot of stoves, so we are quite warm,

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even although at present there is snow on the ground and it has
frozen steadily for about five days."

The following extract is from a letter written on 31 st
March, 1917, by Lieutenant W. K M. Leader, M.C.,
formerly of the Queen East (Toronto) branch.

This refers to the voluntary withdrawal of the enemy
on the Somme in March, 1917:

"The 'Letters from the Front' pamphlet which you kindly
forwarded me was most interesting, and told me the whereabouts
of several brother officers with whom I had lost touch.

"We have been extremely busy for some time owing to the
enemy retirement, of which you will undoubtedly have heard
detailed accounts. It is most interesting to suddenly emerge from
the confinement of trench warfare, with its frequent shelling and
everlasting sniping, to the freedom of fighting in the open with
little shelling or sniping, and with one's cavalry patrolling some
distance ahead; and to leave the shell-stricken country, smashed
about by the fiercest fighting of the war, and come upon fields and
trees with no sign of shell-fire, is wonderfully exhilarating. All
the newly occupied villages, however, have been destroyed in a
manner almost inconceivable. One has become used to the sight
of villages destroyed by shell-fire when one has been pushing for-
ward inch by inch, but it maddens one to see these villages, which
have never been touched by a shell, almost completely demolished;
houses with the sides blown out and the roofs blown in, roads
blown up by enormous mines, fruit trees deliberately cut down,
completing a scene of absolute desolation."

The following is an ^extract from a letter written in
France on 13th March, 1917, by Captain J. A. B.
McClure, formerly of the Winnipeg branch.
\ Captain McClure was killed in action at Hill 70,
near Lens, on 21st August, 1917:

"The country I am in is very rich in history, and near here
Joan of Arc was born, and it is her spirit that to-day is making the
French Army do such prodigious deeds of valor; the whole nation
is inoculated with it. It may seem strange to say that Joan of
Arc, five hundred years after her martyrdom, saved Verdun from
falling into the hands of the Huns, but it is so. When the history
of this war is written and the world learns what the French have
been up against, it will see that nothing short of Divine intervention
could have saved the country, and that intervention came in the

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

form of the spirit of that girl, Joan of Arc. The spirit of the
people here is simply astounding; bled white as they are, they
cannot be beaten. Pushed back or perhaps exterminated they
may be, but they cannot be beaten. I always thought that this girl
was somewhat of a fictitious person, but I know to-day that she
is a very lively person, and she is still living in the hearts of these
people.

"Pleased to say I am keeping fit, James likewise, but just a
little tired of training. The news from the East is good reading
these days. General Maude was one of my officers in the Cold-
stream Guards. I guess Hornby would know him pretty well.
Good luck to him.

"R. B. McCarthy (whose brother has just been wounded) is
here with me. He is on his way up to join his unit, having been
posted to the 78th Battalion. He is in good health. Mr. A. G.
Mordy, formerly accountant at Winnipeg, is attached to my unit in
England just now, likewise Major J. C. MacPherson of Calgary.
T. W. McConkey, Fort Rouge, has been transferred to the Flying
Corps. I am in hopes of meeting A. L. Brander over here this
trip, as this is his headquarters, but he is up the line just now.

"Please remember me to all the staff."

The following letter, written early in 1917 by
Lieutenant T. Stanley Jackson, formerly of the Superin-
tendent's Department at Winnipeg, touches on the
question of food supplies, which was such an important
one in England at that time:

"Since writing you last I have been transferred from Seaford
to Shorncliffe and am now acting as Assistant Supply Officer.
The work is heavy and I seldom leave the office before ten or eleven
at night. In addition to these duties, I am also Officer of Regi-
mental Accounts, and, as that is a big job in itself, I have no time
to myself. However, work is what we came over for and we shall
gladly do all they give us until we drop.

"Shorncliffe is a very pretty place and far ahead of my last
abode. The C. A. S. C. are in permanent barracks and they are
quite well furnished. We are pretty well crowded, but I suppose
that state is general throughout the Isles. Our food is not quite
as good or as plentiful as in Canadian Camps, but that is to be
expected. The food proposition is evidently worrying the authori-
ties to no small extent, and gradually the allowances are being
decreased. Economy is preached everywhere, and while little is
wasted, I think the people could do with far fewer luxuries.

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Potatoes, vegetables and sugar are practically unobtainable, and it
would not surprise me at all if these articles disappear entirely from
our meals and such substitutes as rice, etc., put in. Diet sheets are
prepared for all troops from Canada in Great Britain. These
menus are prepared in London two weeks prior to the time of use,
and no unit is permitted to deviate from them. Every commodity
is worked out most minutely, which shows that the food proposition
is one of the greatest to handle.

"I have not seen many of the Bank boys since arriving in
Great Britain. Curran is on the H.Q. staff here, and I have a
talk with him nearly every day. He is looking well and, I believe,
getting on splendidly. I understand Mordy was in this area
recently, but I did not see him. I wish I could meet more of the
Bank boys, but it is like finding a needle in a haystack to locate
them in such a large camp. Swinford, who used to be in the Bank,
is located in H.Q. at London.

"I notice the Bank's hockey team is making quite a name for
itself. I hope they keep up the good work. There is a possibility
of a picked team of Winnipeg boys playing a Toronto team in
London next week. I hope it comes off as I am anxious to put on
the blades once more."

The following incident is described by Captain D. S.
Thompson, formerly a member of the staff of our
Niagara Falls branch:

"Following the gas attack opposite Vimy on March 1st, 1917,
I was present at the truce in No Man's Land, arranged for the
purpose of clearing the battlefield, and conversed with a German
Regimental Commander, or Brigadier-General as he would be in
our organization. This was arranged by the latter, with one of
our battalion commanders on the morning of March 3rd, 1917,
to last for two hours, from 10 a.m. to 12, and was held under the
Red Cross flag. The German Brigadier claimed relationship to a
Major Elliott, of the Royal Engineers, who was stationed at
Esquimalt, B.C., before the war, and unfortunately, nobody
present could deny his claim. He was loud in his praises of Major
Travers Lucas, of Hamilton, who, he said, had led his men so
allantly right up to their wire. Apparently, it was not a common
practice with their own officers. Both Colonel Beckett and Major
Lucas lost their lives in this show and I only discovered, after
leaving France, that the latter was from my own place of abode.
The German Brigadier was a Bavarian, and, to talk to, not a bad
sort. He was educated at St. Paul's School in London and spoke

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perfect English. He didn't like war, he said, and hoped it would
soon be over, and mentioned how queer it would seem to go back
to our different lines after the truce and 'pot at one another again.'
These were his own words. Indeed, the whole affair seemed so
queer, standing upright out there in broad daylight, without a
shot being fired, that it seemed to most of us like a dream. Not a
shot was fired for the rest of the day."

The following is a letter from Lieutenant F. G.
Newton, formerly of the Windsor, Ont., branch, written in
France, 25th March, 1917:

"It would give me more pleasure to be able to write you of
some interesting experience or to have something out of the ordinary
to tell, but there is nothing.

"At the outset of campaigning one's impressions are vivid
almost to the melodramatic. Later one becomes inured and casual,
and gradually a man drifts into a hazy kaleidoscope of dull, unin-
teresting and monotonous days, weeks and months. It is too
early to be retrospective and one's perspective is of so little import
as not to be worth the effort.

"I have read all the 'Letters from the Front' which have
reached me and have found the varied correspondence quite typical
of the experiences of every one at the front. They have covered
the field so thoroughly that what one might say of trenches, dug-
outs or narrow escapes, would be simply repetition; and then one
is forced to realize that the efforts of any one man in this struggle
are so infinitesimally small that anything approaching ego must be
read as an attempt at humour.

"I have talked to quite a number of German prisoners of varied
types, sizes and ages. They are odd looking persons for the most
part, with their round pill-box caps and their serious sullen manner,
and altogether lacking in the driving force of enthusiasm. They
seem to lack interest in everything. They are different men from
the hustling Huns who marched over the cities and villages of
France and Belgium in 1914, crying 'On to Paris!' Now their
greatest concern is to get back to Berlin or Munich or their native
towns, and to get there with a whole hide. The Hun in captivity
is the most domesticated, naive looking transition from a ferocious
brute that one might imagine. His morale has been crumpled,
and it was the allied battery work of the French and British on
the S< inline which did it.

"At the same time, our Canadian troops, and, for that matter,
the whole allied army, moved up into the battle area with strange
sparkling eyes and steady nerve, keen with the lust of battle and

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ready to go over the 'bags.' Then it was an unforgettable sight on
that memorable day of Courcelette (15th September, 1916), as the
wounded came back, to see men who had perhaps been bowled
over three times or more, and who had been battered so that they
really didn't have anything left in them but an indomitable courage
which made them hang on until they fell over in a dressing station
through sheer exhaustion, light up with a new countenance when
they had had a little rest. It really was quite wonderful. They
have proved their superiority. The British Army sings no hymns
of hate, but the rollicking ragtime songs of the music halls, are as it
were, barometric measures of their morale.

"It is but a few days since the little village in which I was at
the time working was shelled most unsystematically and at inter-
vals, devoid of any particular rhythm. A large percentage of the
shells were duds and the arrival of one of these tokens of ineffi-
ciency was quite heartily greeted with loud cheers from the few
troops which were about in the immediate and dangerous vicinity;

and another officer remarked in the evening 'B was shelled

to-day.' 'Yes,' said another, 'but nobody seemed to mind it
much.'

"That same day I had a shell land within 30 feet of the place
where I happened to be working. We did a flop, hunted cover
and then when it seemed all over, carried on, just the same as
thousands do along the combined allied fronts each day.

"Esprit de corps works out in the army much as it does in a
great financial institution like the Bank. One finds it among the
veterans of Mons and Le Cateau as one does amongst the newer
Canadian battalions at the front. It is not a blatant trumpetry of
what this battalion or that division has done in the past, but it is
the conviction in the mind of every man of what his outfit will do
when the next opportunity comes. Infantry battalions, more than
other units, are so changed at the end of a year's wear and tear
that there are few who after that period have the right to refer to
precedent.

"War has become so revolutionized that the recruit regiments
of the latest era have every right to expect to be able to do as much
after a couple of months' seasoning as the oldest regiments of the
line. Nowadays, after a complete obliteration of the enemy
fortifications, the troops walk to the attack under shelter of their
own heavy barrage fire, some say smoking cigarettes, but, anyway,
with the coolness and calm of a great machine which has an
absence of anything dramatic in the way of Wellingtonian or
Napoleonic leadership. Only in the lines are interspersed the

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smiling, confident faces of the new method schoolmasters — the
British subalterns.

"We all hope that this evil thing which the Allies are fighting
will soon be exterminated, because we are for the most part tired
of our European tour. We should like to get back to the good
old days of our Canada and enjoy a period in which we may use
our abilities as constructionists. We have commenced to realize
how admirable are the conditions of our country as against the
pre-war stagnation of Europe. Yet, with the gigantic industrial
revolution caused by the war the world over, one is forced to take
count that we in Canada after the war must do away with false
values and inflated prices, with the superfluous and unreal. We
must help build up the country more on the sound economics of
production.

"I hear on the thin canvas of my roof an insistent patter of
'French sunshine.' It means rivers of mud in the trenches and
seas of mud in the horse lines, but is splendid for young ducks
and the crops. We are looking forward to many more millions of
bushels of wheat from Canada than in 1916. If you should happen
to need the rain, we certainly do need the sunshine. Why doesn't
the Weather Fellow have a little sense?"

The following are extracts from the letters of
Lieutenant E. P. Charles, R.F.C., formerly of our
Tugaske and Langham branches, to his father:

("Archies" was the name given to anti-aircraft
shells.)

"I have been in France since October 1st, and have been
flying ever since. We do about three hours per day in one flight.
The work I am doing is artillery observation, that, is, ranging our
guns. We call it a 'shoot.' I take up an observer who does the
shoot, while I fly the machine and look out for Huns; sometimes
we get 'archied' and that means 'stunts.' It is practically impos-
sible for 'Archie* to get you if you keep making short turns or
diving or side-slipping. I was bombing yesterday afternoon, and
'Archie* saw me before I was over my target. He let me have it,
too, wonk! wonk! wonk! — all round me. One does not feel
scared; amused is the proper term. No wonder they call him
'Archie.'

"If the clouds are low and you do not care to go home without
having done some work, it sometimes means coming down to 1,500

feet or so over the trenches. I did it one day and got 'machine-
gunned' and had to have a wing replaced when I got back. A more

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or less spent bullet also hit my steel seat which is 2 mm. thick.
Our own shells are as much danger as anything. You see the top
of the trajectory of most of them is about 3,500 feet. With all
these things, however, we do not lose many men. 'Archie* is
much more accurate at 8,000 feet than at 3,000. Above us there
are always supposed to be fighting machines keeping the Hun
away while we work."

"I have been shot at many times both with 'Archies' and
'Emma-gees' (machine-guns), and my machine has been hit again
and again. I have had my planes replaced and a more or less
spent bullet hit my steel seat. We do not mind these things, but
what we do mind is a Hun 'sitting on our tails' waiting to dive on
us, which is a favourite 'stunt* of his. However, there are very
few Huns who dare do it. In fine, the pilots of the R.F.C. would
sooner risk their necks that let the Huns succeed in 'downing' them.

"To-day a gale is blowing, so instead of 'taking the air' I am
bossing a gang of Hun prisoners who are building a new mess-
room for us. They work very willingly and intelligently, and
seem pleased to be 'out of it'; a judicious distribution of cigarettes,
and they are your slaves for life.

"I am well, quite happy and satisfied, and believe I am going
to be of use to my country in the air. We run risks, of course,
but what honourable man does not these days?"

The following is an extract from a letter received
from Captain H. E. Tylor, formerly Manager of the
St. Thomas branch. This letter was written after the
battle of Vimy Ridge, 9th April, 1917:

"I just got back from the First Army School of Instruction
in time for the big attack, and on Easter Monday the Canadians
certainly made history and took part in what to my mind was the
biggest success of the war. The attack commenced at 5.30 a.m.,
and everywhere on our front the Canadians reached their objectives
and completely defeated the Hun. Shortly after the attack,
prisoners commenced to come in. They were very sure that we
could not break through, but when later the numbers rose to the
thousands and they were informed of the number of guns which
had been captured they were very down-hearted and, as one officer
said, 'It is the beginning of the end.' Bad weather and heavy
snow-storms have made it very difficult, but everyone was so
confident of success that no one could have had any fears as to
the result. The Canadians captured the famous Vimy Ridge — a
tremendous fortress; in fact, a position which commands the
country for miles. A strong counter-attack by the enemy was

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

dispersed by our artillery, the work of which was wonderful. News
from our right flank is splendid, the British having driven the Hun
back for miles. It has been a wonderful success. While you will
have read of this long before my letter reaches you, I enclose part
of a British paper which gives some of the details which I thought
might be of interest."

The article referred to by Captain Tylor is too long
to publish, but we quote two striking little extracts
therefrom :

"The prelude to this great attack was an Eastertide of ironic
contrasts. We saw the British armies moving up for battle yester-
day through a countryside at prayer. Peasants trudged to Mass
beside dust-covered columns of khaki and guns, and all the grim
machinery of war, and knelt in little village churches while aero-
planes fought deadly duels overhead and the peace of Sunday
morning was broken by the crash of German shells."

"The Canadians have Vimy Ridge and are sitting on the far
slope looking down on the plain of Douai. They took it with
comparatively little fighting, pushing from one line to the next as
punctually as though meeting their enemies by appointment.

"There, as elsewhere in the Arras-Vimy area, most of the
prisoners were haled out of their dug-outs in the most docile con-
dition. The Canadians took more than 2,000 Germans at Vimy
Ridge alone, while on the adjoining Canadian front there were
1,045 men and 26 officers in one cage alone before three o'clock
this afternoon. The full extent of this day's fighting cannot yet
be estimated, but we know that the Germans have been dealt a
severe blow — and there are many harder blows to come."

The following is a letter from Mr. M. V. Holdsworth,
formerly of the Supervisor's Department at Head Office.
This refers to the Vimy Ridge attack of 9th April,
1917:

"It is Sunday night, but no more like it than day is like night.
A fairly heavy bombardment on our right has been going on since
6.30 this morning, and we are rather anxious to know what it's
all about. And all day thousands of men, horses, wagons, lorries
and guns have been passing — an inconceivable sight to anyone
who has not witnessed it.

"We sailed from England in March, 1917, were only one hour
and twenty minutes crossing the channel, three transports coming
together, and, if you could have seen the way we were guarded,

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you would easily understand why no transports have ever been
sunk among the thousands that have crossed.

"We remained a fortnight at the Canadian base before coming
up the line. It is located in one of the most beautiful spots I have
ever seen and, in a way, I was sorry to leave it.

"There were 60 in our draft and, upon arriving at headquarters
here, we were all put in the Divisional Ammunition Column. I
have not yet been able to find out whether it is temporary or
whether we shall eventually be put into a battery.

"There is something doing here every hour of the day. At
night there are to be seen the flashes of the guns, the rocket signals
and the star shells; and, in the daytime, the observation balloons
and the many kinds of aircraft — both ours and Fritz's. We
knew to a minute when the boys were going over last Sunday night,
and it would have done your heart good to have heard the guns
start the bombardment just before they began to advance. The
first results were noticed about nine o'clock, when the prisoners
began to pour in, and by noon they could be counted by the
thousand.

"At present we are located near a village that is simply blown
to atoms, as most of the places round here are. It is a little exciting
when one first hears the shells passing over — ping! bang! Haven't
had any close calls as yet."

The following letter was written by Lieutenant
C. B. F. Jones, formerly of the Mount Royal, Calgary,
branch, on 15th April, 1917, "On the battle-field, in a
German dug-out in France," a few days after the engage-
ment at Vimy Ridge:

(This letter was written in the captured enemy
trenches near the village of Thelus on the forward slopes
of Vimy Ridge which was captured by the Canadian
Corps on 9th April, 1917) :

"The strenuous work of April 9th is over, and the Canadians
— at least the division to which we belong — are resting on the
field wrested from the Hun. The Battle of Arras and the taking
of Vimy Ridge by the Canadians will long remain a Red Letter
Day in Canadian history. We took from the Germans the coveted
ridge which the French had attempted to take in 1915, and where
they had lost many thousands in the attempt, and I can tell you
the people of Canada have every reason to be proud of their
boys out here; they did their work well, and the only trouble was

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to keep them back when our objective was reached. Everything
went like clock-work and beyond all expectations; we put it over
the Hun on every turn and he surrendered in bunches.

"Our plans worked beautifully. Everything had been care-
fully rehearsed beforehand; each battalion had its own special
work, and weeks before, we had studied the ground in front of our
trenches, and the Hun trenches, from aeroplane photographs. We
have certainly had a strenuous time the last three weeks, and the
weather has been vile — rain, snow and cold winds, mud up to our
knees and long marches in the night; but with all their discom-
forts, the Canadian boys have borne up cheerfully and made light
of the whole thing. Three nights before the attack my company
moved from our billets and went into support trenches. It was
impossible to get any sleep; the crash of our artillery was terrific,
and only a small portion of it was then playing on the Hun trenches.
The next night we received orders to go and relieve a company
hi. the front-line trenches, and in a downpour of rain and snow, we
moved up. The trenches were the worst I had been in; water up
to the knees, and none of us had waders. Even the dug-outs
were flooded, and, when I was relieved for my 'hour off' duty, I
went sound asleep sitting on a box beside a brazier. Next day we
pulled off a raid on a small scale and obtained information regarding
Fritz's wire. We knew that the big attack was coming off in a
day or so, and all I prayed for was one night's rest. We got it,
and the next day was bright so that the men could dry out. That
night, however, the expected word came, and I moved my platoon
up to the assembly trenches. I had a nervous time going up.
Fritz evidently knew that something was to be pulled off as he
was exceedingly windy, and his flare and sky-rocket effects were
wonderful.

"The trenches were so wet and muddy that I had to take my
platoon overland to reach the front line, and here we were spotted
by Fritz, who opened up with a battery of 'whiz-bangs.' We
hiked for cover, waited until the strafe was over and then made
for the front line, dropping on the ground when the flares went up.
Then came the digging-in process in front of our front wire. We
lined up our men in the following order: Old McGowen in the
first wave, Archie Cornell on his left and myself immediately
behind, leading the first wave of 'Moppers-up,' with Kirkham
(Lethbridge), whom you have met, another old 113th, leading the
second line of 'Moppers-up.' The other officers in the line-up are
unknown to you. Most of the night was spent in digging in;
then the long wait for the zero hour, about 4.30. I had a talk with

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McGowen (subsequently killed); the last I saw of him he was
carefully looking over his men, giving his final instructions. Sharp
on time, 5.30 a.m., Easter Monday, there came one big crash, the
whole weight of our artillery swept the Hun line and we walked
out following under our barrage. It was a wonderful sight, and
I shall never forget it. Dawn was just breaking, the sky was
bright with the Hun fireworks, his infantry frantically sending up
S.O.S. to his artillery, but he could do little against our stuff.
Lines of Canadian soldiers with intervals between, and, on our
right, a Scottish division with the kilts swaying and bayonets
fixed. The noise was terrific, but above all the din of the big
guns could be heard the rattle of the Hun machine-guns as they
endeavoured to stop the rush of the Canadians. Men dropped
out here and there but nothing could stop us, and we reached our
first objective in record time. Here, there was a pause while our
guns played on the Hun back trenches, and here I ran across young
Archie Cornell, bright as a button, still leading his men.

"From here the fighting was heavier, as Fritz had still machine-
gun emplacements, and a murderous fire was poured out, one by
one they were put out of action, and the crews, in a great many
cases, killed. So far as my division was concerned, our work was
nearly finished for the day, and the process of consolidation began.

"I am not going to describe the things I saw that day; war
is terrible, and certain things cannot be avoided. Considering
what we have suffered at the hands of the Hun we let them off
lightly. He is a rotten fighter individually, and can only fight
behind a machine-gun. When that is out of action, it is 'Mercy,
Kamerad!' The best meal I have had for some time, and one I
relished highly, was after the last trench had been taken. I sat
down in the trench among a lot of dead and wounded Huns, and
one of the old 118th men and myself shared a tin of bully beef and
hard-tack.

"One of the funniest things that occurred to me during the
scrap was when I had just reached the last objective. I had got
separated from my gallant gang of 'Moppers-up,' and the first
thing I knew I found myself among a bunch of twenty Huns, who
had got out of a dug-out and were beating it across towards us.
They surrounded poor old 'Jonesie' like a swarm of bees, each one
holding up his hands and shouting 'Kamerad, Kamerad, Mercy!'
and then began to pull out watches and other souvenirs. With my
big frame glasses they probably took me for an enterprising curio
hunter, and not a leader of His Majesty's forces. They looked so
damned funny, and so frightened, that I forgot there was a scrap

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on and howled with laughter. I simply pointed to our old lines
and they beat it — couldn't get there fast enough.

"All day, and until the next night, we remained at our last objec-
tive, while other troops passed through us and drove the Hun back.
It was beautifully worked, and by the afternoon he was back
three miles, and we had taken prisoners galore, officers and
generals, guns and all sorts of stuff. The Canadian private had
the time of his life. All sorts of souvenirs came into his possession;
watches, caps, field glasses, etc., and the dug-outs yielded up lots
of treasures. We took the Hun so much by surprise that some of
them had no trousers on. I spent the afternoon sleeping in an
officer's dug-out lighted by electricity, and on a comfortable bed
that only a few hours before a commander had slept on. They
even left us some fresh eggs, cases of soda-water and wine. It
was a glorious day for Canada, and the boys thoroughly enjoyed
it. We have had to pay for it, but not too heavily. Poor Mac
v&s killed early in the fight. His batman states that he remarked
that he had been hit, but struggled on. Poor Archie Cornell, the
brightest little sport in the battalion, was killed fifty yards from
the final objective. Campbell, who played tennis in Calgary, a
friend of Sheffield's, was killed early in the game; Kirkham was
wounded. When the final objective was reached, two of us were
left in my company — the O.C. and myself. He had been wounded
twice but carried on until the next morning, when he went back
to the Clearing Station, and I assumed command of the company
— the only one left without a scratch. In the evening, when I
led them back over the ground we had taken from the Hun, now
covered with snow and dead, one of them remarked, 'Well Mr.
Jones, they said in Lethbridge that we of the 113th were a bunch of
booze-fighters, but we showed them to-day what we could do.'
And they certainly did; and a gamer bunch never donned the King's
uniform.

"Well, I can hardly imagine that so many things have hap-
pened in such a short time, where the ground so short a time ago
held by Fritz is now ours. It was wonderful to see our artillery
push forward, and also our cavalry; I even saw the tanks go by,
and, as for our air service — it was magnificent; it was 'some show,'
and it is still going on.

"Poor Mac, good old sport, and the other lads, played the
game to the end. We buried them to-day back in the village
burial ground.

"P.S. — Among the documents found on German prisoners was
one from the General Staff, stating that they had received informa-

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tion that an attack would be made by the British, and that 'the
troops opposite them were Canadians, first-class troops; they
never had deserters from the Canadians.' '

The following are extracts from a letter received from
Lieutenant A. K. Harvie, formerly of the Superintendent's
Department at Winnipeg, written after the battle of Vimy
Ridge, 9th April, 1917:

"The lads who went over did splendidly, and the little stories
we hear about them are really quite worth repeating. I shall take
the chance of boring you by telling you a couple at least:

"One chap named Terence — an Irishman, of course —
approached a dug-out in which he heard voices and invited the
occupants to come out, accompanying the invitation with a Mills
bomb which was not replied to quickly; so he dropped down a
10-lb. charge of high explosive with the cryptic remark: 'All right,
you can damn well stay there.' Terry, the above-mentioned, was
cook for his company, but got special permission to go on the raid.
After it was all over, the raiders were sent back for a rest and
Terry intimated his intention of going back to cook dinner for the
boys. It was only with difficulty that he was persuaded not to
do so.

"In one of the parties was a big chap who was noted as a bad
actor; in fact he had only a few days ago completed ninety days'
Field Punishment No. 1 for some transgression, but this had not
killed his fighting spirit. The Hun started throwing his stick-
handled bombs and this beggar saw that they took some little time
to go off, so he commenced throwing them back. Rather discon-
certing for the Hun to throw bombs and have them thrown back
to explode in his own trenches. He got the D.C.M.

"After this little show comparative quiet reigned, but we could
see that preparations were being made for something on a much
larger scale regarding which we were more or less in the dark.
Gradually the place assumed something of the appearance of the
rear areas of the Somme, guns and ammunition in abundance,
until our orders came through and we knew just what the scheme
was to be and what part we were to play. The papers have
described very effectively how the men jumped up at 5.30 a.m.,
and then they have gone on to tell us about the glorious victory
and all that sort of thing, but they cannot convey one iota of the
tense condition of waiting for news after the battle had started.

"In the depths of our dug-out we could see nothing, and apart
from the fact that they were off and we must await the result, we

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could do little. You can imagine the feeling; not only was the
honour of the regiment at stake, but so many of our fellow-officers
had gone forward that the first bit of news was eagerly waited for.
Gradually wounded men began to drift back and then an occa-
sional officer, and each was interrogated as much as his condition
would permit. So on during the first and second days, ups and
downs, bright hopes and bitter disappointments, until there came
a clear, bright sunny afternoon whose brightness was as symbolical
as the past few days of snow and rain — when sometimes we had
doubted — for on that day we found that our victory was complete,
that the Hun had gone and that on the roll of deeds of the Canadians
there had been written a victory greater they say than any other
since the war began. It is some satisfaction to know that those
lads who had gone out never to return had not made the sacrifice
in vain.

"Had I time I could tell you a hundred and one glorious deeds
that marked those few days, deeds which have occurred doubtless
everywhere, but which showed that man for man the Hun cannot
beat us.

"There is a story of a slip of a lad, one of a machine-gun team,
who found himself alone with his gun and one drum of ammunition.
He took up a post in a shell-hole, went out and collected enough
ammunition around to keep his gun going and alone, for eighteen
hours he formed a 'one-man' strong point. That takes grit.

"The final scene to this play was when the relief came in.
The cartoon in Punch fully describes it: One chap sitting on a
ruin is approached by another, who says:

" 'By Jove! This must by my village.'

" 'Sorry, old toff, but it is mine. I just took it an hour ago.'

"You will possibly have heard that Quinton and McCarthy
were both transferred to this battalion with drafts of officers we
received. Quinton is battalion bombing officer and — well, poor
McCarthy went over in the battle and we have so far been unable
to get any definite information about him. A rumour has gone
around that he was wounded, but we cannot find which dressing
station he passed through.

"One remark Quinton read yesterday in a letter he was cen-
soring will give you some idea of the weather we have been
experiencing. The remark was: 'If this weather keeps on, we can
soon bring up the navy.' '

NOTE: The McCarthy referred to was Lieutenant R. B.
McCarthy, of the Winnipeg staff, who was killed in action in
the operations described in the foregoing.

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The following is a private letter written in July at a
British Red Cross Hospital in France by Lieutenant T.
Gordon Chisholm, formerly a member of our Market
branch (Toronto) Staff.

This refers to the capture of Vimy Ridge, 9th April,
1917:

"The promised letter at last. A few words about the attack.
We had been put into the section of the line where we attacked
some time ago and had had ample time to study the ground before
going over. We knew everything there was to know about it, and
when the show came off everything went as if it had been rehearsed.
We went into the line one night and got all prepared. As soon as
the appointed time arrived, we moved into battle positions and
waited for the zero hour. You would be surprised at the high
spirits of the men just before going over. Everybody was laughing
and joking and enjoying the situation immensely. It is a great
feeling knowing that you are going to get a smash at Fritz and
pay him back for some of what he has done.

"A few minutes before the hour I issued rum to the men and
then we waited. Right on the dot, pandemonium broke out.
Our artillery opened up as one gun. The noise was deafening,
The shrieking of shells mingled with their explosions and machine-
gun fire, trench mortars, etc., was something indescribable. On
our flank great drums of burning oil were projected on enemy
strong-points. When our time came, we climbed on the parapet
and started over. Looking to either side one could see thousands
of men walking slowly but none the less certainly into the German
lines. Ahead of us our artillery cleared the way. When we reached
the German lines we hardly recognized them. What had
once been trenches were only mere sunken lines. There was not
a point in them that had not been touched. The ground between
the trenches was so pitted with shell-holes that it resembled a
gigantic honeycomb. Dug-out entrances were mere holes about
a foot square. The only works left standing were massive concrete
machine-gun emplacements. I had to take up a position in a wood.
The wood, when I found it, consisted of a piece of ground covered
with stumps about a foot high. There we stopped and com-
menced digging in. It was while running about superintending
operations that I 'got mine.' A machine-gun opened up on us,
and as I was trying to get away from it I stumbled on a bayonet
and got a nasty cut in the foot. One cannot consider his hurts
when he is being shelled and going back over the late 'No Man's

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Land.' I had to run. sore foot and all, as the ground was being
shelled. On reaching our old trenches, I was rather surprised to
find that I had a following; Germans seemed to spring out of the
ground. I counted up and found I had six to guide, so I started
them off down the trench and directed them from behind. Reach-
ing a certain place I turned the Huns over, and carried on to the
dressing station where I had my foot dressed and was sent on down
here.

"Expect to be in hospital for a few weeks and then go to
convalescent camp, so shall have a little rest before carrying on."

The following letter is from Lieutenant G. H. S.
Dinsmore, of the Royal Flying Corps, formerly attached
to the Head Office staff:

"As you will see from the address, I am right in it now and,
in fact, have been for some few weeks. To go back a long way, I
'?as first sent to a school of preliminary instruction at Oxford,
where I had to imbibe oceans of technical knowledge about engines,
bombs, and a thousand other things. This torture lasted for two
months, when I passed out to learn the gentle art of aviating —
first of all near Edinburgh. I completed some five hours' solo
flying there, after a month's course, and left for my higher squadron
in Yorkshire to qualify for my wings, and, incidentally, to come out
to France as an active service pilot. This only lasted three weeks
and, without an hour's delay, I was shipped out here to make a
small endeavour at strafing the wily Boche. My reception by
von Hindenburg on my first trip over the lines was quite mild, so
on my next trip I took some bombs to awaken his ire. I am very
much afraid they had more than the desired effect, as shortly after
this our formation was violently attacked by numerous fast enemy
scouts. Three of them insisted on thrusting their affections upon
me and, though my observer accounted for two, the third brought
me down with my observer killed. By the best stroke of luck I
managed to reach a very advanced post in the front line, followed
thereto by Mr. Hun, showing all kinds of hate by showering me
with machine-gun bullets. My own escape was marvellous, as
my boot and coat were both torn by machine-gun bullets, though
I was unhurt. The Hun has the advantage in these scraps, as
we go some ten miles into his country looking for trouble, but he
rarely returns our visits. Of course, such engagements don't always
occur, but we always get heavily shelled by the anti-aircraft guns
('Archies,' as they are called), and from these I had several very
narrow escapes. I have seen all the devastated country from all

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heights up to 12,000 feet, and it is awful. The Huns have laid
everything waste and the whole country is one mass of shell-holes.

"On my way up the line I ran into Marlow, who was looking
well."

The following extract is from a letter written on 29th
May, 1917, by Lieutenant M. Dunsford, formerly of the
Collingwood staff, after having come through the battle
of Vimy Ridge and the subsequent few days of heavy
fighting:

"I expect you have read all about the big battle in the papers.
There was not very much excitement where I was. We just got
up and walked or ran over at the appointed time. I only saw two
live Germans on the way and two dead ones until reaching our
objective. I think our artillery barrage had chased them all down
into their dug-outs and they afterwards came out in bunches and
were taken prisoners. The two live Germans that I saw had their
hands well up and were going as fast as they could towards our
rear line; afterwards I saw big bunches going out the same way.
One does not even have to put a guard over them. They will go
back as fast as they can of their own accord. It was a wonderful
sight when we got to the top of the Ridge to see Germans and
their artillery running for all they were worth in all directions.
From the top of the Ridge one can see for miles. It is strange what
a difference the advance has made. We are now camped in a
place where you could not even walk around in daylight before."

The following letter is from Gunner H. S. Lawrence,
formerly a member of the staff of the Sherbrooke branch:

' 'Letters from the Front' is always interesting, and I hope
to receive copies of any subsequent issues that may be published.

"During our sojourn in this war-stricken land and all along
the front, many and varied have been the experiences. Like the
transitory life in a bank in Canada one never knows when he will
have to pull up anchor — here to-day and gone to-morrow.

"Artillery is an interesting and instructive branch of the
service. Putting over barrages, bashing in trenches, dug-outs, etc.,
as well as wire-cutting and other destructive work, are some of the
tasks allotted, and the most important targets engaged are counter-
batteries. Aeroplane observation is a great aid in conducting the
'shoots.' One of our air-scouts was recently on leave in England
during an air raid. Seeing the enemy aircraft, he instinctively

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

pulled out his whistle, forgetting for the moment that he was away
from his daily routine of watching the skies.

"Two years at this game without a day's illness proves that
the life is not altogether an unhealthy one. However, everyone
is anxious and determined to see an end of all this strife and the
war brought to a successful termination. The Allemand must
get what is coming to him. Furthermore, we are winning.

The following extracts are from a letter sent from
London in August, 1917, by Lieutenant J. N. B. Colley,
formerly of the Secretary's Department in Head Office.
The transport herein referred to was the "Justicia" of the
Hamburg-American Line. This ship was subsequently
sunk by submarine action.

"We had some 5,000 troops on board coming over, besides a
valuable cargo of wheat and sugar. The transport was an enor-
mous vessel and had never been used except as a transport. She
was intended for a passenger liner of the highest class, and was in
course of construction when war broke out. Of fittings she has
none, and it is said that it will take at least a year to complete her
after the war is over.

"I had some trouble with my eyes, after arriving, and after
recovery was summoned to London and attached temporarily to
Headquarters. We had an examining board of officers at the
camp to enquire into our military and other qualifications, and I
happened to be the one who was chosen to do some special work in
London. I feel I have to thank the training that I had in the
Bank for enabling me to 'carry on/ and I have certainly found that
the systematic way of doing things at Head Office has helped me
considerably. My particular work just now is in connection with
officers, their records, transfers, promotions, etc., and there is
plenty to keep me busy from 9 a.m. to 6 or 7 p.m. How long this
will last I do not know, but I shall not be so terribly rusty when I
return to the Bank, provided I don't become a casualty.

"London is full of soldiers, from all quarters of the globe and
apparently of all the allied nations. One frequently sees Tommies
fresh from the trenches with their rifles, steel helmets, entrenching
tools, etc., in the streets on their way home or back to the front.
Every other man seems to be a soldier, and what civilians one does
see are apparently either over or under age. There is no very
marked scarcity of food. Sugar is an exception and can only be
had in very small quantities. We have war bread, which really is

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

quite good and only a shade darker than the ordinary variety.
London is very dark at night, but not as bad as it used to be.
There are lamps at frequent intervals, and locomotion is really
not at all difficult. You know we have the Daylight Saving.
It is a splendid idea and makes the day seem so much longer.
In camp we used to get up at 5.30 by our watches — in reality 4.80
by the sun — and everything was so fresh. Of course we go to bed
an hour earlier, just because the clock happens to show ten or
eleven o'clock — to such extent are we creatures of habit."

The following experience is related by Lieutenant
T. W. McConkey, M.C., of the Royal Flying Corps,
formerly of the Fort Rouge branch, Winnipeg, in a letter
dated 13th September, 1917:

"On Thursday morning we were photographing about five
miles into Hunland when two Albatross flyers began manoeuvring
around our tail. Suddenly my pilot snouted to me that our
petrol tank had been shot through. The only thing to do was to
turn and beat it for home and mother, which we did. I managed
to tickle the Huns with my Lewis gun but was not fortunate enough
to bring either down. Luckily our emergency tank had not been
shot and we gained our own lines quite O.K. Upon seeing the
petrol actually pouring down on my pilot's feet my first thought
was 'fire'; but it seems luck was with us that day and nothing dis-
astrous took place. We were flying at 6,000 ft. but we were not
long losing height after we reached the friendly side of the line."

The following is an extract from a further letter from
Lieutenant McConkey, written during September, 1917,
describing the action in which he won the Military Cross :

"Everything went well with me until May llth when, while
photographing about 9,000 yards into Hunland, we were attacked
by five Albatross scouts which broke up our formation. Between
us we shot down two enemy machines and drove another down,
apparently out of control. My pilot, Capt. Pemberton, from B.C.,
manoeuvred the machine in a most excellent fashion, evading the
fire of Huns as much as possible and giving me every opportunity
to bring my Lewis gun into play. He received a spent bullet in
the back, necessitating his spending a week in the casualty clearing
station. I came off less fortunately, with four bullet wounds in
right thigh, one in shoulder and one in face — all flesh wounds.
At present I am spending a quiet holiday at Weybridge-on-the-
Thames."

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

The following letters from Gunner A. R. Mclver,
formerly of our Parksville branch, come from fronts less
known to us.

Gunner Mclver served with the British Armoured
Car squadron, attached to the Russian army. He was
decorated on two occasions by the Russian Government.
The first letter was written on 2nd February, 1917:
"We got into Roumania in time for the Dobudja fighting
and, except for about three weeks back in Tiraspol, have been here
ever since. It was pretty cold here in the snowy weather, and I
do not want to put in another winter campaign anywhere.
Of course we could not use the cars during the bad weather and had
to take the gun into the trenches. You can understand what it
means to take a naval gun into a first line trench when all artillery
is at least a mile back, and a fluent writer could write a book on
our experiences. We had one particularly bad day in March. I
don't suppose you know, but I am now a No. 1 gunner and do the
firing, which is a little promotion. Well, on this day we were
firing from the Russian trenches at a village about 250 yards away
with the enemy trenches in between, when on our fourth shot the
parapet blew down from concussion, and there we were in full view.
They opened on us at once, but we finished our fire without loss,
although I do not know how we managed it. All I know is that
six-inch shells are very nasty things to have falling around when
one wants to do accurate quick firing. Since then I have been
given the Russian Medal, 4th Class, Order of St. Stanislaus, so
that is something to go on with."

Later letters from Gunner Mclver, written in July,
1917, in Tiraspol, Russia, are as follows.

The Russian revolution is referred to herein:

"Since writing you on 2nd May, I have been sent back here
(our base) for a week or two. Up in Galatz our crew was attached
to another squadron, and as the cars are about ready they decided
we must have a few days' rest in between. We must have done
fairly good work up there, as our squadron commander gave us
all a week off, and I have been made No. 1 gunner on a new gun
we have just received. It is the only one of its kind in the crowd
and is much superior to any of the other class."

"We expect to leave here for the front again some time this
month and I do not know when I may find time to write again.
The war news seems very good and most of the fellows are betting

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

on peace this summer. I cannot quite see it that way, but am
hoping for the best. We have been promised leave this fall if the
war is not over, and by then we shall have been two years out of
England; so I guess we are entitled to it. The revolution in this
country has rather upset the fighting, and I cannot see what is
going to happen this summer on the Eastern front.

"We left Vladikavkaz in July and proceeded down to the
Turkish front in the Mush-Bitlis region. After some work we got
there and had quite a lot of fun. Our squadron did all the fighting,
and I am glad to say our gun was 'it' up there. You can tell the
Bank that I was one of the crew that took the first gun into that
portion of Turkish Armenia, went farthest, and played hell when
we got there. Our N.C.O. in charge and the first gunner both got
Russian decorations, so we evidently did something. We had to
leave that front owing to the approach of winter and then got to
Odessa via the shores of the Caspian; so you may know I have
seen a little of the world lately. After a few days in Odessa we
went on to the Roumanian front in time for the big retreat. We
were in the Dobrudja and afterwards on the other side of the
Danube, Braila way.

"About the beginning of the year the roads got very bad with
snow, etc., and we had to return here to repair cars, etc. This is
about half-way between Odessa and Roumania. We expect to be
here for a month or two and I shall write you again, perhaps, before
leaving.

"The Bank sent me one of the 'Letters from the Front' series,
and I see a lot of the boys have gone 'west,' including Beatson."

NOTE: The Mr. Beatson referred to is Lieutenant R. S. M.
Beatson, formerly of our Vancouver branch, who was killed in
action on 2nd July, 1916.

The following extract is from a letter dated 7th
August, 1917, written by Captain A. G. A. Vidler, M.C.,
formerly of the Vancouver Branch. Captain Vidler was
severely wounded at Festubert and subsequently obtained
his commission in the llth Royal Sussex Battalion:

"I thought you might be interested in a few lines on the recent
big push at Ypres, particularly as our part was over ground lost
by the Canadians at the second battle of Ypres in April, 1915.

"I and my company of 117 men went over the sacks at 3.50
a.m., 3rd July. It was an extraordinary sight. Blazing oil was
discharged and lighted up 'No Man's Land' like day; panic

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

rockets, green, red and golden, rained from the Boche and wave
on wave of rushing figures came on just as dawn was breaking.
I had taken the precaution of tying a pair of wire cutters to my
wrist, and it was just as well I did, as I got caught up in front of a
sputtering machine-gun which my men bombed out. The
Hun trenches were in an indescribable mess. We got a lot of
prisoners, over 1,700 in one division. Kitchener Wood, where the
Royal Highlanders of Montreal were cut off in April, 1915, is now
in our hands, and St. Julien, too. This village was taken, approp-
riately enough, by Capt. McRoberts, M.C., an old 72nd Seaforth
of Vancouver, B.C., First Contingent, who served on the ground
then as a private. His bag was 200 prisoners.

"The mud and rain on 1st and 2nd August were atrocious.
I lived on neat whisky and muddy cold ham and was soaked to
the skin and mud to the eyes. One of the officers put his head into
a Boche dug-out where we were having this tasty meal and said,
'Say, bartender, is this a booze joint, or a lazing ground for
hoboes? Get busy with the throat-coolers.' We cooled it for him
all right.

"Kind regards to all."

The following is a later letter from Captain Vidler,
under date of 6th October, 1917:

"I am still O.K., having been through this Flanders business
since its start on 31st July, though anybody who had offered me
two cents for my prospects of life ten days ago, would have found
takers. The fighting has been extraordinarily bitter, and the
shelling the worst of the whole war. I was in the last business on
25th September and it was much worse than when we went over
the sacks at St. Julien on 31st July. By the way I snaffled an
M.C. out of that business and an old Vancouver friend of mine,
Capt. McRoberts, got the D.S.O. He used to be a private in the
72nd Seaforths (16th Battalion) of the First Contingent, and has
already got the Military Cross and Bar.

"Have not met any Commerce men lately — been too busy;
but I met an R.A.M.C. doctor, Capt. Julian, whose brother is,
or was, in Main Office in Vancouver. The Hun gets a dreadful
hammering every day now, and is losing ground steadily all along
this front. The British Army is like a tide lapping its way across
the Flanders Ridge, sucking back occasionally, but making steady
gains of territory all the time, and what is more important, marked
depreciation of morale in the Germans is noted daily. Yesterday
three thousand were taken prisoner, and no army in the world

IIS

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

can stand such a steady succession of defeats for long. I think so
many people in England get despondent through lack of proportion
and perspective. They expect crushing results and peace in an
instant.

"Well, I feel I bore you. Best regards and good luck to the
old firm."

The following extracts from a letter, dated 14th
September, 1917, from Private W. G. Chisholm, Canadian
Pay Office, London, formerly of the Saskatoon staff, refer
to many members of the staff on military duty:

"Soon after leaving hospital I had ten days' leave, so spent a
day in London and called on Major Lobley, and he immediately
wrote to have me sent here, as it seems bank men are in great
demand in the Pay Office. I came here in November and am not
worked really hard, although there is always enough to keep one
busy. There are about 1,400 clerks on the staff of the Pay Office,
so you can imagine the amount of work involved.

"Since I have been here I have met quite a number of the
C. B. of C. boys, and as I know you will be interested in hearing
how some of the old Saskatoon staff are getting along, I shall give
you what news I can of them.

"I am very sorry to relate that D. E. Gordon, J. A. K. Gildea
and Freddie Guy have all made the supreme sacrifice, as also has
W. M. Blott of Nutana. Gordon and Gildea were officers in the
Imperials. Guy went back to France for the second time last
September and was killed at Vimy Ridge on 9th April, and on the
same day Blott was killed; he was an officer with the R.C.R.'s.
W. S. Duthie, who got his commission in the Gordon Highlanders,
was severely wounded this summer, and after spending a few weeks
in a hospital in London is now at Aberdeen and expects his discharge
soon. Falkner (who left Elbow branch) returned to France the
latter part of last year and was only there a few weeks when he
was wounded again. He was up seeing me two weeks ago and
sailed for Canada the following day, so I suppose he will be calling
on you before long as he said he intended to do so. J. R. Orr,
who you remember was moved to Hamilton, came over as a lieu-
tenant in the 177th and is now in the Royal Flying Corps. He is
getting on very well and expects to be passed as a fully qualified
niying officer in about four weeks' time. J. Shaw is still here and
is^oing well. He is now staff-sergeant. Somerville and H. F.
SteWart, both* of West Side, are in the Canadian Record Office,
the former a & :rgeant and the latter a corporal. Bain is still to

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

the fore, having been in France continuously since April, 1015,
and got his commission in the field, which you will agree with me
he deserved. Smillie, too, has been in France quite a long time,
and, as far as I know, is well. That, I think, includes all the Saska-
toon former staff whom I have met since coming over, and from my
account you can see that they have all given good accounts of
themselves, as I think the C. B. of C. boys as a whole have done.
Oh, yes, I forgot to mention that Roth well got his commission in
the Canadians and went back to France for the third time in the
spring. He is still there, I think."

We received the following account of an air-raid
on London, Eng., from a member of our staff at that
point.

The incidents herein recorded happened in the
Edgeware Road, London, W.:

"I had not been in bed five minutes when I heard the hum of
an aeroplane engine, which became so loud I at once came to the
conclusion that it was an enemy one, as only yesterday I had read
that the engines of the aeroplanes over the north of England were
exceptionally loud and ours are not usually so. We dressed
hurriedly and went out on the main road. Bombs dropping and
shells bursting could be heard in the vicinity, but as the aeroplanes
appeared to have gone away, we returned to bed.

"In about fifteen minutes I heard the engines again, so dressed
and went out with a view to getting under a little more substantial
cover. We had not the time to do it as a man on the opposite
corner shouted that the aeroplane was immediately overhead.
We dived into our doorway and had just shut the door when there
was a terrific roar and we appeared to lie enveloped in a huge red
cloud and dense suffocating smoke of a very unpleasant character,
and all the glass in London seemed to have landed at our door.
We were temporarily blinded, but as children were crying in the
street we went out. I never saw such a mess in all my life. Our
door on the main road faces a street in which hardly a house was
not wrecked in one way or another. The man who shouted the
warning was lying in the roadway with his head terribly injured,
so I ran across to him, but it appeared of little use. A police
station being nearby, from fifty to one hundred constables soon
surrounded the whole scene, ambulances arrived and the injured
were brought out of the houses.

"In one building not a window was left, and huge pieces of stone
and brick had been torn off the front of the house as though some-

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

one had been endeavouring to hack out certain parts with a crowbar.
Pieces of shrapnel had come in through the windows and embedded
themselves in the wall, and in another room a piece had gone
through a 1^-inch slab of marble, cutting a clean hole. A water
main appeared to have been hit, as there was a great rush of water
in one of the areas of the house.

"The strange part of the incident is the fact that the bomb
seemed to explode in mid-air and yet wrecked the interior of
practically every house.

"Our escape was miraculous, as the glass in the door we were
behind was blown in, and shrapnel had peppered the edge, but
luckily none had come directly on the door itself, or we should have
received it. Even so, I cannot understand how we escaped the
shower of glass which was all over the passage. What would have
happened had we been on the first floor it is hard to say, as the place
was a wreck, and we should surely have been hit by the incoming
shrapnel. This is driven with terrific force, as iron bars around
windows were bent like tin or broken into small lengths."

The following letter is from Lieutenant H. H. R.
Challenor, formerly Manager of the Bloor and Dufferin
branch, Toronto.

The pretty little French village herein referred to is
Villers-au-Bois, quite near Vimy Ridge:

"I am still alive and never felt better in all my life. The life
out here, even with all its squalor and hardships, seems to agree
with everyone.

"We came out of the line the other night and are now billeted
in a pretty little French village. It is a great treat to be out, as last
trip we had rather a rough time. The rain and mud were very
bad, mud nearly up to the waist; and it rained so that our trench
began to cave in, thereby offering very little protection. We had
no shelter, only funk holes. Those are holes dug in the side of
the trench, just big enough for one to get in and take a little snooze
during the day; and with the rain they all caved in, so we had
none.

"Well, I hope this show will be over soon, as I think everyone
xhas had enough. I was at one of the B.E.F. clubs the other day
a\*7id I met Major Leggat and we had quite a long talk about old
tin\^es> I a^so kftd dinner with Mario w the other night. He is
trari!lSPor* °fficer °f the 123rd Battalion.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"I often wish I were back at my old office again — it seems
years since I was there, but it is only two. I shall always be glad
to hear how everything is going. I am always interested in hearing
anything about the C. B. of C."

The following three letters were written in prison
camps in Germany. The first, dated 16th February, 1917,
is from Sergeant T. S. Ronaldson, M.M., formerly of the
Fort Frances branch, who went over with the First
Contingent.

"Canarders" referred to in this letter were those who
manufactured canards or groundless rumours. In prison
camps wonderful credence was at all times given to
rumours.

Sergeant Ronaldson was gassed and taken prisoner
at the second battle of Ypres, 22nd April, 1915. He
developed spinal trouble while in Germany and has now
been a bed patient for four years. At the time of
publication he is in hospital in Toronto.

"I must thank you all very much for the trouble you have
taken and for your kindnesses. I think that most of the bread you
sent me arrived in good order, but the simple statement 'Spadina
and College' kept me guessing, and this delayed an earlier acknow-
ledgment.

"As regards Taylor, I lost touch with him in June, 1915, and
have not heard of him since, though I believe he is still attached to
Mtinster II. There are two fellows from our office who came over
with the Fort Garry Horse (First Contingent) : Wright and Wood.
Have you any news of them? I have not seen them since
December, 1914.

"It will certainly be very strange to us when we return to
find such changes in the personnel of the officers.

"The parcels under the new regulations seem to be very good,
from what I have seen of them. We shall have enough to keep
us going quite comfortably and they avoid waste, as there are no
unnecessary contents.

"You are certainly to be congratulated on the work you have
done for the prisoners. You can scarcely realize how much it is
appreciated. Outside of the material gift, there is the grateful
knowledge that the people back home remember us and that they
appreciate the fact that we cannot help our predicament.

il?

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"I am sorry I cannot give you any news as there is none, and
the manufacture of such stuff is in the hands of a fen- experts
called 'canarders,' with whom I cannot hope to compete."

The second letter is from Mr. G. Napier Gordon,
formerly attached to the Stratford branch, and also a
soldier of the First Contingent. Both this letter and the
preceding one were addressed to the Manager of our
Spadina and College branch.

"Glad to receive your letter of January. Letters are always
a real blessing in this place, and as for the hampers sent from
Switzerland, they were a substantial addition to my food supply
gratefully received. A few days ago about four hundred more
officers arrived from various other camps, but as yet I have not
been able to discover any other Commerce men. We are about
five hundred and fifty British here, together with a hundred
French, and a few Russians who will very likely be sent to other
places, leaving this an entirely British camp — a motley crowd
from all ends of the earth, I assure you. You little know how much
your attention is appreciated. Many thanks."

The last of the group is a letter from Lieutenant
William J. Gray, R.F.C., formerly of the Edmonton staff,
and at the time of writing, a prisoner in Germany:

"I have allowed the month to become quite far advanced
without even an attempt to write to you. There is little wonder,
however, as it is almost impossible to find anything worth writing
about. Life in a prisoner-of-war camp is not very interesting, but
I find time passes very quickly. We invent all sorts of curious
things to keep ourselves busy. We have chess, bridge, cricket and
football tournaments and derive a lot of excitement from them.
There is a football tournament on this afternoon and I have to
play.

"The cold weather seems to be over, although it snowed a
little this morning. It Vas very cold for three weeks and we had
a lot of snow. I have ctat had a letter from you this month and
no parcel since the middle of last month. I hope you will send
me a parcel regularly as\ it is most important now. . . . For-
tunately I have had a fai)| supply coming and am not starving at
present. I receive a bigl parcel from Harrod's, Ltd., London,
every week and one from the R.F.C. Aid Committee. Of the four
in my room I was the only one to have a parcel for weeks and so
had to keep the others going. The other three had quite a number

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

of parcels yesterday, but I had none, so I am beginning to be
anxious. I hope you received my letter telling you what I wanted
most. Canned meats, jam, milk and sugar are the most important.
For some time I received bread from Holland, but that has been
stopped by the Dutch authorities. Bread does not worry us now,
as we receive it from England. . . .

"When I get back to England I will very likely take out a
pilot's certificate in the R.F.C. This war has made a horrible
mess of everybody's plans. Four years of the best of a man's
life are not easily made up for. I often sit and wonder what we
should all have been to-day if things had gone otherwise. But
even if I had the choice to make over again I would not have done
otherwise. Look at some of the fellows who have stayed at home.
They will no doubt benefit greatly in some ways, but I wouldn't
change with the most fortunate of them.

"When this reaches you there will be a great struggle going
on, and the result of that struggle will decide the length of our
stay here."

The following letter from Second Lieutenant I. C.
Falconer, formerly of the San Francisco staff, was written
in one of the London, Eng., hospitals on 4th April,
1917:

"I got here a little over a week ago suffering from what the
War Office called 'multiple wounds, severe.' Of their severity you
can judge by the fact that I am now sitting at a table before a fire
writing this. Since I last wrote you I have been in many places
and have had a wider experience of war. I really enjoyed myself,
though at times the weather was terrible and the mud indescrib-
able. Trenches always rather bored me and I specialized in
bombing and patrolling. I found it a great variety in life to get
well acquainted with the mysteries of 'No Man's Land.' For a
time I was training men in that finer line of bombing — rifle grenade
work. We were in the line a few days before the evacuation, and I
had very bad luck in not getting into the Boche trenches and
finding how they were held. Fritz bluffed us well that trip and
my corporal got a bullet through his trousers. We went back for
a 'rest* (i.e., intensive offensive training), but only had two days of
it when we were rushed forward Hun chasing. After moving in
a circle for several days we were put on the rail and road repairing.
The wily one blew craters fifty feet deep at all cross roads, so we had
plenty to do. Gradually we got forward and eventually were
once more facing our old friends. I cannot describe all the destruc-

219

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

tion and petty spitefulness we saw in that awful tract of country.
We found ourselves holding a single shallow trench with no wire
in front and some outposts in enlarged shell-holes. We felt that
perhaps those old dirty trenches with their deep dug-outs were
preferable to this open warfare in many ways. We saw a good
deal as we were in a commanding position. I had the great joy
of seeing over two hundred of the swine running out of a village
and saw our shells getting them. It was a 'bon war' that day, as
the men say. We were near the Hindenburg line by now — just a
few more lines.

"Another brigade was going to attack, and word suddenly
came in on the very night for us to send out a party with a machine-
gun to take up a position and cover the retirement, if the Brigade
did not get its objective. It was one of those nasty jobs that have
to be done; none of the fun of the attack and no chance if it was a
failure. I was not at all pleased when I was sent on the job.
However, we went off with the last wave and got the best position
we could. The attackers had started well up to the enemy and
consequently they were well ahead of the Hun barrage when it
came down. We soon saw it was going to get us and dug like mad
to get under cover. There were eight men and myself, five gunners
and three of my best men. It is curious how little one notices
things in a show like that. We were joking away and a little
Irishman beside me was shouting out 'Pack up your troubles in
your old kit bag.' I shall never again believe anyone who says you
never hear the shell that gets you. We did. It is a curious feeling
wondering whether you are dead or not. The shell landed beside
me and I found myself with my head in the foot of the hole it had
made and three of my men killed outright beside me. I don't
know how I escaped. I think I was kneeling digging with an
entrenching tool at the time and that probably saved me. Another
shell got our gun. It was no use staying longer, especially as there
was no more machine-gun or rifle-fire and our boys must have got the
trench. Two of my men helped me back more shaken than hurt.
I was so close to the shell that my face was burned by the explosion.
Half one eye was all red but my sight was safe. I got some
souvenirs in the shape of five small splinters in my leg and some
minor scratches on my hands and right arm. It is almost two
weeks since that night, and I am so much better that I expect to
leave here for a convalescent home in a week or two. It was a
grand night in a way. I am quite glad to be out of it all for a bit
of a rest, but I have no love for home soldiering. I have no doubt
though that I shall be out again in time to see plenty more of it.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"I am glad America has come in at last and I hope it will be
with all her resources. The Germans know well that we are their
masters on land now, and what is more important, every man in
our army and the French army feels it too; it is a great tonic to
know that we are going forward. I don't believe the war will
finish this year. Fritz will put up a big fight and he can fight,
whatever newspapers say. What can never be forgotten is the way
the Germans deported all the girls of the evacuated area and
desecrated the churches and shrines. I have been through that
country and, thanks to my knowledge of French, I have heard a
lot of what went on there from a few of the old people who came
from the concentration area to their villages which only exist as
piles of rubbish. If Congress could only be taken through that
country, there would be no half-hearted measures, and it might
have been the same here. The Germans may have delayed our
advance for a few days by their destruction, but they cannot have
realized the effect of their actions on the spirit of our men.

"I wish it was all over — we all do, those of us who have had
our share of it, especially; yet we realize more and more what we
are up against, and that unless we do the job properly life will
never be worth living again. God help Germany if our men or
the French ever enter it. There will be no holding them back.
If that day ever comes, there will be an awful vengeance for what
has been done. It has already begun and I think the Germans
are beginning to realize it."

The following is an extract from a letter dated 14th
May, 1917, from Flight Sub-Lieutenant C. C. Purdy,
formerly Accountant at Prince Rupert, written at one of
the Royal Naval Air Stations in England:

Lieutenant Purdy was reported missing on 15th
February, 1918, and is now believed to have been shot
down by the German Ace, Christiansen, while patrolling
over the North Sea.

"Am here taking some special work on large sea-planes which
will be able to stay out at sea on patrol much longer than the
ordinary ones. Our special object is to sink submarines, which
you will probably agree is a very important function. There were
four of us chosen last week for this job. One of our bunch out on
patrol this morning brought down a Zeppelin. I should like to
have an opportunity to get one, as this has been my ambition
ever since I came over. We have not been having a great deal of
flying the last few days, as it has been windy and wet. We have

221

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

some very fine machines, some of which I should say are the largest
in the world. It seems wonderful that such a large structure can
possibly get into the air at all. Patrols, of course, go on in all kinds
of weather, and we have to be pretty good at navigation, as there is
very little to go by in the air when it is foggy; in fact it takes some
pretty good work to steer through clouds, and fog is much worse.
The whole thing has to be done by instruments by which one can
tell the speed through the air, climbing and gliding angles, and the
position laterally. There are also a dozen other things which
require attention, and which help to keep the course and to keep
the station at home posted on one's movements. It is very
interesting indeed to go sailing through the air with anything from
five hundred to nine hundred horse-power behind one in the shape
of engines."

The following is an extract from a letter written by
Corporal W. M. Morrison, of the Canadian Motor
Machine Gun Brigade and formerly on the staff at
Vancouver:

"Many thanks for the 'dough' which I received about a week
ago. The five franc notes were just the right thing, as it is rather
difficult to get any other kind of money changed, and the rate of
19c. is pretty good. I believe the Canadian Y.M.C.A. out here
give about 11 francs for $2, but it is difficult to find them at times,
and all other canteens just exchange at 10 francs for $2.00. Banks
should be able to sell any amount of 5-franc notes if the public
know they have them, as lots of men get small remittances from
home every month or so.

"Well to get on with the war news: I have just heard to-day
that Scottie Wilson (C. W. Wilson, formerly of the East Vancouver
staff) is in hospital in Blighty and that he has had a leg amputated
below the knee. However, they do not seem to have lowered his
spirits in the least. In a letter which he wrote to one of his pals
he said, 'Won't the boys grin when they see me come stumping
down Hastings Street on my wooden pin!' I suppose his next
move will be to Canada.

"I don't know where any of the other old timers are, but I
see that your old pal, MacKinley of the Yukons, is still going strong.
They are quite close to us. Browne, who used to be with them,
got a commission, but was killed some time ago."

In the following extract, Lieutenant F. R. Peirson, of
the Wellington Street (Sherbrooke) staff, describes how he
won the Military Cross:

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Lieutenant Peirson won the M.C. at Croisilles on the
Somme:

"I was sent out to take a Hoc-he strong point which was holding
up an attack. Not knowing the exact location we walked right
into it and had a stiff fight for some time, but in the end we got
the place and a good many of the Hun defenders too.

"I was invested at Buckingham Palace by the King on 20th
June, 1917."

The following is an extract from a letter dated 2nd
June, 1917, written in hospital in England by Lieutenant
T. Stanley Jackson, formerly of the Superintendent's
Department at Winnipeg:

"You will notice I am unfortunate enough to be laid up and I
am now commencing on my seventh week in hospital. I am feeling
a great deal better than when I first came in, but there is still a
gieat deal of room for improvement. It will likely be a long time
before I am really fit for even light duty, and in the meantime I
have to take things easy and remain quiet. My nerves have been
giving me lots of trouble and sometimes they nearly drive me wild.
Once I have started on the enterprise I would certainly prefer to
see it through, but I suppose it is useless to try and break the
internal mechanism.

"This is a beautiful little hospital for officers and it is situated
on a high hill overlooking the sea. The doctors and nurses are
exceptionally kind and attentive, so I am lucky to be in such a
good place.

"I am now beginning to meet quite a number of the old Bank
boys. Fitton was in to see me a week or so ago, and he is now
attached to some sea-plane squadron. Gordon Miller is in the
Divisional Pay Office here and he was also to see me. I hear occa-
sionally from Thornton, and they all seem well. The latter has
just recovered from a wound and is now on the usual furlough."

The following are extracts from a letter written in
France on 5th May, 1917, by Gunner W. A. Weddell,
formerly of the Montreal branch.

This letter was written just behind Thelus on the
Lens-Arras Road in the Vimy sector.

The position mentioned in the first paragraph was
at Anzin, a short distance from Arras. The small river
referred to in the third paragraph is the Scarpe.

M

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"After staying at a base camp some ten days or so, where
we could just barely hear the sound of guns in the distance, we
moved up in successive stages by motor lorries, staying overnight
in barns along the route. These barns for the most part were
laid out with clean straw, and the few rats that disported themselves
therein did not prevent us enjoying a good sleep. Towards the
afternoon of the fourth day we arrived at our position, which we
found to be almost in a swamp between two ridges of ground.
The heavy rains had made the whole countryside a sticky, clinging
mass of mud, and in and around our position this mud was a foot
deep. As a consequence it took us the best part of two days to
get all the four guns into their respective positions. We were
allotted the regulation bell tents for our personal habitation, on
the side of the ridge behind the position, but even here it was a
case of eating, drinking and sleeping in mud!

"Our work was done in shifts, as it is now, of eight hours each,
and when not actually on the guns there was plenty of work to
be done, such as unloading shells from the lorries which came up
to the nearest roadside to our position. Each shell weighs 200
pounds, and after being unloaded had to be rolled along planks some
200 yards to the respective gun-pits. Now, this may not sound
very strenuous, nor is it, in dry weather, but as it was then it was
the devil's own job keeping a shell on a b-inch plank all wet and
slimy. More often than not the shell slipped off into the ten or
twelve odd inches when the proposition was, of course, to get it
back on again.

"Our position now is some three or four miles further east.
On both sides of this as far as one can see are shell holes and
upheavals — a barren, desolate waste, nothing green, and a few
broken stumps of trees; also a little broken barbed wire here and
there — all that is left after our guns' heavy hammering. Here we
are not so fortunate as to have water for drinking and washing
purposes, although many of the shell-holes are full of a dark brown
liquid that goes by the name. A small supply, however, of fairly
good water can be got about a mile from here. Before, we had a
small river running quite near the camp, which was a luxury com-
pared to now.

"There is great competition between the four sections of the
battery as to the shooting; so far our section holds first place,
and we intend to keep it by hook or by crook.

"The boys have christened the gun, 'Teddy Roosevelt, the
Rough Rider,' and you ought to see her jumping around, every
time she sends forth an 'iron ration' for Fritz; however she always

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

finishes up her capers in correct position for the next shot, which
is the main thing."

The following is an extract from a letter dated 26th
June, 1917, from Gunner F. S. McClafferty, who was
formerly on the staff of the Winnipeg branch.

"I have seen a great many of the old Commerce boys since
writing you last, among whom are A. G. Mordy, Quinton, Alex.
Cunningham and V. M. Bray (of parcel-box fame). In a recent
letter which I had from Wheeler, my old side-kick, I learn with
regret of the death of both McEachern and Latimer, our old standby
on the wing. He also tells me that he sees James quite frequently
and that the latter is now drill instructor at Shorncliffe, with the
rank of captain. Wheeler himself expects to be over very shortly,
and I also understand that all the boys who joined with Bill Bailey
expect to come over very soon now.

"Have just received a call so must bring this to a hasty ending,
wishing you and yours and all the staff the world's best."

The following are extracts from letters written in
July, 1917, by Miss B. Wynne-Roberts, V.A.D., formerly
on the staff of the Toronto branch and at that time
attached to one of the stationary hospitals in France:

"I have just been whiling away a very pleasant hour reading
the June edition of 'Letters from the Front,' and the spirit moves
me to write in the hope of receiving before very long some news of
the 'Home Defence Battalions' of the C. B. of C.

"Imagine me now in sole charge of the camp — on night duty.
It is a queer sensation trying to sleep in the day and trying still
harder to keep awake all night — makes the world seem a bit upside
down. Just now I am sitting in the sister's tent writing by the
light of an oil lamp. In a few minutes I shall be going my rounds,
lantern in hand, Florence Nightingale style, fervently hoping I
don't fall over tent ropes or meet too many rats. Talking of rats,
ugh! their name is legion here and they are as tame as cats and
about the same size. I want to let out a prodigious yell every
time one crosses my path, but have refrained so far, though I
nearly dropped the lamp once or twice. It's a trifle ghostly
around this time. Somehow it is rather comforting to have an
orderly in the next tent.

"Night duty has one great disadvantage in that it cuts one
off from all dissipation during the day; otherwise it really is not
bad for a change. Since most of my chums are still on day duty
I spend most of my free time in exploring the city and the neigh-

M

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

boring country. The quaint old town has endless interests, for
in most parts it seems as if by a violent effort it had attained to
the architecture and customs of the sixteenth century and then
had gone to sleep, and now waking up to find itself in the twentieth
century and invaded, in fact almost taken possession of, by lea
Anglai*, it was making frantic efforts to retrieve itself. The
consequence is the quaintest medley of ancient and modern in the
streets, buildings and fashions, and a regular kaleidoscope of color
in the streets. Rouen is one of the largest of the British bases,
but though khaki runs a close race with grey-blue, there seems to
be no limit to the number and variety of uniforms to be seen.

"While on night duty we are allowed out in the morning
between 8.15 and 12; after that we are supposed to be no more in
evidence until 7 p.m.

"Yesterday morning I went for a lovely walk. I started out
just for a little stroll, but the morning air was so fresh after a wet
night that I felt unusually energetic. First of all I climbed the
Bon Secours up little zig-zag paths that led by funny little cottages,
all with wonderfully kept gardens, up to the top from which there
is the finest view in Rouen. This hill forms a kind of promontory
that juts out into the river and on the one side is the city lying in
the valley — a maze of old buildings, narrow streets and tall spired
churches, on the other the River Seine curving and winding away
into the distance, dotted with tree-covered little islands and ships
of many nations. On the top of the hill is the village of Bon
Secours, chiefly renowned, I suppose, for its church and for the
monument to Jeanne d'Arc, both of which look over the river.
The church I think cannot be very old, and is rather too ornate for
my taste. It lacks the dignity and simplicity of some of the other
churches here. It happened to be nearly time for la Grande Messe
when I was there, so I sat for a while and watched the congregation
assemble. There were French soldiers in grey-blue uniform and
Belgians in khaki; quaint old ladies in dresses which must have
been made sixty years ago, and snowy white mob caps; ladies of
fashion, schoolboys in very grown-up stiff collars, short trousers
and socks, and many widows in heavy sombre black. Perhaps it
is the elaborate mourning that emphasizes their bereavement, but
certainly there seem to be an appalling number of young widows
hWe. I was amused, too, to see the kiddies walk in very cere-
moniously, make the sign with the holy water, bow very low before
the altar, and then, just like other kiddies, dash up the aisle, clatter
into a seat and begin fighting or laughing, till someone in authority
went to restore order.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"Then home past the edge of a forest and between fields of
oats and wheat already beginning to turn from green to gold, a
reminder that these summer days will not last forever.

"I have just been buried in a real Canadian yarn, 'A Sower of
Wheat,' by Harold Bindloss; so that it was with a bit of a jar that
I heard one of the boys moan and realized that I was not seeing
the aurora on the prairie nor eating corn cakes with maple syrup.
As a matter of fact, I am sitting in a little two-by-four bunk or
office or sitting-room — anything you like to call it — in the wee sma'
hours, waiting for the cold, grey dawn, when it will be time to
start the round of washings and bed-makings and temperature
takings."

The following incident is culled from a letter dated
6th July, 1917, written in France by Captain T.
C. McGill, formerly Accountant at the Kingston branch:

"Have you seen in the papers that a cross has been erected on
the highest point of Vimy Ridge by the Third Division to com-
memorate the loss of our men in the battle? I was at the ceremony
and greatly impressed. There were only about one hundred there
altogether. It took place at twelve noon. Sharp on the tick of
twelve all the big guns in our area fired three volleys at the German
lines as a salute, while the men all present presented arms. Then
the ceremony began; a hymn, a prayer, a lesson, the Lord's Prayer,
a dirge by the pipes, the funeral march by the band and then
'God Save the King.' I have never seen men stand straighter or
with their heads more proudly lifted, for each felt that a little bit
of his own heart was buried there too. During all the ceremony
we stood with our backs to the German lines, clearly visible below
us though a mile or so distant, and between the cross and them;
but when we sang 'God Save the King' we turned our faces again
to the front. The bands had been warned to play softly lest it
draw fire upon us, but, when that came, discretion was thrown to
the winds and I hope our challenge reached them. Then we
saluted the cross and left it there, looking down towards the
trenches we took that day on one side and on the other across a
mile or so of valley towards the present front lines. Altogether
it was a very satisfactory little ceremony, and one felt less poig-
nantly as he passed a little wooden cross which read, 'Here lies an
unknown Canadian who fell in action, 9th April, 1917.' '

The following are extracts from a letter dated 18th
July, 1917, written by Captain J. S. Williams, formerly
on the staff of the Winnipeg branch:

M7

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

The point where the guides referred to, lost their
way, was in the Courcellette sector:

"I am afraid you must be thinking the most unspeakable
things about me for not writing again, but I have been in a similar
position to a grain of sand, shifting hither and thither, and all my
time has been occupied in adapting myself to new surroundings
and carrying on new work, only to be 'shifted' again in too short
a time. I shall give you a short resum6 of my wanderings.

"After the St. Eloi fighting came the third battle of Ypres
and then the Somme, in all of which I played an infinitesimal part
with my battery of trench mortars. After the Somme fighting,
leave opened up and I came to London for ten days' leave after
nine and a half months in France. After four days' leave my
temperature suddenly shot up to 104-5, and I was unceremoniously
bundled into No. 4 General Hospital, where I whiled away four
months before they considered I was well enough to be allowed at
large. After this they sent me down to Hastings for two months
to recuperate. I had so many complications that my medical
chart was quite interesting. The predominating features, as far as
I can remember, were trench fever and influenza. There were also
other numerous medical formulae and hieroglyphics which were
quite beyond my brain power. I think a few of them ended in
'itis,' but I would not be quite sure.

"After two months at Hastings I was transferred to the school
at Bexhill-on-Sea as an instructor in Stokes guns. I took a house
there, but after only a month was transferred here, where I am
instructing also.

"The 'tanks' came over with us, of course, for the first time,
and their secret was well kept, because no one had the slightest
idea in the front line what these Juggernauts were until they came
over in the attack. The Huns were scared green and bolted like
rabbits.

"The second turn we had at the Somme, when the battery
received instructions to move up to the new line, we were furnished
with three guides who were supposed to be most familiar with the
various routes up to the front line trenches. It was a dark night,
I admit, but these three delightful people lost us four times, and it
took us something like six hours to travel three miles, and the Huns
themselves were as bewildered as to the exact whereabouts of their
own front line as we were. A whole battalion of 'em marched
right up to our trenches at the 'slope arms,' thinking that their own
line was where we were quietly waiting for 'em. Our fellows

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

waited until they were about twenty or thirty yards away and
then gave 'em everything they had — wiped 'em right out.

"We may be doing all the fighting over here, but it certainly
seems to me that the work left behind and that which falls to your
lot gives you no rest. The feeling over here is that the Hun is
beaten, but the way he sticks it out is a credit certainly to his
commanding officers.

"These aeroplane raids over here are certainly annoying,
although in one way it brings home to some people that there is a
war on."

The following extracts have been culled from letters
written by Lieutenant J. C. Smythe, formerly of our
Montreal branch. They cover a period of six weeks —
21st July, 1917, to 7th September, 1917 — and describe the
offensive operations at Lens during that time:
Extract from letter written 21st July, 1917:

"Well, here we are in support line having been relieved from
front line duty a few nights ago by the 26th Battalion, 5th Brigade.

"Our tour in the line was not especially eventful until the
night before we were relieved. That night a show was put on in
the form of a gas bombardment of the enemy line, the heavy trench
mortars behind us carrying this out. Just after our return to the
dug-out, in reality an old cellar, one of the boys brought in a big,
husky 'Heinie' prisoner who had run out into No Man's Land to
escape the gas and had lost his way. He wandered too close to
our line, and the boys in one of our sentry posts were not long in
discovering him and in making short work of his capture.

"Fritzie made things very interesting for us the night we were
relieved. He seemed to be wise to the fact that a relief was in
progress and shelled us heavily. I had the misfortune to lose
several men just as we were handing over to the relieving battalion.

"At the present time our battalion is in brigade support line
facing the now famous city of Lens. Our trenches are immediately
in front of the Village of Angres with the town of Lievin in the
right foreground. The trench we now occupy was the German
front line previous to his withdrawal last spring. The Hun seems
to have spent a great deal of time on these trenches in anticipation
of a long stay.

"The dug-outs, which are about 20 feet deep, are lined through-
out with timber and contain beds of chicken wire stretched across
beams. Each dug-out contains a stove, which is greatly appreciated

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

at night, as it gets very cold and damp underground. The dug-outs
are connected, affording several exits, the advantage of which is
obvious.

"During the day we spend most of our time in a corner of the
trench or bay over which we have placed a sheet of corrugated
iron to serve as a roof. We have an old deal table, a couple of
wooden chairs and one armchair, all of which we have salvaged
from the shell-torn houses round about.

"I am sitting in these comparatively comfortable surroundings
now, listening to the British heavies pounding away. Occasionally
the Hun opens up and lets us have a taste of high explosive shells,
and when these begin to land too close for comfort we can always
repair to the dug-outs.

"Last evening I had a reconnoitring patrol to take out into
No Man's Land. We had a very interesting time; several times
the Hun opened fire on us with machine-guns and we got into some
pretty hot shell-fire, but got away with only a few minor casualties.
It rained hard nearly all the time we were out, and we were all
soaked to the skin and pretty well all in when we returned about
4.30 a.m., having been out since about 10 o'clock the night before.

"I am warned for a carrying party to-morrow night. I am
to take fifty men, and after securing a supply of trench mortar
shells from one of the Divisional Ammunition dumps, carry them
out into the front line for the use of the trench mortars. (This
was in preparation for the attack on Hill 70 which was to take
place at an early date)."

Extract from letter written 6th August, 1917:
"We are now in Brigade reserve, billeted in a shell-swept
town called Bully-Grenay not far from Lens. Our billet was once
a nice little private hotel run by a couple of elderly spinsters. The
remarkable part of it is that these women still cling to the old
place, sleeping in the cellar which they have endeavoured to make
more secure by the addition of sand-bags on the floor above.

"We, i.e., three officers of our Company and three batmen,
sleep on the second floor. The enemy shells drop all around us
here, sprinkling the roof and the courtyard with shrapnel. The
other evening one shell landed right in a room on the ground floor
and wrecked the place pretty badly. Only this morning a shell
penetrated the wall and exploded in the sitting room while two of
us were dressing in the next room but one. The explosion cracked
the middle wall of the building and of course played havoc in the
front room. Needless to say we were somewhat startled.

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"There are several batteries of heavies in the neighbourhood,
and with these pounding away most of the night and the shriek
of the enemy shells and their detonation we get very little sleep."

Extract from letter written at the Liverpool Mer-
chants'Hospital, Etaples, France, 7th September, 1917:

"I wrote you last from Bully-Grenay where we were in Brigade
support. Our Battalion was relieved from there and taken out
for a rest at a place called Sains-en-Gohelle. We had been there
about two days, when I was sent up to take over a new part of the
line from where our Battalion was to advance to the attack on
Hill 70.

"I occupied this position for two days with two sections of
my platoon. The Hun was apparently expecting an attack, for he
shelled this line most unmercifully, this being our reason for holding
the line as lightly as possible consistent with adequate protection
against attack. I kept the rest of my platoon in reserve in a
tunnel under a railway embankment, and there were two more
platoons in reserve in cellars immediately behind the front line;
the rest of the Battalion was within easy reach in the village of
Cit6 St. Pierre, a suburb of Lens, a few hundred yards in the rear.

"The night previous to the show I made a reconnaissance of
the part of No Man's Land over which we were to proceed to the
attack with officers representing the other companies of the
Battalion. The objects of this were two-fold, namely, to get an
idea what difficulties we were likely to encounter, and to find a
suitable position from which to attack. The front line trench
made too good a target for the enemy's fire.

"About 2.30 a.m. the rest of the Battalion came forward and
we got out into the position chosen and awaited the 'zero' hour.
Of course this occupied some time, but we still had over an hour to
wait after we were in position and it is hard to describe one's
feelings during that time. My chief desire was that the time should
come quickly and that we should get off to a start without first
being discovered by the enemy, who would soon reduce our numbers
by shell-fire and render our attack less effective. The enemy
artillery did open up, but his shells landed without harm to us on
the front line we had just vacated.

"At 4.25 a.m. our artillery barrage commenced and the attack
was on. Every gun from the 18-pounders immediately in the rear
to the heavies, miles behind us, opened fire, and the effect was
indescribable. The very earth seemed to quake under our feet,
the noise was deafening and the whole sky was illuminated by the

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

flashes from the guns. The effect on our men was one of the
greatest encouragement; on the other hand it was most demoral-
izing to the enemy, for he hastily withdrew before our attack
while hundreds of his men surrendered. The enemy offered little
resistance to our advance, except by means of artillery fire and
some scattered machine-guns, which were soon put out of action.
All the objectives were soon in our hands, and then the Germans
commenced a series of counter-attacks by way of the communica-
tion trenches. Add to this the continuous shell-fire of the enemy
and his rifle and machine-gun fire, and one can form some idea of the
difficulty of consolidating the positions gained.

"Our operation orders contained instructions to send up
certain colored flares as a signal to one of our planes that we were
in position. This special plane was to fly over us at a given time.
At the hour mentioned a plane with the distinctive streamers
appeared overhead and we were just going to give the necessary
signals when we noticed through the smoke and haze that the
machine bore the black crosses distinguishing it as a German
plane. Just at this point the machine swooped down, enfiladed
us with machine-gun fire and then fired a flare as a signal to the
enemy batteries and withdrew. The resulting artillery fire soon
told us that the enemy batteries had read this signal correctly.

"Needless to say, during this day our casualties were very
heavy, and one could not help but wonder when his turn would
come. About 3 o'clock in the afternoon the Germans started a
big general counter-attack, and it was while awaiting this attack
that I was hit. I was hurled face down in the ditch that served
us for a trench, and my first thought was that I was done for.
But I proved to be more shocked than hurt, for I managed to get
upon my feet to discover that a splinter of shrapnel had hit me in
the right shoulder. My platoon sergeant and my stretcher bearer
were also hit. The three of us managed to get out into a mine
crater behind the trench where we commenced to patch each other
up, when another shell exploded with terrific force, killing my
sergeant. I was wounded again in the chest, the right thigh, the
knee and the right calf. Unable to carry on any longer I staggered
out behind the trench, where I was picked up by some Hun
prisoners vho were helping to carry out our wounded.

"I remember nothing further until about 24 hours later, when
I regained consciousness in the Casualty Clearing Station at
Barlin. Here we had the honour of a visit from General Currie, the
Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Corps, who shook hands
with us all and thanked each for his part in the attack.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Mr. D. G. Tennant, formerly a member of the
Granum staff, writes, on 22nd July, 1917, as follows.
At this time Mr. Tennant was a sapper with the 8th
Canadian Engineers:

The town herein referred to is Ypres, with its shat-
tered Cathedral and Cloth Hall:

"The country is pretty, lots of trees, and on the roads one
village seems to begin where the other ends. But they are in
awful shape. In one particular town which has been figuring a
lot in the press in connection with an advance, there is scarcely
a house intact. There is not a glass window left and heaps of
debris show what was once the site of a row of houses. Labour
battalions have had to clear debris away in order to make a road-
way through the town. There were a Cathedral and a famous hall
in the square, and with the exception of a small corner tower of
the Cathedral, one might as well say they are razed to the ground.

"Air raids are very common, and it is very interesting to
watch the aeroplanes circle and circle in order to get the better
position. These battles take place at a great height; the partici-
pants look like mere specks in space. The anti-aircraft guns
blaze away, but seldom bring an aeroplane down."

The following is an extract from a letter written by
Signaller J. A. C. Henderson, formerly of the London,
England, office:

Mr. Henderson died of influenza in France on 28th
October, 1918.

"During a recent push I had an interview with a German
prisoner, from whom I managed to elicit some fragments of infor-
mation. He said that Germany was in a frightful state as regards
foodstuffs, which he said could only be obtained at exorbitant
prices. He said that among the proletariat many were dying of
starvation. His action a few minutes later tended to justify his
statement, for, when I offered him a tin of bully beef he devoured
it like a hungry dog. When he had finished his meal I left him,
as I had other duties to perform."

The following is an extract from a letter dated 28th
October, 1917, written by Gunner R. P. Pangman,
formerly of the Windsor, Ont., branch:

"You will see by the address that we are now in England
after a long wait. All the Windsor boys are here and feeling fine.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Clint probably gave you the personnel when he was home on leave
last.

"They put us into quarantine right away and now we are
sleeping in tents again with a high barbed wire fence around us
and a guard outside. The weather has been awfully cold and not
a bit what we expected. When we got up this morning, 5.30, by
the light of the stars, everything was frozen stiff.

"We expect to be in quarantine for about ten days, then here
is hoping we get our leave. After that our course takes anywhere
up to five weeks, so I should not be surprised if we spent Christmas
in France.

"One of the chief things that struck us since we came here is
the conservation of food. Nothing whatever is wasted. If every-
thing is not eaten at one meal, it is dished up at the next; but we
have a regular chef in the cooking line and our meals are the best
we have had yet, in spite of all the warnings we were given to the
contrary.

"Clint, Wigle and Walker Whiteside wish to be remembered
to all, and please give my kindest regards to any of the old staff
that are left."

The following is an extract from a letter written
in France by Lieutenant James R. Purdy, formerly
of the Winnipeg branch, dated 13th November, 1917:

"I was very pleased to hear that you are all getting along so
well in the Teg,' and that you are carrying on bravely with your
depleted staff. It is indeed good to note, however, that you are
looking forward to your boys coming back.

"I am glad to be out here now amongst the boys. I had a
long spell in London and was naturally feeling fed up and the long
hours of confinement were beginning to have their effect on me.
I am now feeling very, very fit, however, as I get about such a lot.

"I saw Capt. Curran some time ago. He was down on a
course of instruction and was looking very fit and quite recovered
from his recent wounds. I also saw F. S. (Pat) McClafferty a
few days ago. He won the Military Medal some time ago for
bravery in action, and I believe he is now the only living member
of the Commerce who has won the decoration. Pat was just
going on leave, and as he was anxious to visit Ireland I was able
to send him to my wife's home.

"I expect to be attached to the 21st Battalion shortly as
paymaster, consequently I hope to get my extra 'pip-'

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"This note ought to arrive by Christmas, so I wish you all a
very merry Christmas and a happy and bright New Year, hoping
that we shall be back with you all at Christmas, 1918."

The following letter, dated 17th October, 1917, was
written by Gunner A. R. Hewat, formerly of the
Winnipeg branch.

This letter was written in Loos village. Gunner
Hewat herein refers to St. G. O. Lloyd, of the Winnipeg
staff, who blew up German mines near "The Pimple" on
Vimy Ridge, and who was killed in so doing.

"It is two in the morning and I have to sit around and see that
old Fritz doesn't decide to send over some of his ugly gases before
morning, so I shall try and drop you an odd line or so.

"The rainy season appears to have a good get-away now, and
we are beginning to realize what real army mud means.

"For the last two weeks I have been running despatches for
the Brigade, so have not seen old Bill or Alice (G. C. B. Baillie
and A. McLennan, former members of the Winnipeg staff), as
they are at present at the wagon lines; however, they are both well.

"Moorman is on Headquarters' work, which I believe is quite
lively at times and interesting. Lome McCallum was lucky
enough to get away on an artillery course for six weeks.

"Our guns are roaring away like mad dogs, but I can't hear
any replies from old Fritz. He seems to enjoy sending them over
in daylight now when he can watch the mischief they do.

"Moorman ran across Mr. Mordy one day and he was looking,
as well as feeling, fine. His 'Charlie Chaplin' has grown into an
honest moustache now, and Don hardly knew him at first.

"I have seen Pat McClafferty and Ollie Aitkins several times.
Pat is with the McGill Siege Battery and Ollie is in the trench
mortars. It certainly does one good to run across some of the old
boys here. One almost believes for the time being that he is back
in the Teg* just where he left off.

"As far as I can see, the most interesting work in this war is
in the Flying Corps. To see those fellows fighting certainly is
thrilling. Had the pleasure of seeing one of our machines bring
one of the Huns down where I happened to be standing watching
the performance. Both pilots certainly had the very best of nerves.

"Was up to see the two craters which were made by the mine
explosions which Lloyd found and volunteered to blow up. They

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

sure are some size. Just beside them they have erected a large
monument to his memory.

"When you are here and stop for a moment just to look over
the surroundings, they bring home to one, even more than you
can realize, the hardships and suffering the French people have
had to contend with during these three strenuous years. Towns
and villages in the zones are just tangled up junk heaps. In some
places one will notice what has been a large, beautiful home, now
completely destroyed, and on the lawn one will probably see a
baby's toy, such as a doll's carriage or something else, just where it
was left from play, now smashed into pieces from the shell fire.
These are the things that give our boys the courage to fight on
contentedly, even though to the end may seem a long, dreary
struggle.

"When another hour passes I shall have to awaken the cook,
which the boys all say is the most important mission when being
on guard. I guess they are right, too, for I don't suppose one
would even get time to hold a courtmartial if that duty were over-
looked.

"Well, so much for the war. How goes the good old struggle
in the Bank? I know you will be almost buried in vouchers, etc.,
now since the grain will be moving, and I presume you will have
almost all girls to help. Cheer up, for they are the very best help
I know, but the big trouble here is that the only one we can find
is the Gibson Girl, and it is generally too cloudy for her to stay
long enough with us.

"Saw accounts of the ball games in yesterday's paper, and we
were all wishing we were at the Free Press watching the old score
board as of old.

"To-morrow I am to be relieved of this job; so me for the
wagon lines where I can get a bath and some clean clothes."

The following is an extract from a letter written by
Second Lieutenant Eric Stainton, of the London, England,
staff:

"I joined the Scots Guards in July, 1915, and after about
four months' recruit's training at the Brigade Depot at Caterham,
Surrey, joined the 3rd Reserve Battalion at Wellington Barracks,
London. I was there till July, 1916, going through ordinary
routine training, and then, having volunteered for France, went
out with a draft of about sixty all ranks, being the second of my
squad to do so.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"We went first to the Base at Harfleur, near Le Havre, and
after about ten days for a final 'polish up* — which more resembled
'polish off,' as any Canadian who has been through the course
in the training camp there in hot weather will confirm! — we hit
the trail for the Somme, a trip at that time much in vogue. It
took us about three days to get there, incidents along the route
being a raid on some wine barrels just outside a certain junction,
carried out as a battalion, and anxious enquiries from every native
encountered, 'Combien de kilometres a la Somme, s'il vous plait?'

"Our first real halt was near Fricourt, where we were attached
to the 7th Guards Entrenching Battalion, which was then navvy ing
on the Fricourt-Montauban road.

"From Fricourt we went to join the 2nd Battalion at Ville.
The C.O. and R.S.M. were like David and Jonathan, 'lovely and
pleasant in their lives, they were swifter than eagles, they were
stronger than lions.' The inspection of the draft was in accordance:
the C.O. in front looking keenly at each man and the R.S.M.
dutifully assenting to the scathing criticism that announced his
summing up. I remember him pausing before a certain pre and
post-war insignificant 'cog in the great wheel of finance' and passing
on with 'Not much like a Guardsman, Sergeant Major.' R.S.M.
—'No, Sir!'

"On the 10th of September, 1916, we took over a newly-won
trench in front of Ginchy and were there or thereabouts till the
attack on the 15th, when the tanks first went in and Flers, Morval
and other places were taken. We were relieved two days after
and went back to The Happy Valley where we stayed till about the
20th when we came up again for the 25th show, and were in the
first wave. We took our two lines of trenches according to plan,
and the Grenadiers went on to take and hold Lesboeufs. Combles
fell the same day. I balanced early that afternoon and went home
with a shelled nose, back to the dressing station. Got to Blighty
eventually after a few days in hospital at Etaples.

"On being discharged from hospital at home I rejoined the
3rd Battalion at Wellington Barracks and applied for a commission.
At the beginning of May, 1917, I was transferred to a Cadet
Battalion at Newmarket, and, after the usual four months' training,
was given a temporary commission in 'The King's Own* at the
end of August. Joined the 3rd Reserve Battalion at Dovercourt,
Essex, in October, and went to France again on the 17th of that
month. Had four days at Boulogne, and was then sent to the
l/5th Battalion at Villers Faucon, Somme. The Battalion went

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

into the line early in November and was there right on to the end
of the month. We were the covering battalion for the right flank of
the attack on Bourlon Wood and Cambrai neighbourhood on the
20th November, 1917, and did our share of the very active patrolling
which followed it.

"The much-discussed German counter-attack took place on
the 80th, when I was wounded and taken prisoner."

With the foregoing Lieutenant Stainton encloses
copy of the letter forwarded by him to the War Office
describing the manner of his capture by the Germans
on 30th November, 1917.

"I was in charge of two platoons of 'B' Company, l/5th
K.O.R.L., having with me one other officer, 2nd Lieut. Fisher, one
Corporal, and about 40 other ranks, on the road running east from
Villers-Guislain to the front line. We were temporarily attached
to the H.Q. of the l/5th S.L.R. (which was situated on the same road
near the village), and were employed in fatigue duties, in the front
line, besides holding two Lewis Gun posts in Circus Switch trench,
which crossed the road some 400 yards nearer the line. On the
morning of the 30th about 15 of my men, who had just come off a
night working party, were remaining with me, the others having
gone to relieve them. My own H. Q. was a deep dug-out in the
side of the road, the men being in another dug-out close by. A
sentry was posted at the entrance to the former. Mr. Fisher was
with the Lewis Gun posts at 'stand-to,' and reported on his return
to the dug-out that the situation was normal except that there
was rather heavy shelling. I was including this in the usual
morning situation report some minutes later when one of the
officers' servants rushed in saying he had been fired at by a German
at the top of the dug-out. I at once dashed up, but apart from a
heavy shelling of the road saw nothing abnormal. I came down
again and instructed the signallers to get into touch with H.Q. on
the 'buzzer,' to report heavy shelling of the road, and to ask for
instructions. After repeated attempts they reported that they
could get no answer and that the wire was probably broken. I
then went again to the top of the dug-out, and was called over by
a man lying wounded not far from the road, who told me that the
Germans were over and had passed us on both sides of the road.
On looking towards the village I saw Germans entering it. I
then rushed back to the dug-out, shouted to everybody to come
up, and, seeing that any attempt at counter-attack with so few
men would be useless, I decided to try to break through to our

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

support posts in the rear. I also turned some men who had already
been made prisoners near the village and were going up the road
towards the German lines. With these men 1 ran back towards
the Villers-Guislain Epehy road, and had got nearly level with
Villers-Guislain when a German machine-gun opened from the
crest of a rise on our right front. We lay down and opened fire,
taking what cover we could. Almost immediately Mr. Fisher was
severely wounded by a bullet in the thigh, and several men were
hit. Another party of the enemy opened fire on us from a small
sunken road on our left and at the same time those on our right
rushed us. As only a few of the men with me had rifles and our
position was quite hopeless I had to give the order to surrender.
The Germans then placed us under escort, and were just moving
off when I saw Col. James of the 1 /5th S.L.R. with his H.Q.
officers and men charging towards us. We took the rifles from our
German escort and joined his party who were also making in the
direction of the Villers-Guislain Epehy road. We had run only a
short distance further when another enemy machine-gun opened
on us at very short range. Col. James was hit, as were others of
the party, and, as further resistance was bound to mean the
wiping out of our party without hope of successful retaliation,
we were taken prisoner."

The following is a letter written by a Nursing
Sister, to the mother of the late Second Lieutenant
W. H. Falkner, formerly Accountant at our Ottawa
branch. Lieutenant Falkner was killed on 20th October,
1917, while descending on the aerodrome at Doullens,
France, after an arduous and dangerous flight. His
funeral is described herein:

"I have just returned from attending the funeral of your son,
Harold, and feel I must write to you at once. You will have news
of his sad death long before this letter reaches you — and many will
write letters to you at this time — so I feel I must add my letter of
loving sympathy — hoping it may comfort you and Dr. Falkner a
little in your hour of sorrow.

"I was on duty in the hospital Saturday afternoon when word
came in of the accident and we were told the officer had died
instantaneously.

"I enquired for his name and was told he came from Toronto.
Yesterday I learned the lad was your son, whom I remember as a
child in the old Lancaster days. There was nothing one could

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

do but gather flowers to place on his grave — and to think of the
people at home.

"It has been a beautiful day and as we stood in the cemetery
waiting for the arrival of the body, aeroplanes were flying
overhead.

"Two clergymen preceded the body. The casket (a simple one
with a brass plate on which is inscribed his name) was draped
with the flag and on top rested his cap and belt. Many R.F.C.
officers were in attendance. Four large floral pieces were carried
and placed beside the grave. A firing party attended, and after
the simple service fired a salute, which was followed by the 'Last
Post' on the bugle, and then each officer in turn filed past the
open grave and gave the last salute.

"Others will write and tell you the particulars of his death.
All speak so highly of his abilities and of his very kindly and friendly
disposition. He died on duty, bravely doing his part in this awful
war. You will all be proud of his life and career. I pray you may
be comforted and sustained in your loneliness and sorrow."

The following is a letter written by Second Lieutenant
F. R. Darrow, formerly of our Tillsonburg branch, to his
parents, describing the death of Major Learmouth, V.C.,
in the offensive of August, 1917, at Hill 70, near Lens:

"For something like eleven days previous to the attack the
battalion occupied Loos and the front line which ran along the
outskirts of the town and along the big fosse. We were to have
been relieved some days earlier, but on account of the attack
being postponed we were left there until the new date. The
Germans knew that we were coming over and as a result we were
given an exceedingly warm entertainment the whole time, especi-
ally in the early hours of the morning. I think that in one week
we received the total production of the biggest gas factory in
Germany.

"When the time came we were relieved by the 3rd Brigade,
who were to carry out the attack on our front and went back for a
rest. On the 14th we came up to Les Brebis, where we were in a
position to back up the 3rd Brigade. The next morning they
went over the top and successfully reached their objective, sending
a long string of prisoners back to the cages in our town. That
night we rolled in, thinking that we would not be required up in
Loos, but at two o'clock in the morning we were pulled out of bed,
loaded up with Mills bombs, etc., and sent up to support a line
behind the 15th Battalion. We got there before dawn but

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

were not needed, for although the expected counter-attack
came it was delivered against the 2nd Division on our right.
We spent that day in support, and early the next morning
relieved the 16th in the line in Bois Hugo. We spent the
day organizing defences and getting acquainted with the place.
During the afternoon one of our 9.2 batteries took a fancy to our
Company headquarters, an old half -ruined pill box, and two of
their guns started pelting us. Perhaps the artillery just did it to
be playful, but Learmouth failed to see the joke, so he sent me back
to Battalion headquarters with a message to the effect that we were
receiving quite sufficient attention in that line from the German
guns, and requested them to try lengthening their range a couple
of hundred yards. It was an exciting run back to battalion head-
quarters, but then there was generally a recompense down there in
the form of a mug of old S.R.D. (service rum). Fritz's artillery
worked overtime that night and we wern't given much chance to
si -c'p. Early the next morning he put a few extra guns on the job and
we were ordered to 'stand to' to meet an attack. During the night
they had come up through the woods, very close to our position,
so that when they attacked it was a hand to hand affair at several
points. Some of us were just in front of the pill box, and from there
we had some beautiful targets at about 100 yards range. But the
main attack on our company was on the left flank, so a few of us
went to join the bunch down there. I just got there in time so see
Learmouth, who was standing on the parapet, catch two German
bombs and throw them back to explode among the Fritzies.
Then a bomb lit near him and practically tore off his hand. He
simply wound a handkerchief around it and started using his
automatic with the other hand. He fought beautifully for a few
minutes and then another bomb exploded almost at his feet. He
was now wounded so badly that he had to be taken away and carried
back to a dressing station where he died the following morning.

"When Learmouth went down a couple of his oldest friends
almost went crazy. I think they 'saw red' for a few minutes.
They rushed straight into a bunch of Prussians and did some
beautiful work. It is not pleasant to tell about, but sufficient to
say that they spent some considerable time after, cleaning their
bayonets. Well, we beat off the attack very successfully, and the
following day the R.F.C. reported that the ground in front of our
line was literally covered with limp figures in grey blue uniforms.

"We went out the next day and shortly after went up to
Ypres, leaving our best friend, Major Learmouth, V.C., M.C., in
the little cemetery in Barlin.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"N.B. — I didn't mean to criticize the artillery about shooting
up our pill-box. It ic always difficult to get the new range after
the line has moved forward. But being on the spot we knew all
about their error and simply helped them to rectify it. Incidentally
that same 9.2 battery did great work the following morning."

We quote below an extract from a letter received
from Major A. G. Mordy, D.S.O., formerly of our
Winnipeg branch, dated November, 1917:

"It is three years now since I joined the army, and in one way
it seems yesterday and in another like a thousand years.

"The last summer has been a pretty busy one for us and I
have had few idle moments. As Adjutant I am more or less on
the go all the time, but I like the post very much and it affords
very good experience. After our big show last April we
had a bit of a rest and were reviewed by about every General
from the Brigadier to Sir Douglas Haig. Having been out of
the game for several months and suddenly finding myself
in a position where I was supposed to know an awful lot more than
I really did, reminded me of my old Winnipeg experiences and I
tried to profit by them. We held the line for a bit after our rest,
and then did the show on the 15th of August, which was a nice
clean-cut piece of work. Everything went as it seems to with us,
according to plan, and we thought that would about round up the
summer for us. However, having a reputation, the Corps had to
live up to it, and the end of October found us once more in the
Flanders mud.

"This last show was about the hardest, owing to the weather
conditions, etc., that we ever engaged in, and nothing but the
indomitable pluck and grit of every one in it got us through. This
may sound like blowing our own horn a bit, but it is the least that
can be said of those chaps whom we left behind there. Conditions
were such that the dead could not be buried immediately, and if
the number of Huns I saw lying about was any criterion of his
losses, we certainly must have staggered him. None of us will
ever forget the Ypres salient.

"We have a couple of old Commerce men in our Battalion —
Floyd and C. B. F. Jones. Floyd told me that on our way up
north last month he saw Harvie when we were passing through a
town where his division was, and I was sorry to miss him. Veysie
Curran was over to see me a couple of months ago and was looking
very fit.

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"Leave to England being very scarce, a couple of officers and
I took our leave to Paris and Rome last month. We stayed three
days in Paris and then went on to Rome by way of Turin. We
stayed two days in Rome and did the Vatican, St. Peter's, Coliseum,
Forum, etc., and it was a great education for us. We returned
via Geneva and stopped at Nice on the French Riviera for a few
days. While there we motored to Monte Carlo by the mountain
road, and with the Mediterranean always in view, it was the most
delightful trip I ever had. The Italian and French Riviera are
well worth the trip. We are able to get leave to France about
every three months.

"The Hun is on his last lap now and, as has often been said
before, another year should see the finish of it."

The following are extracts from letters dated 15th
November and 1st December, 1917, written by Private
H. G. Wylde, formerly of the Halifax staff, who was a
prisoner of war in Germany, having been captured early
in June, 1916:

''Here I am, the only Englishman among five French and
seven Russians, my friend having been ordered back to camp. I
guess I shall be here alone until next spring. However, I don't
mind so much, as I can parle francais fairly well by now."

"I suppose everyone is doing' his Christmas shopping now,
and here I am stuck away in a little corner of the earth where the
people still wear the costumes their great-grandmothers wore.
Strange in this age of modernity and fashions!

"The Russians are singing at present: sometimes it sounds all
right, but at others like many cats wailing. Received a parcel of
books lately, which helps to pass the time, now that I am alone.
The lumbering progresses. Am fairly good at it now, and, by the
time the winter is over, I shall be an expert in the art. One of the
Russians has just brought in word that the war is over! We live
on rumours here, and it is very exciting."

The following is an extract from a letter dated 5th
December, 1917, written in France by Gunner F. S.
McClafferty, M.M., who was formerly on the staff of our
Winnipeg branch:

"The arrangements have all been completed over here for
registering the votes of the soldiers for the coming elections, and
we are to have the opportunity of voting this week. I can't see
that a vote as regards the soldiers is at all necessary as I feel it

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

will be unanimous as regards the conscription question, and I
think all are agreed that it is the only question that really counts
while the war continues.

"Since my last letter I have enjoyed a ten-days' leave in Blighty
and had the most enjoyable time of my life. While over there
I met several of the old Commerce boys, among them being Lobley,
Jimmy Lovett, Cruickshank and Bill Ross, all from Winnipeg.
Lovett looked very well after the rough handling which he must
have received during such a long share of the affair, and in fact
was looking forward to his being able to get back to France shortly.
I also saw all the boys who came over with Con. Riley's Battery,
among them being Bailey, McLennan, McCallum, Hewat and
Moorman. In fact, I have met so many of the old boys that I'm
quite sure the Bank must be nearly all manned by girls, if you'll
allow me to use the expression.

"Also since writing you I have had a transfer from my old
battery to the 7th Canadian Siege battery in which my brother is,
and we are now occupying a dug-out together, which is not a bad
arrangement at all, if for no other reason but to be able to assure
mother how well the other is, and all the other little tales that
help to cut down the worries at home."

The following is an extract from a letter, dated 18th
December, 1917, received from Sergeant J. A. Brice, of
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Sergeant
Brice was formerly Accountant of our St. John, N.B.
branch :

"I have just received the parcel that you have been kind
enough to pack and send to me. You can't imagine how glad it
makes a fellow feel to think he hasn't been altogether forgotten by
those with whom he used to work out the daily grind. Apart from
the fact that a parcel from anywhere is always appreciated to
the limit, to get them so often from those one only knew in a business
way, and that over three years ago, means quite a lot to a chap
who is surveying for the ten thousandth time the same dreary
waste of sheB-torn earth and mud, and villages razed to the ground.
I don't suppose there is any place on earth in quite such a mess as
the surface of the earth surrounding Ypres. For over six miles
in depth the land is nothing but a sea of shell-craters, the majority
of which are full of water. Live in this for a few days and you
begin to argue, 'If this is what we are fighting for, for heaven's
sake let us give it to Fritz and at the same time apologize for it
being in such a mess.' But along comes a parcel and with it the

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

remembrance that it's for the sake of a principle that the war
continues. So you see I value the parcels you send far more for
what they mean than for what they contain. They would be a
sorry bunch of Canucks out here if they were to think that the
folks at home were not with them in spirit. I think the result of
the elections out here will pretty well show what that spirit is.
None of us are saints, and there are few statesmen, if any, amongst
us, but I guess most of us realize what would happen to Canada if
the Allies threw up the sponge.

"I'm afraid you will be thinking me a bit of a gas-bag and a
bit doleful. I plead guilty to the first, but as for being doleful,
that we never seem to be. It is really remarkable that the better
we are treated, the more grub we get, the greater the growling and
cussing. Put us up to our waists in water, let it rain and be miser-
able, six on a loaf, and only bully-beef for dinner, and the troops
will sing and make merry. It takes a bit of swallowing, but such
is the case.

"I received a parcel from the Parliament Street branch for
A. T. Stoner and C. F. Dick at the same time yours came. I
suppose you will have heard by this time that both these poor
fellows have paid the price of victory. Dick died of wounds on
80th of October, 1917. I did not see him after we left the jumping-
off trench. The worst of it was we were waiting to be relieved, and
he only got it about an hour before we went out.

"Stoner was a splendid chap and everyone liked him. He
and I were usually together, being in the same platoon (No. 1),
but on this particular trip I had been shot into No. 2 Company,
where I still am. I gave the parcel to a chap called Baker, who
is in our orderly room. Baker came from the West. I think he
and I are the only two Westerners in the ranks of this regiment.
Mr. MacRorie and Mr. Grant (officers) are still with us.

"Please remember me to all my old Toronto office friends,
and best wishes for 1918."

The following are extracts from letters received from
Gunner C. E. Wigle who enlisted from our Windsor, Ont.,
branch. He wrote on 29th December, 1917, just after
spending his first Christmas in France:

"During all our time in England our training was more or
less just a refreshing course on what we had already learned in
Canada. We spent six weeks there on a gunnery course, each day
being just about the same as the day before, except for the even-
ings, which we spent any place where we could find some amuse-

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

ment. Our whole Windsor crowd stuck together all the way
through; in fact, our own gun-crew was made up of Windsor boys.

"After landing in France, we spent our first day in a small
rest camp, then went on to the base for a couple of days. From
there we started out about forty strong in one of those tramp's
pullman cars, and, after travelling all day at a snail's pace, we were
put up in billets (better known in Canada as hay-lofts) for the
night. The next morning saw the separation of our Windsor
bunch which had stuck together for some time, Walker, White-
sides and I going to this battery, and the rest to some other unit
of which we have been unable to find out the number so far.

"Christmas Eve we spent again with strangers, but at the
same time comrades, in a hay-loft which we were mighty glad to
see after a six hours' march. Christmas Day we also spent on the
road, enjoying our Christmas dinner of bully beef and crackers
on the road side just 'Somewhere in France'.

"As you have often said, the Bank is certainly like a large
fraternity. Every place one goes, one meets Bank of Commerce
men who are willing to do anything to help out fellow Commerce
men. The O. C. of our draft used to be in the auditing depart-
ment out West, and he did absolutely everything he could for us.
While we were in Halifax the boys opened up their rooms to us,
which were very nice to go down to in the evenings and have a
bath, then sit around and read."

Lieutenant-Colonel Duncan Donald of the Head
Office staff, who recruited the 134th Battalion, but was
unfortunately precluded by ill health from accompanying
his battalion overseas, made the following response to the
toast to the Navy and Army at a dinner given to the
Managers of the Bank, who were visiting Head Office on
the occasion of the Annual Meeting in January, 1918:

"It is eminently fitting and proper at this gathering, though
it be of civilians, that this toast should find a prominent place
on our programme, for both as individuals and as an institution
we have a very vital interest in the forces that at this moment
are engaged in the most tremendous struggle of all time. I feel
highly honoured indeed at being called upon to respond to it,
and, more especially on behalf of those who have gone from
amongst us to fight our battles. I realize that my humble efforts
can do very inadequate justice either to it or to them.

"We have heard a great deal to-day of the services rendered
by the staff to the institution which we are proud to serve, and

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

we have that quiet sense of gratification that comes to those who
have really accomplished something. One of the outstanding fea-
tures of the institution is its ability to draw from its staff a willing
and enthusiastic service. But after all, gentlemen, we must admit
that that service offers the incentive of reward; it may be in gain,
it may be in position, it may be in achievement, but in whatever
way considered, it is substantial. What then shall we say of those,
who, setting aside the result of years of striving, voluntarily
braved the tedium and monotony of the training camp, the
hardships of the field and the rigour of a campaign such as has never
been dreamed of? What was it led those men and women, too — for
we are not without representation of the gentler sex — to such acts
of self-denial and sacrifice? Was it a sense of duty — the surging
love of country that we call patriotism? Yea, these and more.
It seems a recrudescence of that feeling-out for freedom and liberty
which led our forefathers to fight, generation after generation,
ofttimes in despair but never daunted, until that choicest of all
blessings was theirs, a freedom which suffers its own curtailment
for the common good, and which we designate liberty. These
struggles had hitherto been confined to communities, races and
nations. Here, however, was a struggle world-wide in its scope.
We might call it a battle for freedom, a fight to the death lest the
very idea of freedom be forever blotted out. To all came this
vision in more or less clear light; and, while many would disclaim
any such visionary motive, I am satisfied that somewhere behind
the bravado which served as a cloak to their modesty that vision
shone, were it ever so dim.

"So we have drunk this toast to their honour, honouring our-
selves in so doing; but, while this is our public acknowledgment
of our respect, we honour them, I think, yet more in the envy
that steals up in each of our hearts when we read of their devotion
and see them in the splendid strength of their manhood, freed
from all petty considerations, at death grips over the very essen-
tials, while we wonder if we are doing anything really worth while.
All honour to these men! It will be many a long day before we
can realize what they have done and are doing for us, let alone
repay. And some we cannot repay. They have fallen in the
struggle, cut off in the day of their strength. We sorrow for them.
No one around this table but finds in his house of dreams a vacant
place. But let not our sorrow be so selfish that it mars the grandeur
of their sacrifice. Rather let the quiet pride which surges up! in
our hearts as we think of their wonderful achievements temper
our anguish and assuage our pain. They are not dead. As the

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

/

Americans sang so can we say, 'Their souls go marching on',
sweeping us on in their train, that by greater concentration, greater
efficiency and greater sacrifice we may assure that their sacrifice
has not been in vain. In the few years of manhood allotted to
them they have accomplished a complete service, while we of
maturer years yet plod along the dreary road to achievement."

Second Lieutenant T. G. Blackwell, R.F.C., formerly
of the London, England, staff, who was sent to Egypt for
his training, writes as follows:

"I am now flying, or rather about to fly, B.E.'s having passed
out on Maurice Farmans and Avros. They are very nice machines
and should prove considerably easier to fly than Avros, which
require one's concentration the whole time. My Avro instructor
has specially recommended me for scout, which I am pleased to
hear, as a scrap with the Huns should prove more exciting than
sending down artillery corrections or bomb dropping, etc.

"I forget whether I wrote you after the S.M.A. course was
completed or not. It was rather a difficult course, but I managed
to pull off 75% marks.

"Egypt is a country which soon becomes exceedingly boring.
The natives are very dirty and mostly all rogues."

The following is an extract from a subsequent letter
from Egypt, written by Mr. Blackwell.

"I am now attached to the infantry for a time as I have lost
my nerve, but hope to fly again soon if my nerves get better. I
have just been discharged from hospital and am now feeling much
more sprightly.

"It is now getting very hot out here, which makes me wish to
return to England, where it is so much cooler."

The following extract from a letter received from
Lieutenant I. F. MacTavish, who left our Vancouver
branch in August, 1914, to join the First Contingent,
tells of conditions on the Mesopotamian front:
\ "I have been out here for the last eighteen months and one
gets out of touch with civilization away in Mesopotamia. We
were up the Euphrates at Nazariyeh last winter till April of this
year, but now we are in the line away north of Bagdad on the
Adhaim, a tributary of the Tigris. I haven't seen anything in the
way of fighting out here except a little sniping by Arabs, and so
I can't compare fighting in Mesopotamia with my experiences in

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

France, but conditions out here are worse, I think. The cold and
mud of Flanders were bad enough, but for sheer discomfort give
me any day in the hot weather with a pukka dust storm blowing
and the thermometer 120 degrees in the shade and ten miles to
go before reaching camp. We tried to march from Amara to Bag-
dad, but had to quit on account of casualties from heat stroke
after five days of it. We were taken on by boat, and I was sorry
in a way, as it would have been an experience to have done a march
of about 300 miles in the hot season. We have had quite a good
Christmas, as there is nothing doing in this part of the line."

The following extracts from a letter received from
Captain J. S. Williams, formerly of the staff of our
Winnipeg branch, contain some sidelights on conditions
existing in England at the close of 1917:

"Life here is not very interesting and has developed into a
monotonous routine, consequently I have not anything interesting
to wrile to you about. I was passed as fit for general service in
November. It took quite a while to really shake off the effect of
the trench fever. As I remarked, it kept hanging about one like
a rate collector.

"Censorship precludes one from discussing war news, but I
expect you have just the same news as we have over here. I am
very glad, as everybody is over here, that Canada turned up trumps
with conscription, which must be quite an eye-opener to Australia.
I do not yet know whether I shall go over again in my present
job or not. My name at present with others is before the London
military authorities as eligible for appointment as Instructor to
the American Army. We were all supposed to have sailed last
November, but it has been left in abeyance for some reason or
other.

"Christmastide I spent in North Wales at my home. We
had an excellent time, although travelling expenses caused me to
wake one or two nights with a scream ! Travelling in this country
is discouraged as much as possible by reducing the train service
and by a 50% increase in the fares, the rolling stock being required
for war purposes.

"The women in this country have responded magnificently,
and girls in uniform are quite common. In the country towns,
girls in breeches and leggings are not at all uncommon — farming,
I expect. The Banks are full of girls. Another sight one occasion-
ally meets in London is the girl with a yellow face, the munitioneer,
although they do not all get like that.

•H

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"The Khaki University down here in this camp is a most
excellent thing and is attaining remarkable success. It started
in quite a small way, but it was so well supported that a proper
organization was necessary.

"William LeQueux, the author, gave a most interesting lecture
on the German spy system here in a Y.M.C.A. hut on Tuesday.

"I think they will soon be adopting the ration system. It
was so long delayed, I think, by the number of officials it would
require, and by the fact that when it was introduced in Germany
it caused so much forging of the tickets. However, some people
will not be patriotic and everybody has to suffer. It was a startler
to find names like Marie Corelli among the food-hoarders."

The following extracts are from a letter received from
Mr. G. G. Rennison, formerly of our Lethbridge branch:

"None of your correspondents, so far as I remember, have
said much about the French money, and that fact is rather curious,
as it would be something that would naturally occur to a banking
man. Briefly, the system is somewhat as follows: The Bank of
France issues notes of five francs and multiples of five francs, just
as the Canadian banks issue five dollar notes and multiples of them.
No gold is in circulation at present. I have seen silver coins to
the value of five francs, but they do not seem common. There is
also a two-franc piece, and a one-franc in silver, and also a half-
franc of the same metal. There is a quarter-franc in circulation
(value slightly less than five cents) made of a composition similar
to a U.S. five-cent piece. It is very similar to a silver franc, and
easily mistaken for one. But the outstanding feature of French
money is the paper money of smaller denominations. It is issued
by the towns, I believe, for one sees stuff bearing the names of
very small places. The denominations vary from two francs down
to 25 centimes (a quarter franc). This 'money' is printed on the
very poorest quality of paper, and as everyone insists on folding
it up it soon falls to pieces. Then comes the job of mending it.
You can see this money pasted up with everything imaginable,
including bits from the 'Daily Mail' and 'whizz-bangs' (Field
Service post-cards). The stuff becomes filthy in a very short
time, and quite a lot of it is lost owing to the way it falls to pieces.
There is another pleasant thing about this 'town' or 'district'
money, — no one will take it outside the district. So, if a fellow
leaves one district, he has to see that he gets rid of all his 'town*
money first, or he will have it as a souvenir!

"This is some country for souvenirs. One sees all sorts and
some of them are very ingenious too. I met one orderly room

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

clerk who had a tobacco jar made out of two of Fritz's shell cases.
He had punched out the primer and inserted a chunk of a shell as
a handle. Some of our fellows have made a number of rings from
various pieces of metal they have picked up. Considering that
they have practically no tools to speak of, the boys have turned
out some remarkably good work."

"At present I am orderly room clerk, and after the training
one gets in the Bank, the work can hardly be said to present any
wonderful difficulty. The chief trouble is the incessant moving.
One has to keep stationery, files, etc., down to the minimum.
One thing that strikes one very forcibly is the absence of the
absolute completeness of system that distinguishes the Bank.
There is no book of H. O. Instructions to refer to, nor does any
substitute for the Pro Forma Book exist. In consequence, when
a new return of some description is demanded one is in the dark
to a great extent as to how it should be done. In this connection
I had one rather amusing experience. At one time I had a certain
book to keep in connection with rationing. The form to be filled
up was not exactly enlightening. I enquired from various people.
No one could give any information as to the correct method of
procedure. I then enquired from the Auditors, but was informed
by them that they could give no definite ruling on the matter,
and they had never met anyone who could.

"One sees some humorous things happen at times, and the
following is a good example and illustrates the spirit of the men
out here. Fritz was shelling a battery about half a mile from
where I was. The bombardment could hardly be classed as a
success — about two out of every three shells were 'duds'. Where
the gunners were I don't know, but after each dud lit a cheer
floated across."

Lieutenant R. J. Holmes, formerly manager at
Milestone, writes under date of 13th January, 1918, as
follows:

(This letter was written in Piano dug-out, on the
Avion front, near Lens:)

"I know you haven't much time for lengthy private corres-
pondence, but I think you will feel amply repaid when I tell you
how much such letters are appreciated, for outside the excitement
of our existence there is little else to command one's attention;
and when you are out for a few days' rest the reaction is consider-
able and demands a little something different, and it is then that
we look to our mail. Unfortunately for us we heard that 80,000

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

bags of Canadian mail had been lost in that terrible Halifax
disaster, so we imagine that we have lost all sorts of letters, but
then the system of handling our mail must be a wonderful one to
ensure any degree of accuracy with the tremendous quantities of
parcels, letters, etc., forwarded.

"I am writing this in an old Hienie dug-out well below the
surface, and fairly comfortable in comparison with some we have
been in, and I can't help but smile when I think of the comfortable
Bank rooms we used to have and then these dug-outs and cellars
of ruined houses, cold and clammy. Just try prowling around
shell-holes when on a patrol, plastered with mud, wet through, and
these same shell-holes look pretty good when Fritz sends over a
few flares, and you are ever so content to crouch down until all
is dark again, and up you get and stumble on, tripping over old
wire. Then a machine-gun opens up and sends a few bursts over
just for luck to see if they can't catch somebody. We all swear
if we ever return to be the most satisfied of mortals, no matter
where our lots will be cast. We won't do much complaining.

"The following verses after the style of Omar Khayyam are,
I think, very good:

No place is this for epicure or glutton,
With skilly tea and butter sometimes rotten,
Where only change from bread and bully beef
Is merely one to bread and bully mutton.

I went myself patrolling No Man's Land,
To learn of Fritz's movements at first hand,
But all the knowledge that I gleaned was how
The bottom of a big shell hole was planned.

A bag of bombs, a Lewis gun, my brow
Bedewed with anxious sweat amid the row;
I crouch in muddy holes with one clear hope —
That I were back again behind the plough.

Beware, for Heinie, in the bowl of night,
Has cast the flare that makes the darkness light.
And lo! the L.G. in the east breaks loose,
Sweeping the parapet from left to right.

I sometimes think that never was a shell
One half so big as that which by me fell,
And every bomb that's hurled by Fritz' hand
Is like the pitchers throw from 'box' — in hell.

•M

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Come fill the Stokes, and in the nest of Fritz
Drop sundry bombs and give the blighter fits,
For see his T.M.B. is close, and know
'Twere better he, than we, were blown to bits.
"A few days ago I had the closest shave that I probably ever
will have, when a shell hit right in the trench about five feet away
from my sergeant and myself. There was an awful explosion
and then a shower of dirt, frozen mud, shrapnel, etc. We had a
second's warning, no more, before it struck and we both dropped,
and I thought both of us had escaped, but when the racket had
died away I spoke to him but he hidn't answer. A piece of shrapnel
went right through his head, poor fellow. He never knew what
hit him. My helmet had a bash in it, my jerkin was cut open in
two places, also my tunic, but there wasn't a scratch on my body.
Wasn't that close enough for anybody?

"It was certainly pleasing to us to know that the Union Govern-
ment had been elected by such a handsome majority, and we now
hope that the tribunals will do their duty as regards claimants for
exemption. I have heard of several fellows who have been
exempted, and it makes me sore that so many are obtaining it so
easily.

"The frank speech of Lloyd George followed by the equally
brilliant one of President Wilson should show Germany how futile
her struggle has been and will be. I really think that if we could
get under the tremendous influence of the Prussian military party,
the German nation as a whole would warmly welcome the state-
ment of our aims and this awful catastrophe would be brought to
a speedy conclusion, but doubtless the Junkers are not willing to
see their finish so easily, and so will keep on fighting as long as
possible. It will be great when the Americans arrive in force
and take an active part in the war.

"It is indeed gratifying to know that Canada stands so high
in the estimation of her neighbours to the south, and I guess the
boys who have come over have done their part. It is difficult for
people who haven't seen it to realize the hardships the fellows
suffer in the trenches, 'standing to' at their posts in the severe
weather we have had. It wasn't so bad for the officers, as they
could keep warm visiting the posts, but I was surely sorry for the
boys. The old rum ration helps a lot then, believe me."

Gunner J. A. C. Henderson, formerly of the London,
England, branch, writes as follows in February, 1918,
regarding still another area of warfare:

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Gunner Henderson died of influenza in France on
28th October, 1918:

"As you can see from my address I am now fighting in a
different theatre of war.

"Italy, at least the part in which we are situated, is certainly
the most antedeluvian place I have yet visited. The majority of
the inhabitants are small farmers, and during the spring months
they can be seen busily engaged trimming the vine trees and sowing
maize corn. In the winter time their only ambition seems to be
to sit by a log fire sipping wine and eating maize bread. There
are no places of entertainment. Gray's poem would be very
appropriate if applied to them, especially these lines:

'Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife
Their sober wishes never learned to stray,
Along the cool, sequestered vale of life
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.'

"In almost every respect they are at least a century behind
us in England.

"The Austrians have not been very active on the portion of
the Italian line held by the British, and, as a result of that, we are
having rather a good time.

"We are having glorious weather out here, just like Blighty
in summer time."

The following is a letter from Flight Lieutenant
P. R. Hampton, formerly of the Balmy Beach, Toronto
staff, written in France llth February, 1918. Lieutenant
Hampton was later wounded and captured by the
Germans :

"As you can see, I have managed to reach France, and am
settling down in my new surroundings. The whole squadron
flew out, at least they all started, but there are three still in England.
They crashed on their way, and now they are being held up by the
weather. I enjoyed the trip over the channel very much; it was
a clear afternoon, so we got up fairly high and had an excellent
view of the English coast and then the French coast too. We could
see Dover plainly, and the whole way over there were dozens of
boats in sight the whole time, so even if my engine had cut out I
think I would have been saved, although I am not anxious for the
experience.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"We have managed to make ourselves fairly comfortable by
making some additions of our own to pur huts. There are five of us
in a Nissen hut, which is just a nice number. We have put up a
partition at one end, and this part we use as a washroom, bath-
room, anteroom and hall. We have put up a lot of shelves and
some pictures and photos on the walls. We have a couple of home-
made tables, some chairs and a long seat we made and upholstered
with straw and empty sand-bags; some mats for the floor and a
gramaphone complete our outfit. This is not so bad considering
we are in France, but all the huts are not so comfortable as ours.
I hope we don't get orders to move in a few weeks' time, because
we would have to leave most of our stuff behind. I forgot to
mention we had a stove, too, but I might tell you that everything
we have, we had to pinch. There are a couple of other squadrons
here, and that is where most of the stuff came from.

"We went over the lines about a week ago to see what it was
like, and we both saw and heard. The Hun let us get properly over
when he opened up on us with some Archie (anti-aircraft)
batteries. He sent up a terrific barrage and his shooting was good,
too; if it had been better it would have been too uncomfortable
altogether. One cannot hear them come, but if they burst any-
where close one can hear the explosion. Of course with the noise
of the engine, the explosion is very much deadened. Each shell
leaves a small puff of black smoke, so that we could see the amount
of stuff he was chucking up at us. We could also see the flashes
of the guns down below quite plainly. When we landed two out of
the four machines had been hit, but nothing serious. I am sure
I don't know how mine escaped. I suppose we provided a lot of
amusement for the Tommies in the trenches, but I didn't enjoy it
at all, although I thought it a huge joke after I landed again.
The observers sit behind singing 'Where did that one go to, Archie,
where did that one go.' I think it is rather hard on the observer,
because he has nothing else to think of, while the pilot has to fly
the machine and keep his place in the formation.

"For the past five or six days the weather has been too dull
to fly, so we have had nothing else to do except amuse ourselves.
I took this opportunity to have some improvements and new
'gadgets' added to my bus. We are all always having something
done, and once one man gets out something useful we all have to
get it, so that now all the busses are about as perfect as they can
be."

The following are extracts from a further letter
from Lieutenant Hampton, dated 19th March, 1918.

•M

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Lieutenant Hampton was at this time in No. 12
Squadron. The four days in question were llth-14th
March, 1918, and the fighting was done over Cambrai
and Le Quesnoy:

"This squadron has done the hardest four days' fighting ever
known to any squadron, and we have been complimented by the
G.O.C. personally. The first day we got six Huns, the second day
six, the third day five and the fourth day eight. In each case we
were fighting the famous German circus organized by Baron Von
Richtofen (or 'Writem off,' as we call him). They are all crack
pilots with splendid machines, and every time we were hopelessly
outnumbered; the last day it was five to one, and all the fighting
takes place from fifteen to twenty miles over Hunland. The day
we got five Huns I accounted for two of them in this way. I was
leading our very top formation of three machines, and it was my
business to prevent Huns getting above our fellows fighting below
and then diving on them; two of them did get above and dived,
so I dived after them with my engine on and opened fire. I fired
two hundred into the first one before he went down and a hundred
into the second one; I shot both down within a minute of each
other, but of course it was a very easy target. Diving on another
machine which is also diving is much the same as shooting at a
stationary target. It is a great sight to watch one's tracers go
into the other machine. The Hun pilots can see them too. I saw
both pilots look round at me a couple of times, as we were quite
close together.

"I had a ride in a tank a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed it.
They are marvellous things and very easily manoeuvred, considering
they weigh forty tons. I then took the tank officer up with me
and stunted him a little and he didn't enjoy it; he was a little sick
and very nervous.

"One reads a lot these days about the expected Hun offensive
on the Western front, and every officer I speak to from the other
corps asks me if I ever noticed signs of it when over the lines. I
am too high and too busy to notice anything like that; all we do is
fight, and from eighteen thousand feet one can't distinguish much
even if one tried. I had my face and nose frozen a few days ago;
it is terribly cold at times up at that height. We all take up flasks
of rum which help in a small way, but our hands, feet and faces
get cold, no matter what we do."

EDITOR'S NOTE: The subsequent annihilation of "Richtof en's
circus " and the death of their leader at the hands of the British
airmen will be recalled.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

The following is a copy of a letter received from
Lieutenant W. S. Duthie, formerly a member of the
staff of the Saskatoon branch:

Lieutenant Duthie herein gives a resume of his
experiences as an officer in the famous 51st Imperial
Highland Division.

"I left the Princess Pats in January, 1916, to undertake an
officer's training course at Cambridge University. The goals of
my military ambition were a commission in the Gordon Highlanders
and a kilt.

"In Cambridge we were housed in the colleges and we were
granted the privileges, and hedged about with the circumspection,
of undergraduates. We were the first cadet battalion formed
(although our official designation was No. 2 Cadet Battalion), and
as such we were objects of peculiar interest to an alarming number
of war office emissaries. Field-Marshal Viscount French and
General Sir William Robertson were the major luminaries who
scanned us.

"The course was most enjoyable and the academic atmosphere
of cloistered Cambridge must have been conducive to the rapid
assimilation of our instruction, for each one of us soon found himself
garbed in the radiant glory of a new Sam Browne belt, while on
each new sleeve was emblazoned one twinkling star.

"It was most exhilarating donning the kilt and feeling at one
with my tartan clad countrymen in the great adventure.

"I joined my battalion — the 5th Gordons — at Courcellette on
the Somme, when our Division — the 51st — had just started on its
meteoric rise to fame with the capture of Beaumont-Hamel.

"When out of the line I did much exploring in the terrible tract
of country behind the Courcellette line. Within a comparatively
short radius of our reserve position were Pozieres, Courcellette,
La Boiselle, Ovillers, Contalmaison, — all razed to the ground and
bearing mute testimony to the ghastly carnage of the Somme.
One could not cross the plain at La Boiselle without tripping over
a dismembered leg or arm; here and there were uncovered corpses,
while bones bleaching amongst tatters of clothing proclaimed that
many of the missing were at rest. Here, too, were many little
mounds, and filled-in shell holes on which were lying either a broken
rifle or a drilled steel helmet.

"In January, 1917, we moved down to the Arras front and went
into the line at Roclincourt, facing the southern extremity of Vimy

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Ridge. At this point we were on the right of the Canadian Corps,
and we maintained this pride of place all through the ensuing
offensive operations. We held this sector for six weeks, preparing
for the advance which was to wrest Vimy Ridge from the Germans.

"The 9th of April, 1917, the day of our attack, was a glorious
experience. The Canadians on our left were magnificent and our
North Countrymen irresistible. Nothing human could have
survived the terrible tornado of our massed batteries. It was
absolute hell — a much more malignant hell than ever I have heard
declaimed by the most rabid evangelist. I shall never forget
that morning. We had moved into the trenches on the night of
the 8th, and we waited through the hours for our guns to open
before dawn.

"The quiet was intense; then with one throbbing roar our
artillery crashed forth. The Hun was doomed. Signals for
succour, of all descriptions, to his own guns went up from his lines
like huge sparks from the furnace of our bursting shells — rockets,
green and white, and red, some bursting into golden rain — but all
in vain. The Hun artillery was silenced by our counter battery
work. The enemy batteries on this front had been spotted from
the air — our airmen for months had worked ceaselessly — and in
the morning the enemy gunners had been rudely awakened by our
howitzer shells playing the devil with their guns and emplace-
ments. The titanic symphony of our thundering guns, shrieking,
whistling, whining, roaring, whizzing shells, and rending shattering
bursts played tumultuously on, and at dawn our boys went over.

"With the ordered precision of a practice attack, wave after
wave surged over the sand-bag parapets. 'The attack was
developing with success.' Prisoners were coming in — humans
from whom the shell fire had blown every vestige of individuality,
— the few survivors of the dug-outs in the enemy's front line.
Here was one howling with the terror of his experiences still upon
him, there a tottering glazed-eyed creature, deaf mute from con-
cussion, and many with ghastly wounds, all blindly making their
way to the rear, animated with the single idea that there was to
be found surgical aid and the ultimate haven of the prison cage.

"Our own wounded were coming in, but all of them who were
conscious were cheerful. Many of the stretchers were borne by
brawny Prussian Guardsmen, and they made good stretcher-bearers.

"The mission of our Battalion was to capture and consolidate
the final objective of the Division — a line to the right of Farbus
Wood. On our way forward we passed hundreds of dead, recog-
nizing many friends. We had to make a detour to circumvent

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

a mine crater, where early in the morning a mine had been blown
in the German forward trenches, and which had engulfed a company
of the 6th Gordons.

"Our objective was not difficult of attainment. The demor-
alized Huns were fleeing like rabbits, but — an eye for an eye — our
Lewis guns, rifles and bayonets took their toll. We eventually
established our headquarters in the famous Deutcher House
dug-out — the most wonderful underground system I ever saw.

"The enemy did not counter-attack that night, and before
dawn on the following morning our battalion was over the parapet
and bound for a line 1,000 yards nearer Berlin. Farbus Wood lay
to our left front, and from its cover German machine-gunners made
many a blank in our advancing lines of Highlanders, but we took
what we wanted, — a rising ground which commanded the surround-
ing country and bit a deep salient into the German positions, and
which also gave us enfilading fire on Farbus.

'By nightfall the Canadians had cleared Farbus Wood of the
enemy; and Vimy Ridge and all our objectives were then well
within our lines.

"Against our new position the Huns launched two counter
attacks on two successive days, the llth and 12th of April, but
these were half-hearted efforts and crumpled up under our machine
gun and rifle fire.

"Our capture of this eminence was of immense value, for from
it we saw Germans concentrate in the village of Bailleul sur
Berthosit for a grand effort against the 34th Division on our
right. We communicated at once with the guns, and a short time
afterwards we had the sublime and soul-drenching satisfaction of
seeing this concourse of Huns blown to smithereens.

"We were relieved on the night of the 13th April. Snow was
falling, it was bitterly cold, and a hazy moon struggled to light the
scene. As we slowly came back over the ground we had captured,
all too prevalent were little snow covered mounds, and well we
knew that underneath that snow covering many heroes of the
Division slept with their faces to the enemy. Dead Huns there
were in plenty, but for the most part they littered the battered
trenches or crammed dug-outs to the door.

"We were now presumably out for a long rest, but the course
of seventy-two hours saw us taking over from the almost
annihilated South African Brigade in the Hindenburg line on the
Scarpe, just behind Fampoux and to the left rear of Roeux. At
this particular point the bone of contention was the Chemical

269

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Works to the left of Roeux. The Huns had evidently resolved to
hold the ruins of the Works at all hazards.

"We went for the Works on 23rd April and took them after
heavy fighting. We then handed over to another Division and
again turned our faces toward the rear areas and our much needed
rest.

"We had not long been enjoying the bucolic delights of village
life in the Pas de Calais when orders came to return at once to the
Scarpe, and we knew that trouble was in the air.

"We took over the Chemical Works' front, our battalion going
into reserve at the railway embankment at Athies, about two miles
behind the front line".

"Two days later, before dawn on the 16th May, the Huns
attacked the Chemical Works with a large force and succeeded in
capturing the ruins. Our battalion was ordered to recapture the
position. We had been ready to move at a moment's notice, so
off we went by platoons. We got through the barrage the enemy
was putting down on the areas behind the front line, but just at
Fampoux village, where we elected to deploy, we came under
devastating fire. We rushed to cover in a shallow trench, where
we paused momentarily, and as our own fire was now crashing
down on the Works, we pressed on to our objective.

"While deploying at Fampoux my Company Commander,
Capt. Hutcheon, M.C., had both his eyes torn out by a splinter
of a shell which landed between him and me. I was about three
yards from the burst, but it only blew me into a shell-hole.

"We went through the works at the double. The Huns did
not tarry when they saw the kilts and bayonets coming.

"A survivor of those who had held the Chemical Works
previous to the Hun attack, told us that on capturing the Works
the Germans also took a few prisoners. These they made put up
their hands, then they turned a machine-gun on them, and shot
them in the stomach. This man had escaped by feigning death
and awaiting our advance.

"On taking the Works it was decided to exploit our success
by endeavouring to capture the position from which the enemy
had started his morning attack.

"This proved to be a most disastrous business for us. We
had just started when the most appalling barrage crashed down
upon us — we were in full view and had two hundred and fifty yards
of open ground to traverse before getting to close quarters. I
went down about hah* way towards the Hun lines. I remember

260

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

men falling all around me and last of all the officer on my right
going up in bits — then a complete blank until I awoke to con-
sciousness on 21st May, in the Duchess of Westminster's Hospital
at Le Touquet, near Boulogne. I had lain out on the field for two
days, in the meantime being reported killed. I had been hit in
the head, sustaining a compound fracture of the skull. Had I not
been wearing a steel helmet my head would have been blown off.
"I have since learned, that, in the opinion of all those who
observed this action from forward observation posts, the shell fire
which smashed up our final attack on 16th May, 1017, was one
of the finest exhibitions of concentrated fire to the credit of Hun
artillery. I never saw anything that could compare with that
barrage for intensity. There did not seem to be a square yard of
ground on which a shell was not exploding. On account of the
terrible fire only two companies of the battalion were able to go
over the parapet, and of these but a mere handful of men
returned."

The following are extracts from a letter received
from Lieutenant A. M. Kinnear, M.C., A.F.C., Royal
Flying Corps, formerly a member of the staff of the
Upper Town, Quebec, branch. The letter was written
during March, 1918, and refers to the Cambrai sector:

"The air is very bloodstained on our front, but we have been

knocking h out of the Huns. I have two of them to my

credit, and I had the time of my life fighting them.

"They never attack us unless they are about four to one, so
you can see that it is hard work. On one occasion seven got after
me, wounded my observer and shot my controls away. How I
got away I do not know, but I was lucky — the machine had over
sixty holes in it.

"On another occasion I had 110 holes in the bus and one in
my head. All the petrol tanks were shot through, but fortunately
I got over our lines instead of crashing in Hunland. These fights
come off about 15,000 feet up, and are practically a daily occurrence,
so you see we get all the excitement we want. A couple of weeks
ago my machine caught fire and I had to side slip 4,000 feet. It
was a terrible experience, but my nerves are standing the racket
very well, and if they hold out I do not care about the rest."

"Perhaps you would be interested to know how I was wounded.
Well, my observer and I had a job to do over in Hunland, and a
rotten job it was, too. I had to come down low to ascertain
certain things, and 'Umpteen* machine-guns started to shoot the

261

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

bus to pieces. I was hit on the head and faded away, and when
I came to, my observer was pushing a flask down my throat and
the bus was diving for the earth. I had enough sense to pull her
up and managed to steer west. When I crossed our lines the engine
died, so I planted her in a field and once more passed away. When
I came to I was in a house, facing a whisky bottle — which was full —
and a bandage was tied around my head. They shipped me to a
hospital where I was given more whisky and put to bed. When
I woke up the next morning, feeling like nothing on earth, the
nurse took pity on me, and sat on my bed, which did me much good.
When one hasn't seen an English girl for a long time their very
presence does one good. My clothes were saturated with petrol
and I smelt like a garage, but in a couple of days I buzzed back to
the squadron. So far I have had five machines shot to pieces —
but what of it — the Government pays for them.

"My quarters consist of a hut, but are very comfortable. I
have an open fireplace which is very cheerful — when it burns.
Flying is very cold these days, and we have to slobber whale-oil
on our faces to prevent frostbite. After doing four hours at 15,000
feet we are numb when we get back, but a square meal and the rum
ration help a lot.

"I suppose you heard I was awarded the Military Cross. I
have since been recommended for a bar to it. What next?

D d funny world, isn't it? But these ribbons are hot stuff

with the girls."

The following are extracts from a letter written in
France by Captain F. Raymond Hutson, formerly of the
London, England, branch:

"I am glad to say that I have completely recovered from my
wound and that once again I am going as strong as ever. Of
course I had exceptional luck, as at the time I was hit we were
lying down, when the bullet entered the centre of my tin hat and
then instead of going into my head, took a side-slip, came out at
one side, exploded and entered my left shoulder and neck, taking
with it some pieces of the helmet. Altogether, I had about twenty-
five bits of metal in me, but luckily they were all on the small side.
After a lot of persuasion, I got the doctors to allow me to return to
the battalion instead of going home to England, and here I have
been ever since.

"You will, I hope, be glad to hear that I was made a full
lieutenant on the 1st of July, and that I got my temporary captaincy
on the 1st of September, 1917.

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"The weather out here is bitterly cold; in fact it has been
freezing incessantly since the first week in January. Naturally,
we all feel it pretty severely, as all the villages in the area we now
occupy have been completely razed to the ground, and, in conse-
quence, when we are out of the trenches or rather shell-holes, we
have to live in tin huts, through the cracks in which the wind
whistles in every direction.

"In spite of these minor drawbacks, I must say that the spirit
and enduring power of our men are simply splendid, more especially
I suppose, on account of the fact that everybody thinks that active
operations will be over by midsummer at the very latest."

The following is a letter dated 31st March, 1918,
from Captain C. D. Nevill, formerly Manager of our
Cayuga branch.

At the time this letter was written Captain Nevill
was paymaster in the llth Battalion, Canadian Railway
Troops:

"It was with great pleasure that I to-day received your card
of good wishes sent out from Head Office after the Bank's Annual
Meeting in January last. Will you please accept my thanks, in
return for the kindly thoughts, the knowledge of which are as
water to a thirsty land, to us fellows out here. I have also just
received pamphlet No. 9 of 'Letters from the Front,' the first
since being out here, and I went through it from beginning to end.
I would like to receive it regularly.

"It may perhaps be of some little interest to you to know that
I have been nearly fifteen months in the forward areas of the
Western Front and have seen a good deal of what has been going
on. We put in the summer of 1917 in the Ypres salient engaged
in railway construction work, often under most adverse and trying
circumstances, the Boche taking particular pleasure in shelling and
bombing our camps at night. During the daytime the unit
worked well forward and at night we would often have to scatter
from our dugouts and sleep in some ditch or other, out of the line
of fire. Since then the unit has been up and down the line when-
ever needed, and I believe I could find my way from Bethune to
the North Sea coast on any dark night. One thing we regret is
that we have seen so few Canadians, being always attached to
the Imperial armies, and I have yet to see a Canadian Division or
a Commerce man. Some day we hope to get to our own people.

"I am writing this on Easter Sunday, and some of us attended
a Protestant service this morning held in a little Church Army hut

263

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

erected near camp during the week. This has been our first
opportunity to attend church this year, and we may not get another
soon, as from present indications we have a hurried move dead
ahead."

We quote extracts from a letter received from
Lieutenant A. D. Golden, M.C., who left our Prince
Rupert branch to join the Third Canadian Contingent.
The letter is dated 19th April, 1918:

"Head Office Instructions, if I remember aright, state that
communications with Head Office direct are not permissible, and
lay down some other laws on the subject. However, I am going to
break rules and will lay the blame on the 'exigencies of the service.*

"The Bank is certainly well represented out here, and it is
impossible to go far without meeting one of the boys. Let me give
an instance: A little while ago while firing a few over to Fritz, I
discovered the following — I was in charge of the shoot, giving my
orders to a Commerce sergeant-major, through a telephone oper-
ated by a Commerce man. The sergeant-major passed his orders
on to our six guns, two of which had each a Commerce man in
charge.

"Unfortunately a number of the boys have given their all in
the war, one of the recent ones being C. C. Purdy, of Prince Rupert,
who was making a splendid name for himself in the R.N.A.S.

"Warfare and banking, alas, are very different, and we will
all be mighty glad to return to the gentle art of finance when we
get through, but none of us, rest assured, are coming back until
the books are balanced here.

The following extracts are from a letter dated 25th
May, 1918, from Sergeant W. J. Taylor who left our
Golden branch to enlist in February, 1915. Sergeant
Taylor had been twice wounded and was at this time
an instructor behind the lines.

This letter was written at Divion, a small village on
the outskirts of Bruay.

The church partially wrecked by shell-fire was at
Mont St. Eloi. This church was the most tragic land-
mark of this region, the ruins being visible for several
miles, and commanding an excellent view of the famous
Vimy Ridge.

"Life here isn't so bad; we are some little distance behind the
lines and are billeted in the village. Fritz hasn't strafed us yet,

264

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

but there is a fair-sized mining town a few kilos from here that he
lobs one into occasionally. We have had very hot weather
recently, and the nights being clear his planes come over every
night bombing. It looks pretty to see the searchlights on one,
but much better to see one come down. He seems to be getting
vicious and even giving hospitals a share. I notice in to-night's
paper, really yesterday's, that he did a lot of damage at one place.
One flight commander was brought down and I reckon he should
be court-mart lulled and shot for what he said. In fact, the court-
martial might be dispensed with. I reckon if things keep on going
as they are this is liable to develop into a war of extermination.

"The Boche shells places where he knows there isn't a soldier,
just out of cussedness. A short time ago I was in a village that
earlier in the war was the scene of some heavy fighting. There
was quite a pretty church there, but of course it was partially
wrecked by shell fire, and all the statues, practically, had the
heads smashed, most likely by rifle fire. Some people may want
to blame the German officers for everything that has happened
but the common soldier isn't any better. It isn't likely that an
officer is going to use the statuary of a church for rifle practice.

"It seems a long time since I pulled out of Golden, but I
can't say I have found the time hanging on my hands. The days
pass quickly here, about as quickly as in the lines. I suppose it
is really because we can settle down to anything here.

"I have been thinking of the prospects we have after the war.
We had to sign some papers to say if we were going to take
advantage of the Government's offer of land when we go back.
Also the amount of money we expected to have, and a lot more
questions that it would require a palmist to put us wise to. One
chap said $25,000, and had to see his Company Officer as a result.
He was quite right, because he had just come into some property
and money from an uncle a short time before. I notice he hasn't
been sent out of the Depot yet. But I suppose it isn't worth while
worrying about after the war until that time comes. I have only
about seventeen odd years to go before I ought to come in for a
pension for long service, and every little bit helps.

"I think there is something doing up the line just now. The
guns are keeping up a steady roar which keeps this hut on the
wobble. Perhaps Heinie has a few more men than he has rations
for and wants to get rid of them. In any case someone is hugging
the parapet right now.

"I could of course, write a lot more, but the censor might
think I was encroaching on the privilege of a war correspondent,

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

and my work get a little marking in pencil to make it look better.
Please remember me to anybody I know still living in Golden."

We quote extracts from two letters received from
Mr. G. Ayre, who enlisted from the London, England,
branch, in March, 1917.

The 'biwies' (bivouacs) were located in the Bois des
Dames, Bruay. The hospitals in question were at Etaples.
The billets were located in Ourton.

"Many thanks for parcels received to-day, the contents of
which are very much appreciated. It could not have reached me
at a more opportune moment, as we came down from the lines
yesterday and I was simply dying for a decent smoke.

"You will note from above address we are now Gunners; we
lost our horses several months ago. As you can well imagine, it
is a bit of a change for us all, more especially for those who have
been cavalry for years and were in the retreat from Mons.

"We are very comfortable in our present bivvies in a big
wood, well dug in, and I can assure you Jerry would have to send
over a lot of shells to upset us much — so we get down to it at
night pretty confident of a good night's sleep. Some weeks ago
we were down in a camp quite near those hospitals which caught
it so badly, and we were most fortunate in getting out of it, so you
can bet we very much appreciate our present home."

"Many thanks for parcel of llth instant; it reached me safely
up the lines and I have had no opportunity of conveying my thanks
before.

"We came back yesterday to our billets in a respectable little
French village, and as you can well imagine, we make the most
of our comparatively comfortable quarters.

"I was unfortunate in losing a quantity of those delicious
biscuits enclosed; the rats stole them and some cheese from my
coat pocket whilst I was asleep in my dug-out up the line. I was
fortunate, inasmuch as they did not run off with my steel helmet,
as the boys say it is quite a common sight to see them fitting on your
gas mask. We were fortunate in losing but one man, and with
ordinary luck we should have had our own back with compound
interest — we give them a good rattle up with our machine-guns
from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. on most nights."

The following extract is from a letter from Flight-
Lieutenant Percy R. Hampton, formerly of the Balmy
Beach, Toronto, staff, and relates the circumstances which
led to his capture by the Germans on 3rd May, 1918:

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"You evidently didn't get my first letters from hospital in
Lille, so I will tell you how I was shot down to begin with. My
right hand was in bandages, so I suppose the censor couldn't read
it. I was flying south from Ypres-Menin Road, and about Armen-
tieres I dived from 15,000 feet to about 12,000 to attack some
enemy aircraft. I was almost within range when an Archie shell
burst under me, hitting my front petrol tank and wounding my
observer in the thigh. The petrol then caught fire, and I unfastened
my belt and got almost out to jump from the flames, but got back
again and put the machine into a violent side-slip. I couldn't
breath and my leather coat, boots and gloves started to burn, and
then my own ammunition, about eleven hundred rounds, started
exploding. Five enemy machines followed me, shooting all the
time. They hit my bus all right but didn't hit me. They hit my
instrument board in front of me and I became unconscious several
thousand feet from the ground, but my observer prevented a very
bad crash. When we hit, my bus went on its nose and I was thrown
out, also my observer, then the rear tank caught fire and there
was nothing left of the bus.

"We were taken by train to Lille after being dressed at a field
dressing station, and I woke up in hospital, about four o'clock in
the afternoon. I was shot down about 9.80 in the morning.
Both my feet were a bit burned, also my right hand and arm.
My neck was almost broken and I couldn't move my head for
several days. I went from Lille to a hospital at Quedlinburg,
near Berlin, on 29th May, and I haven't seen my observer since."

The following is an extract from a further letter from
Mr. Hampton, dated 19th May, 1918, written in a
German hospital:

"I am still in hospital, in fact I expect to be here for a week or
so yet. I am getting better, but a little slower than I first expected.
I have now recovered from the shock but the burns are not healed
yet. My nose, which was knocked almost flat between my
eyes and a little to one side, is now back to its normal position.
It is very painful but that is the only pain I have. The doctor is
fixing it very well, probably it will be better looking than before.
I had a very narrow escape with my right eye, and have a nasty
cut between the eyeball and eyebrow, but that is nearly all right.
My burns are not real serious; my right big toe and left ankle
lightly burned, and also my right thumb and arm, but nothing to
worry about.

"I think Lane, my observer, will be better before me. I am

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not in the same ward, but I hear he is getting on well. It has now
been ascertained that I was brought down by Archie fire, a thing
I never expected or even contemplated. I don't know how it set
me on fire; of course, the front petrol tank was burst, but I don't
know what lighted the petrol. I believe my machine was burnt
to nothing after I hit the ground, so I am lucky to have undone
my belt."

The following are extracts from a letter dated 30th
June, 1918, from Nursing Sister H. V. Petrie, who was
formerly on the staff of the Department of the Super-
intendent of Central Western Branches, Winnipeg. Miss
Petrie wrote this letter in England where she was
recuperating after some very nerve-racking experiences
of hospital work just behind the lines.

The town referred to in this letter is Doullens:

"I met General Currie in Brighton, and a few nights after we
got here Sir Robert Borden came and he asked for a private inter-
view with me, so I had to give the whole story again to him, also
to Sir Edward Kemp and to about ten others.

"However, this is far from the air raid district. Imagine, we
were only twelve miles from the firing line. I've been just as close
as I want to be, thank you, and yet I adored it and if only I'd been
well, would be there yet. There wasn't a particle of use my staying,
when I could barely hold up my head, and of course we only got
a couple of hours sleep per day. Fritz was over all night and every
night from 26th March, and the long range guns were dropping
shells into the town all day. I used to go up to the tennis courts
and watch the observation balloons, and one night saw one brought
down. At night it was wonderful, a continual flash-flash-flash all
night long. The noise got on my nerves and everyone's, so that

I always had more or less of a headache.

"In the first days of the push it was terrible — that was for
three weeks before anyone got his breath. You could hear Amiens
being bombed and tpie continual noise of lorries and guns being
taken up the Amiens road and see the sky flaming from fires. It
never ceased day or night. Fritz was over at 8 p.m., and again at

II or 12, and then just as it was getting dawn. Then all day he
was over making 'movies' or photographing and the 'antis' were
barking. All day there was continual noise of the guns and thou-
sands of wounded pouring in, and the ambulances lined up the
Amiens road for miles, one line on one side coming in, and the other
returning, and the 'walkers', some of whom had walked 12 and 14

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

miles from the field ambulance. They slept, until we could get
them out, on the grass, anywhere, as all the wards were crowded
and there were stretchers in between the beds on the floors. For
three weeks I was in a place called 'Isolation,' quite seven minutes
walk from the main hospital, and I had as many as £33 cases and
only a youngster, a convalescent, to help me. Everyone else in
the main part of the building never even knew of the place, with the
exception of one or two of the M.O.'s. The C.O. and matron
came about nine o'clock at night, and then I was all alone with
from 5 to 18 Huns, more or less sitting over the hospital all night.
They used to come to our hospital to get their bearings. It was
no joke I can tell you. Then I was put in the operating room and,
as I told you, we three girls had 291 operations in ten nights so
that gives you a fair idea of a week's work. It was wonderful,
though, and the experiences of a lifetime, and I'm so glad I was
where I was so that I did not miss it. All our baggage was taken
from us and sent to Boulogne, as it was thought we might have to
retreat, so we lived in one uniform for ten weeks.

"Some of the Casualty Clearing Stations were bombed and
shelled out, and down they came to us and stayed long enough to
get their breath, and then went on to open up further back. It
was exciting, and our poor little town of Doullens, I guess, wondered
what had happened. It was crowded to overflowing, with thou-
sands and thousands of troops being rushed up day and night,
cavalry riding past — such a commotion you never saw!"

The following are extracts from a letter received
from Lieutenant N. L. Wells who left our Regina branch
in July, 1915. Mr. Wells was taken prisoner in July,
1916, and in the spring of 1918 was sent to Scheveningen,
the internment camp near the Hague, Holland:

"I do not suppose that the people of Canada realize what the
life of a prisoner of war in Germany really is, and when one remem-
bers that Germans as a rule treat officers with exaggerated respect,
it may serve to convey a slight idea of what our men are suffering.

"The condition of some of our men is appalling (it depends
largely where they are imprisoned) and since our arrival in Holland
a little of the truth has leaked out. Men are deliberately murdered,
apart from the terrible treatment they receive, and the number
who have 'died* in Germany must be very great. Two officers,
whom I knew personally, were murdered only last month; of
course we have no proof, but we know what happened just as
well as if we had seen the whole affair.

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"I have now been in Holland more than two months and I
feel like an old resident. I am Assistant Adjutant to the Senior
British Interned Officer and have to work fairly hard. My duties
consist of dealing with the pay of 4,000 N.C.O.'s and men and
800 officers, and the whole of the work passes through my hands.
The men are actually paid by their group officers, but all applica-
tions, questions, indents, etc., come to me. The pay of the officers
is a most troublesome affair, owing to the system of living out which
affects 800 of them. Unfortunately I have to rely on other people
for most of the necessary information, and as this information is
never correct I have the unfortunate experience of unravelling the
many tangles.

"I am lucky in getting a job, as they are very much sought
after, and as I am one of the late comers I am exceptionally for-
tunate. I thought you might like to know that, though prisoners
of war, Commerce men are not altogether in the background.

"The country is quite flat but pretty. It is very pleasant to
see the light green trees after the never-ending firs of Germany,
and we often cycle into one of the neighbouring villages. The
whole country is intersected with canals; even in the towns it is
impossible to go for more than a few yards without meeting one.

"The expense of the Hague is the greatest drawback. Prices
are extortionate and it is almost impossible for a subaltern to live.
Before the war the Hague was regarded as the second most expensive
place in Europe, Monte Carlo ranking first, so the present prices
can be imagined. Fortunately Canadian subalterns are in a better
position than the English ones, but it is quite bad enough.

"It seems a long time since I left Regina in 1015, and I should
be happy enough to get back there now if the war were over. If
we were so fortunate as to be repatriated I should stay in England
until the end of the war, on the slight chance of having a second
smack at the Huns.

"The weather is very changeable and high winds are frequent;
there has been very little rain, but it is often quite cold, and very
different from the Hartz Mountains, where they really have glorious
summers — the only good feature of the place."

We give below in its entirety the "schweinerei" or
recital of the experiences as a prisoner of war in Ger-
many of Captain N. L. Wells, the writer of the foregoing
letter. By its dispassionate tone and simple relation of
fact this document serves to impress on the reader the
horrors and insults to which prisoners of war in Germany
were constantly subjected:

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"After being brought back from the front, where we were quite
well treated, I was sent to the hospital at Cologne. The hospital
was full of Russian soldiers, suffering from various things, and a
few English men and officers. The treatment here was quite good,
though it was perfectly obvious that a badly wounded man would
never recover. The Russians used to die every day and all of
them were quite apathetic. There were two classes of food; first
and second. The first was quite good in comparison with the
second, which was served in a way which made it unfit to eat; all
the stuff for the second class was put into a kind of bucket and
then stirred round until it looked like a pig's trough. The bread
was awful stuff, very dark brown, and sour and hard; it is difficult
to eat the best kriegsbrod (war bread) as the effect on a person
unaccustomed to it is always bad. The food (first class) we had
was quite eatable, though I expect our hospitals would have
shuddered at it.

"I left Cologne at the end of July and had my first real experi-
ence of travelling in Germany. British officers in Germany travel
third class (that is to say in cushionless carriages) and sometimes
fourth. The carriages are the most uncomfortable things I have
ever met and only compare with the almost obsolete carriages on
some of our local lines. In addition to this, I have known British
officers stand for hours in one of these awful things, because the
train was full, women had crowded in, and in Germany it seems
to be an almost unknown thing for men to get up and allow women
to sit down.

"I left Cologne at 11 a.m. and practically the whole journey
to Mainz was by the Rhine. The scenery is splendid, with wooded
hills on one side and principally vines on the other, while castles
are perched on the tops of rocks at every few hundred yards.
However, the scenery in Germany never seems to vary, and I
don't think any prisoner of war wishes to see a fir tree again. I
reached Mainz at six p.m., and was put in a quarantine room for
the night. As I had had nothing but some soup since early morning,
I was very hungry and ate the whole of the food they brought me,
which consisted of potato soup and my day's ration of bread and
cheese. As a consequence I did not get to sleep until 6 o'clock
the next morning. The bed was made of iron with wooden slats,
on top of which was a straw bag called a mattress, and which was
full of holes. Of course there were sheets and blankets, but by
morning I simply smothered in straw.

"Mainz is a large fortress camp for French, Belgian and
Russian officers, so I only stayed there a couple of days, when I

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

went on to Friedberg (in Hesse, not Freiburg where there were so
many bombing raids). I was lucky enough to be travelling with
an officer as escort, so I travelled second class. Friedberg was a
mixed camp of French, Russian and English. It was built as a
training school for German N.C.O.'s, so there was a parade ground
which we turned into a small football field, shower baths, and a
gymnasium without apparatus. It was a very dirty place, and
like all German prison camps the sanitary arrangements were very
bad. We built two tennis courts, and the remainder of the ground
was allotted to various people as gardens. We were extremely
lucky in German officers there. The captain of our building was
very fond of the English officers; his father or grandfather was
English and his wife was Russian, and though he was an old man
and not very capable, yet he did his best for us. We were similarly
lucky in some of the other officers, one of whom was of one of the
highest families in Germany; his mother was English, he had been
educated at Eton and had spent all his life on his mother's English
estate. There was a well-managed canteen where we could buy
most things at a reasonable rate. The food was awful and quite
uneatable, even two-thirds of the potatoes were bad. We had our
own cooking stoves, which we purchased at the canteen, and though
there was usually a shortage of coal, we managed to get along all
right with the assistance of a rustling orderly. Parcels were very
rarely lost, and we used to live very well as regards food. Rooms
were crowded of course, but were absolutely palatial in comparison
with our later experience. The messing was an absolute swindle.
According to the Hague Convention, I believe, an enemy country
is not entitled to make any profit out of a prisoner of war; goods
at the canteen are to be sold at the same price as in the town, and
any extra profits are to go to the prisoners of war. Well, we had an
allied messing committee of which one of our majors was president,
and every month five or six thousand marks disappeared; he made
a big fuss and was told eventually that if he continued his enquiries
he would be sent to the local 'jug.' We had two walks a week, as
many theatrical shows as we wished, and though we were searched
occasionally after a fashion, yet we were left alone. Apart from
the fact that the rooms were disgraceful, and the whole place was
filthy, we had not a great deal to complain of. The fact that
we were getting our parcels and that we were able to cook our
own food was quite enough to make us contented.

"When the winter came we flooded part of the football ground
and made a small skating rink which caused a lot of fun. It was
just after this that the trouble started and we had orders to leave
for Clausthal on the 20th March, 1917.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"We were sorry to leave Friedberg, though we had not the
slightest idea that we were leaving the best camp in Germany;
while we were there we were always grousing and usually with very
good cause, but the 1914 officers thought that the improvement of
this camp over others was owing to the fact that the Germans
had at last realized their mistake in treating prisoners badly.

"The 1914 officers were mistaken.

"We left Friedberg at 7 o'clock on the evening of the 20th
March with the assurance that the journey was one of twelve or
thirteen hours. We were actually in the train for about twenty-
seven hours in unheated carriages. The carriages were the usual
cushionless third class, and every mile we went the cold got worse.
Two of our senior captains skipped off the train and managed to
reach Holland. This occurred soon after we started. Before we
reached the end of our journey it was snowing hard, and I suppose
the temperature was a little below zero, or between thirty and
forty degrees of frost. During the whole of the journey we received
no food or drink from the German authorities, excepting one luke-
warm cup of acorn coffee each, for which we paid one mark per cup
(without milk or sugar). Fortunately we had brought a certain
amount of food with us. When we reached Clausthal the snow
was about a foot deep and it was still snowing. We were in
awfully bad condition by this time, half frozen, so stiff that we
could scarcely move at first, and tired out, yet the first news we
got was that we had to carry our own suit-cases through the snow
to the camp about two miles away. There were several men with
us who were lame or ill, but no conveyance was provided. A lot
of us dumped our bags down on the platform and refused to carry
them, so they came up next day.

"We reached the camp finally and were ushered into a large
dining room, where we were treated to an astounding speech by
the commandant in the best Prussian manner. This consisted of
yelling at the top of one's voice in the most insulting way imagin-
able. We were then stripped and searched, and were not allowed
to go to bed until three o'clock the following morning; we received
no food during this time and were unable to obtain water. Then
most of us were sent down to the huts, which were icy cold, and
we went to bed with all our clothes on.

"We had our first view of the camp next day. It consisted of
a wooden hotel, built in the shoddiest German fashion and three
wooden huts divided into rooms. In the hotel the dining-room
was heated, but all the other rooms were unheated. The winter
lasted about six months and we sometimes had forty degrees of

m

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

frost. The huts were supposed to get two buckets of coal every
three days per room; the buckets were hah* the size of an ordinary
bucket. The consequence was that 250 officers had to spend all
their time in a dirty dining-room, which was much too small even
for its avowed object. We used to bribe the German soldiers, and
get coal by this means, but even then we could rarely get enough.
For the winter of 1917-18 no coal was allowed.

"The grounds of the camp were extremely small, and part had
an additional wire fence to separate it from the rest of the camp;
this wired off piece, which was shaped like a leg of mutton, held
two tennis courts and a piece of ground which in area was equal
perhaps to three tennis courts, and which we turned into a miniature
golf course. The rest consisted of a tiny plot of grass, where a
few bushes grew and where we occasionally sat out in summer.
Inside the camp were little bits of garden and grass all surrounded
by barbed wire, as also were the huts. Their idea apparently was
to save the grass and trees from being injured, and the sentries had
orders to shoot any officer who went through this wire to get
anything. I hope I have made it plain that this had nothing to
do with escaping. Of course, things were dropping out of the
windows of the huts continually and balls would go in the forbidden
areas, yet if any officer fetched them he was liable to lose his life.
One officer was actually shot at, but the sentry missed him and his
effort was greeted with howls of laughter. It would not have been
at all surprising if he had loosed his rifle off at us for laughing; if
he had killed anyone he would have got the Iron Cross undoubtedly.

"In addition to the two tennis courts, we built two squash
courts, so we got a certain amount of exercise, though our arrange-
ments did not go far amongst over 250 men.

"To return to our arrival at Clausthal. After we had been
there a week, the issue of tins was stopped for eight days and that
of parcels for two weeks. This was a pure schweinerei, and we were
given no reason for it. It was particularly annoying in the case
of bread which we 'knew was being ruined, apart from the fact that
the camp was swarming with rats and mice, which always went
through every parcel which was not opened immediately.

"We had no walk for four months; as a matter of fact we had
one, but some days after this had taken place, three officers escaped,
and the Germans said that they would probably be charged with
breaking their parole, as they must have used their eyes during
the walk and seen the surrounding country. We all handed in
our parole cards the following day.

"The 'jug' was next door to the pigsty and had been condemned

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

even by the German inspectors; nevertheless one man was kept
there for months. Eventually a hut was built containing sixteen
cells and those were always kept full during the summer months.
It was impossible to avoid 'jug.' Major-General Ravenshaw was
given eight days for saying at a conference with the German
Commandant that he considered collective punishment for
individual offences was 'unfair.' I was very lucky and only
collected three days during my stay in Hunland. I was never
caught in the usual things, such as swiping parcels which contained
contraband or cigarettes, and getting out tins by means of false
keys, etc., but I was exceptionally fortunate.

"For a long time our cigarettes were stopped, the reason given
being that the French had poison for the crops sent in theirs.

"We used to find that the Huns had been in our rooms during
our absence, and of course we missed a lot of things. We even
caught a German officer feeling in the pockets of a coat when he
thought no one was in the room.

"Men were continually stripped and searched. Any contra-
band such as a map, compasses, etc., resulted in eight days. As a
matter of fact I was found with a map, but for some reason or other
my name was overlooked, so I escaped.

"The beds were of iron, wooden slats and 2-inch thick mattresses
and two blankets (with the thermometer below zero), in addition
to which the two together did not make one decent English blanket.
One cupboard (assigned to one German soldier in ordinary times)
was only allowed to two officers, and no box that would not go under
the bed was allowed in the rooms. Sitting or lying on the bed in
daytime was not allowed, and any clothes found on the bed or
chairs were thrown on the floor. As you can imagine we had no
room for anything. A German officer used to spend all day going
round the rooms and putting clothing on the floor, etc., but after
a few months of this, when the Germans found that we paid no
attention to orders of this description, they gave up trying to
enforce many of the rules which we tacitly refused to obey.

"The rooms in the huts were disgusting places and not fit for
officers at any time. The overcrowding was scandalous, and at
least twice as many men as there should be were in each room.
No curtains were allowed; one or two rooms purchased them and
they were torn down (not taken down).

"For a long time we were not allowed to have the windows
open at night even in the hot summer months, but eventually the
Dutch Ambassador made a fuss, and we were allowed to keep them

875

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

open on condition that we paid for wire screens to go over the
window.

"Just before I left Clausthal, three officers attempted to
escape and were captured. The commandant rushed up to the
guard room and commenced bullying in his usual manner. He told
one man to go down on his knees to him, and when he refused
to, he ordered the guard to force him to his knees, which they did.

"Remember this occurred at the end of March, 1918, and not
1914.

"One officer (also in 1918) who had appealed against a sentence
of two months by court-martial for some alleged offence, was
successful and the sentence was dismissed. He came to the camp
highly elated, the first man to win an appeal in Germany, and, I
imagine, the only one. However, the same week he received a
sentence of eight days' imprisonment from General von Hanish,
the Commander of the 10th Army Corps, for the same offence,
despite the fact that the court-martial had dismissed the case.
The 'jug' was stated to be for disciplinary purposes.

"According to the Prisoners' Agreement drawn up in July,
1917, no officer was to be kept in 'jug* awaiting a courtmartial or
sentence, but this did not matter to the Huns. In October a big
search was held, and everyone was ordered outside in the 'appel'
ground. One officer was ill and had been ordered to stay in bed
by the German doctor; he explained this, but was made to go
outside, and the next day was charged with assaulting one of the
German soldiers. Of course it was a lie, as he had not touched a
man, but despite the fact that he had a number of witnesses, he
was put into 'jug' and kept there for ten weeks awaiting trial.
This only happened about two months after the agreement had
been signed.

"According to the same agreement, all prisoners undergoing
confinement for anything except escaping, were to be released on
the 31st July. Strangely enough the Huns kept this part of the
agreement, but the following week every cell was full again, so they
broke the spirit of the agreement within a few days.

"Imprisonment for escaping was limited to 14 days, but in
the tenth Army Corps, an officer never does less than a month,
usually much moie. The way they work it is like this; 14 days for
escaping, 8 days for having a compass, 8 days for having a civilian
hat, 8 days for a civilian coat, etc., 8 days for having a map (16 days
for two maps), 8 days for a ruck-sack, 8 days for tins, etc. You
will no doubt appreciate the absurdity of making any agreement
with people like this.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"After every attempted escape our 'playground' was closed
for at least a week and sometimes two, while we would have 'appels'
at 4 o'clock in the morning whenever the wire was discovered to
be cut.

"Searches were an absolute 'schwein.' A regular army would
come down composed of civil detectives, policemen in gorgeous
uniforms, and soldiers, and were always greeted with howls of
laughter much to their annoyance. The rooms would be taken
three at a time, and no officer was allowed in his room until it was
his turn to be searched. The waiting officers were locked in the
dining hall and on one occasion they had to stay there all night.
Nothing was ever found in these searches. Occasionally an odd
map or compass would be discovered, but we had so many that it
did not matter. In addition copies of maps could be made any
time and home-made compasses were turned out by dozens, so all
their work was unnecessary and nothing but a 'schweinerei' (I hope
you urderstand what this word means. It is a very expressive
German word which has been adopted by prisoners of war).

"Every room was turned upside down and special rooms were
selected for severe treatment. Some of the rooms had been made
to look quite decent, with the aid of brown paper and wall paper,
photographs, pictures, etc., and one of these rooms was invariably
selected by the Huns. The whole of the paper was torn off the
walls, pictures taken to pieces or smashed and everything piled
up in the centre of the room. On one occasion when the officer
in charge of the search was drunk (a very common habit with the
German officers on duty), he drew his sword, cut down some
curtains he saw and commenced hacking at things on the wall.
Searches of this description took place twice a year and were
altogether unproductive.

"Everything in our parcels was cut to bits; shaving soap often
into three pieces, washing soap smashed up, bread (from the
Dutch and Swiss Red Cross) cut into four and sometimes six
pieces, and as far as possible everything ruined. Our parcels were
stolen systematically — I was a very bad sufferer — and our tins
also. Occasionally 'verboten' articles were discovered, but if we
had received advice letters beforehand we usually got the stuff if it
was properly packed. There was no object in all this business, as the
Germans knew as well as we did that we could get anything we
wanted in the escape line in other ways.

"The Commandant, yclept Neimeyer, who has a twin brother
in charge at Holzmindenlager, was one of the biggest blackguards
it is possible to meet. He spoke excellent English with an

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

astonishing accent; he had lived for some years in America, hence
his knowledge of our language. A large part of his time he was
half drunk and even at his best he was insane. It is very difficult
to give a description of his actions. He was the biggest liar we
met in a nation of liars; he was a thief, and in short, what the
Germans call a 'schweinhund' — the English translation being
'pig-dog.' He was hated by his own people quite as much as by
us, because he used to make them do so much unnecessary work.

"He used to spend his day walking round the camp making
annoying or insulting remarks to officers, and certain officers he
hated, he put in 'jug' continually for no reason at all. He was
continually devising petty 'schweinereis' to annoy us; one of his
choicest amusements was to have officers stripped and searched, not
because he suspected them of concealing articles, but because he
enjoyed it. I can't describe him properly, it is an impossible task,
but, if he ever leaves Germany after the war, he will be killed.

"As regards escaping, we were extremely unfortunate. No
one has ever escaped from Friedberg or Clausthal. Quite a lot
of men have got out of the camp, but the distance is so great that
they have always been caught. Some camps are ridiculously easy
to escape from, as they are within a comparatively short distance
of Holland, but so far Clausthal has proved quite impossible.
We started a tunnel at Clausthal under one of the huts; the huts
were raised two or three feet above the ground and we cut through
the floors of various rooms and got below the hut. We actually
started another tunnel under another hut, but we had to give it
up owing to trouble with water. The big tunnel we started in
the second week of May, and we worked daily from 9.30 a.m. to
6 p.m. without any stops. Towards the end, owing to the winter
coming on, the 'appels' were altered, and we were only able to
work during the last few weeks from ten to four. At one time
there were eighty of us in it, but we did not finish the show until the
3rd of November, or six months' hard work. We were divided
into gangs with regular time-tables. The tunnel was only 71 feet
long, but for a long time we had to work through solid rock, and
it took us two months to dig a 10 foot shaft. Eventually the work
became a little easier, but it was always hard, as the ground further
on consisted of shale. Some days we could not work owing to
rain, and towards the end we had to bail every morning. The
stuff we took out was distributed over the ground so that the same
level was maintained, and though the Huns and dogs were often
under the hut at night, they never found anything. The opening
was nearly two feet below the level of the ground, and every night

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

we put the lid on and covered the hole up carefully, replacing stones*
etc., until it was impossible to find. We had an 'intelligence*
working in various places above ground, to give warning of any
danger. We worked by electric light and had an excellent air
pump, while the stuff we took out was dragged on a sleigh running
on boards, from the end of the tunnel to the shaft. The show was
given away on the day before we were going out. At this time
only twenty-five were left, as it was quite cold and some did not
think it worth while continuing, while others expected to be changed
to Holland. We know how it was given away, and there will be
trouble for a certain Sinn Feiner (an orderly) after the war.

"It was awfully bad luck to lose the result of six months'
extremely hard work.

"The Germans only found the boards cut in two rooms so
they charged three officers with the show. Some of them were
innocent, but it was decided by the committee that for anyone to
take their places would be a confession of guilt, so I, much to my
annoyance, missed the fun of the legal proceedings. Seven months
were given, against which an appeal had been lodged.

"I have not told you about the dogs yet. Three or four dogs,
trained to attack everyone they saw excepting one man who had
charge of them, were turned loose inside the wire every night.
That this is against the Hague Convention does not matter,
of course.

"The dogs were also taken in the house and huts on a short
leash, but as the passages are very narrow it was quite dangerous
enough. One officer going into his room one night, was jumped
at by one of these brutes and bitten. He was immediately
charged with inciting the dog, though he has everyone in his room
to swear that it was a lie. I expect he was court-martialed and
jugged.

I will not give you any information about the treatment of
our men, as evidence is being taken here by Court of Enquiry, and
I expect the result will be published. As you know, dozens of our
soldiers have been, and are being, deliberately murdered, apart
altogether from the vindictively cruel treatment they receive in
many parts of Germany.

"It is impossible to talk of peace with Germany, and it is
inconceivable to prisoners of war that anyone can dream of the
Germans keeping any kind of treaty or agreement.

"A German has not the slightest sense of honor; he never
speaks the truth if he can lie; he is treacherous in every possible
way, and he has the manners, customs and ideas of a pig."

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The following letter, describing an experience in
mid-air, was written by Second Lieutenant Leslie Playne,
who enlisted from our Sarnia, Ont., branch.

Lieutenant Playne was reported missing on 27th
March, 1918, and was later presumed to be dead:

"Two days ago I had a terrible experience, being saved from a
horrible death by the kindness of the gods.

"I was over the front line trenches at 6,000 feet when a fire
started in my machine. In a second I was enveloped in flames.
I jammed the bus over into a nose-diving side slip.

"The extreme limit of speed for that type of aeroplane is 120
miles per hour. But I came down the whole way at 136 miles per
hour — that is 2^ miles a minute. It seemed hours, but as you
can see it was in reality a matter of just over 30 seconds.

"I flattened out at the last moment and crashed the machine,
and we both jumped and ran; just as we got clear the petrol tank
exploded, and the whole thing went up in one huge cloud of flame
and smoke to a height of 300 feet. The ammunition was all going
off too, so we got some distance away. We shook hands with
each other and walked over to a village near where we had landed
and got a big glass of neat brandy each, at a Divisional Supply
Column mess, and I got my hand dressed and borrowed the C.O.'s
car to drive home in, and sent a telegraph message to the squadron.

"My boots (those big sheepskin thigh boots) and my gloves
were burned off and my fingers blistered and my moustache singed
off. Am I not lucky to escape so?"

The following episode is related by Gunner R. P.
Pangman, who enlisted from our Windsor, Ont., branch:

"Had two very narrow escapes from prematures, the first on
the 10th of May, 1918: Our battery was covering a position that
should have taken a brigade of guns, and consequently we were
firing 800 rounds per gun a day to make up for it. There were
seven of us on one gun crew, working in two 24 hour shifts. I had
been on duty the day before and all night, and had slept all day
till about four o'clock and then had a wash up. We used to use the
gun pit as a living room as well (an old Fritzy one before Vimy,
with roof and sides of eight feet solid cement). One of the chaps
who had been on with me the night before, Stevens, went in to give
the rest a hand with a little rapid fire, and I was just going in too,
when I heard the order to fire, so waited at the door a second.
The next thing I knew there was a tremendous crash, and the pit
was full of smoke. Corbett and I ran in, and the whole gun had

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been blown to pieces. Stevens had been killed outright, and the
rest pretty badly cut up, and all went down the line for a period
of from two to four months, or didn't come back at all. This is
one little instance that came of defective ammunition, due no doubt
this time to defective fusing."

Lieutenant James Robinson, who enlisted from our
London, England, branch, herein relates the circum-
stances of his capture by the Germans on 21st March,
1918:

"The 36th (Ulster) Division, to which my Battalion belonged,
was holding a very narrow salient almost facing St. Quentin or
due East on the right, while the left Battalion was facing almost
south. Our Battalion Headquarters (rear) were situated on a
road leading through the front line to St. Quentin and about three-
quarters of mile behind. From 4.30 a.m. we were under a very
heavy barrage, had all our signal communications cut, which all
our efforts failed to restore in spite of the bravery and self-sacrifice
of many of our runners and signallers, and to make matters worse,
the fog was so dense that it was impossible to see beyond 20 yards.
At 10.30 we found that the Boche had got round behind us and
engaged a working party of our pioneers — the 16th Royal Irish
Rifles.

"The Commanding Officer had been gassed earlier in the
morning, and was very sick, but acting on his instructions I pro-
ceeded to collect all the men to be found, including cooks, batmen,
orderly room clerks, runners and signallers. Before we got into
the trench we had a battalion of Boche on top of us. They were
advancing across country in artillery formation and upon seeing
us they immediately deployed; meanwhile the party of 16th
Rifles had been overpowered and we now found ourselves com-
pletely surrounded. The road was occupied by the Boche, and
behind us was a steep embankment, so we were literally 'with our
backs to the wall.'

"To keep such superior forces from getting to close quarters
and overrunning us was impossible, and we had a shower of stick
bombs before we were aware that the Germans were so close. The
first of the enemy to attempt to come in on us was shot, but the
rush was too powerful and we were overwhelmed. I found myself
endeavouring to defend the charges made against me by a Boche
N.C.O. First: Why was I using 'dum-dum' bullets? (so he called
the Webley pistol ammunition) and Second: Why did I shoot one
of his men? To answer these charges I was detained by him though

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I was wounded, and was forced to say good-bye to my men and to
the Commanding Officer.

"I had got to the stage of looking down the barrel of my own
revolver, when an officer came along and enquired what was the
matter; he investigated the charges and after my explanation
simply said, 'Oh, that is war, you can go back,' pointing towards St.
Quentin.

"The Battalion in the front line held out until late that night
and when the remnant was finally overpowered they had 600
German prisoners in their lines.

"To attempt to describe our treatment from the time we were
captured until we finally landed at a permanent camp would be
impossible. Their brutal treatment of both officers and men, and
their 'tender mercies for the wounded,' there is no language strong
enough to denounce."

The following extracts from letters from Lieutenant
N. D. Dalton, M.C., who enlisted from our London, Eng-
land, branch in August, 1914, and was taken prisoner in
April, 1918, have been forwarded to us by his mother.
They cover a period of over two months beginning on
the 17th of April and ending with the 26th of June, 1918:

"You will probably be very much surprised to get the card I
sent off two days ago to let you know that I am a prisoner of war
in Germany. There was no one more surprised than myself. I
have always expected to be killed, or wounded again, but never
to be taken prisoner. Well, here I am, and it is no use worrying.

"I have been constantly on the move since I was captured,
and will be here for several days and will enjoy a rest. I have
been very well treated up to now, far better than I expected, but
whether it will last I don't know.

"Food has been rather a problem, and I understand all parcels
have to go through the Red Cross. When sending, send solid food
like cheese, etc., if possible. I do not want anything at all
fanciful."

May 3rd. "Quite well and having very good weather; chief
occupation consists of basking in the sun. This is a rest cure
with a vengeance. I have been captured about three weeks now,
having been taken on 12th April. I sent a card on the 13th, one
on the 17th and one on the 25th. You might let me know what
date you receive them so that I shall have some idea when my
cards are lively to reach you, when I send them off. Parcels take

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two months to reach here from the day of writing for them, but
I should think letters would be quicker.

"The camp I am now in is a distributing centre from which we
gradually go to permanent camps. About one hundred officers
have left here this week. When in permanent camps we are
allowed one batman to every six officers, I understand.

"The people in my hut have just had a photo taken. If it
is any good I will send you one if allowed.

"It is a splendid afternoon, so I am writing this sitting out
in the sun with a view of the range of mountains looking quite
blue, covered with forest, an occasional village or church being
visible among the trees. The mountains are only a few miles away
and give us something to look at. They are not very high, but
are very pretty.

"There is a lecture on Finland this p.m. We have lectures on
something nearly every night. It helps to pass the time away."

May 10th. "It has been very hot lately, but cool in the
evenings. We have had to have our hair off and look like con-
victs, but it will grow again before I get back. I am still quite
hopeful of the war being over this year. Of course we all hope
it will, and I dare say the wish is father to the thought. We had
a thunderstorm a few nights ago, and with it came a very pleasant
smell of pines from the forest which runs right up to the borders
of the camp.

"I understand that the hills we see so plainly are the Hartz
Mountains. I shall not see them much longer, however, as I am
leaving for my permanent camp to-morrow.

"I am saving food to-day for the journey to-morrow, as it
often happens that meals are few and far between while on the move,
at least some people found it so on the way here.

"I have taken to a pipe, as cigarettes are too expensive over
here, but the tobacco we are getting is terrible stuff, so please send
that in future instead of cigarettes."

May 20th, Baden. "Still going strong, and beginning to
settle down here. We are allowed to write four cards and two
letters a month. You can write as often as you like, the oftener
the better.

"None of the officers here have heard from home yet, though
some of them have been captured over two months now. I hope
my letters will come more quickly."

May 27th. "As the court-yard is very small and there is no
room to walk about, we are allowed to go for walks in the country
round about. We have to give our parole that we will not try to

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

escape during these walks and we are sent out with two or three
Germans as guides, etc. We march in fours until we are clear
of the town, and then we break off into twos and threes and can
walk as we like, keeping more or less together, of course. If we
pass through any villages, we form fours and then spread out again
beyond. When we first went out, we felt very tired when we got
back, but now we are getting used to it, and go for walks every day.
Whatever direction one goes out of the town, one has to go uphill.
The hills are covered with trees, chiefly firs, and are very pretty.

"We are going in more for conversational French than anything
else at present, till we get some grammars. We have a class of an
hour every day except Sunday, and most of us do an hour or two
daily besides. We have also managed to get hold of a German
professor who is going to teach us German. He is coming for the
first time on June 3rd and will give three lessons a week. His
charge is one mark per officer per month, and I am going to take
that too, as when the German starts we will only have three French
lessons per week. I am going in for both French and German, as I
don't want to waste my time more than I can avoid while a prisoner.
If I am able to speak French and German well enough for ordinary
purposes by the time I leave here, it may be very useful to me in
after life.

"We have a few novels which are passed around, and the
authorities are getting more, I believe.

"We have heard from Berne that the charge for bread is ten
shillings a month, and we are expecting the first lot to arrive any

day now (censored) and will soon be quite well off. I hope

to be able to stop some of the parcels I asked for from home, as I
don't want to waste anything.

"We get German papers daily here, and the British, French
and German official communiques are translated from these papers
and posted up. We also get a paper called the 'Continental Times'
which is printed in English (censored) .

"All of us who wished to, have been disinfected from those
visitors which are so inseparable from active service, and it is a relief
to be free from them at last. The baths here are now in full swing,
and I have a cold shower every a.m. before breakfast. We are
allowed two hot baths per month, one on the 1st and one on the
15th of each month. I hope to get soap from home soon. Please
put tooth-paste in parcels occasionally.

"We can get cheques cashed here if we want to, so I shall be
all right in that respect, but I don't want to cash another before
the end of June if I can help it. I am confining my purchases

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almost entirely to food and tobacco at present, and when my parcels
come I hope to be able to knock these off altogether.

"I may as well explain that my name was sent in about
February for the King's birthday honours list which appears in

June. I was recommended for the M.C. Meanwhile the S

show came off and I was recommended again for the M.C. for

fooling about in same. R will be able to tell you whether this

came through or not, and all about these things if you write to
him.

"If it has come through, you might send me a bit of the M.C.
ribbon and also a new piece of 1914 Star. I am not quite sure
whether the Birthday honours list will count as a bar now that I am
a prisoner, as it would have done had this not taken place.

"By the way, once or twice we have been able to get jam at the
Canteen here. If the supply becomes regular I will let you know,
so as to stop sending it out, as it weighs heavy in parcels.

"We have started a Sports Club, by which means we hope to
play tennis, football, cricket, badminton and so forth, if we can
get ground to play on. We have managed to get tennis courts,
which, being hard, we can play on all the year round. The trouble
is we are not allowed to send for sports things from home, but some
arrangement is being made whereby stuff is bought in bulk and we
can send a subscription of 10/- to A. W. Gamage, made payable to
the 'Lahr Sports Fund Account,' and they get everything we
require, so will you please send the above and tell them it is sent in
my behalf, and debit same to my account. All things considered,
when our letters and parcels begin to come regularly, we shall have
quite a good time, I think, though of course the thought will keep on
cropping up that we are prisoners, though the Germans do not
attempt to impress us with the fact, and are really doing all they
can to make us comfortable.

"The promised piano has not turned up yet, but we have not
altogether lost hope.

"There is a fellow here called Rumble who was in a course with
me at the beginning of this year, and who is a professional violinist
in civil life, and they are trying to get a violin for him.

"I do not think I told you before that we often have lectures in
the evenings by officers, describing life in various countries and in
different professions, and some of these are very interesting. There
are representatives from all parts of the world and most of the
professions. We have had lectures on India, Nyassaland, jour-
nalism, law and others, and there are officers who know South

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Africa and Canada well to my knowledge, and probably a good many
other countries which I have not heard of yet."

May 28th. "Another fine morning and it will be nice in the
woods to-day. I tried my hand at making potato cakes yesterday
and didn't do so badly, but I put rather too much salt in. I must
try again some day and see if I can get them right.

"One German grammar has arrived from town and more will
be coming later. I don't think I will do much till the Professor
turns up, but will carry on with French as hard as I can in the
meantime.

"They are falling in for the walk downstairs so I must stop."

May 16th. (received after later letters).

"There are a lot of things I want to tell you about, but in
case I have not room to do all of this in one letter I will start with
the most important. This, at the moment, is food. We receive

from the Germans, coffee (censored) . There are a number

of gas rings provided for us on which to cook the food received in
parcels, and we can get cooking utensils here. I believe one is
allowed to choose what is to be sent in the Red Cross parcel, and
the following list of things are just suggestions which have occurred
to me, but you know more about this sort of thing than I do
(censored) .

"All foodstuffs that come in we divide equally among all of us,
each room having a representative who gets the room's share.
Each syndicate of four officers then gets its share and finally each
individual. Leivers is our canteen representative and keeps the
accounts for the room, and one officer in each syndicate keeps a
syndicate account with Leivers, and also an account with each
officer in the syndicate. I am keeping the accounts for our
syndicate. It passes the time away.

"Now about 'passing the time'. As you can imagine we are not
just sitting down waiting for the war to end. The senior officer in
the place, Lieut.-Col. Otter, is a very good chap and has got things
going fairly well already. There is a daily French class which I
am attending, and this is run more on the lines of conversational
French. This passes an hour away every morning. Then arrange-
ments are being made for a German professor to come and teach us
German, and I am going in for that. He is also trying to find
some officer who can teach shorthand, and, if a class is started, I
shall join that too, so if all these turn out all right, I shall have a
certain amount to do, and these things may come in useful to me
after the war. The Germans have got hold of a harmonium and
we have evening service at 8 p.m. daily, and the usual Sunday

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services. There are several padres here. They are also getting a
piano for us, and I am greatly looking forward to its arrival."

June 5th. "Some of the officers have heard from home at
last, and I hope that I shall do so by the end of the month. No
parcels have come yet. Time is passing quite rapidly. We have
now got some more books, and when in the sick room (I had a
chill) I had little else to do but read, as one does not feel much
inclined for learning languages under such conditions.

"The German professor has started, but knows very little
English and writes in German characters, so I am afraid we shall
have to learn that before we can learn much German from him.

"Four violins have arrived in the camp, but there is no sign of
the piano though we still have hopes.

"To-morrow is my birthday (twenty-second). I have not
spent one in England since the war began. Possibly I may do so
next year; one never knows."

June 14th. "The weather here is extremely hot, and this
afternoon is stifling.

"I have had two German lessons and am gradually progressing.
I am likely to have plenty of time, so should know something about
it when I get home.

"We are going to have our photos taken. It will be interesting
later on to have one of my cropped pate. By the way, this was not
compulsory, but was part of the anti-bug precautions taken at
R . It has nearly grown again now.

"I have been thinking of the question of the food parcels, and
have come to the conclusion that I shall not require the four parcels
from home as well as six from the Red Cross per month. So please
do not send except on special occasions, as I wish to live as economi-
cally as possible here and do not want to waste food, especially in
these days."

June 22nd. "During one of our recent walks, being a very clear
day, I found that the plain I spoke of in my last letter has another
line of hills on the other side of it, which appear to be higher than the
ones here. It was a glorious view, and I wish you could have seen
it, especially as you are so fond of pines.

"I see that the British and German Governments are
endeavouring to arrange exchanges of prisoners on a large scale.
Whether this would mean repatriation or being sent to a neutral
country, I don't know, but either would suit me, though the former
would be greatly preferred. We would be among the last to be sent
home, I expect, being so recently captured. Still, it would be
something to look forward to if one knew that after a definite period

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one would be repatriated, whereas at present one is simply waiting
for the end of the war.

"We are gradually crawling along with French and German.
One of the officers is teaching painting, but I am not participating.
One cannot do many things if one is going to do them thoroughly,
as I am hoping to do French and German."

June 26th. "One of the officers who had heard from home
got some dripping and we had fried bread for breakfast. It
reminded me very much of the line, and I gave up eating bacon some-
time ago and just had several slices of bread fried, which is splendid
stuff for filling one up. I believe it is called 'Cobbler's Toast.'
Soap is in great demand, both for washing ourselves and our
clothes."

July 4th. "I have at last received a letter from you, dated
30th May, and cannot tell you how glad I was to get it and to know
that all are well at home. I have also received from the Red Cross
one consignment of biscuit (bread) from Berne and one parcel from
the Army and Navy Stores, for all of which many thanks. You
can imagine how welcome they all are. The butter was tremend-
ously appreciated."

The following extracts from a letter written by Lieu-
tenant E. P. Charles, formerly of our Langham branch,
describe one of the many branches of work in the R.A.F. :

"I am still in England, not having been sent back to the
Western Front. I have been engaged for many months upon the
testing and the delivery of flying machines to France, as well as
travelling all over England and occasionally to Scotland. It is
fascinating work; a description of one of my recent trips might
interest you.

"I left Coventry on the 1st of May, 1918, with a big service
machine for Ayr, in Scotland, at 11.35 a.m., and at 12.50 I arrived
at Doncaster, and feeling like lunch, I landed there and ordered
lunch for myself and also for my machine. At 2.45 (I am writing
from my log-book), I crashed into the air again, as we say, and
proceeded northwards. About York, the engine began to get a bit
'wonky* and the weather a bit too thick, so, knowing there was an
aerodrome about 18 miles away, I thought I would try to get that
far, so wobbled into Tadcaster at 3.15.

"I looked the engine over and reported a leaky float and blowing
valve. This required two new parts which had to come from Brad-
ford, so I went off into Harrogate expecting to meet an old friend
from Canada, but although the name was exactly the same, he

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

wasn't my friend. I returned to Tadcaster in the morning, having
still to wait for the necessary parts. These days of enforced idle-
ness often come when I am miles from anywhere. During that
afternoon another enormous machine landed on its way to the
Coast, to do submarine patrol. We're making it warm for the
Huns now. You can see a 'tin-fish' even as far as 100 feet below
the surface from above. Next morning, the third, at 11.50 I got
away again and proceeded to York. The weather began to get
thick there, and so I decided to get as far North as possible without
straying too far from an aerodrome (I have them all marked on
my maps). I was finally obliged to put down at Helperby, which
is a night flying station in Yorkshire, owing to poor visibility.
Here they gave me a very good lunch, and the weather continuing
so thick I had to remain several days. Finally I got good weather
reports from all around, and, although it was still 'dud,' I decided
to climb through, which I finally did, and soon after when nearing
Darlington I flew out of the mist into clear sunlight. I pushed on
and reached a point twelve miles from Newcastle-on-Tyne fifty-five
minutes after starting. I only waited here just long enough to get
petrol and oil tanks filled again, and to get a weather report, when
I was off again. I struck inland along the Tyne and over the North
end of the Pennines to Carlisle, flying at a height of about a mile,
thence along the North shore of the Solway into Dumfriesshire.

"The mountains and moors did look forbidding and lonely, not
a house or an animal visible for miles and miles. The time seemed
to pass very slowly during this part of the journey with nothing
but mountains to be seen, not a bit of level land anywhere to gladden
a pilot's heart. Soon I saw a large thimble-shaped mountain stick-
ing up out of the mist and cloud, and my heart fell, for it seemed a
long, long way from me, and I knew I had to pass it in order to get
to the coast. However, I was able to get a couple of bearings on it
and it proved to be Ailsa Craig, sticking up out of the sea mist. I
don't know what it looks like from the sea, but from the air it seemed
to rise up sheer about 1,200 feet, and as it is only about 100 yards
in diameter it is a fairly impressive piece of nature. From there I
continued on and soon saw the welcome coast; when over good
landing grounds the time passes much quicker. In about half an
hour I landed at 6.40 p.m., and started for the office, carrying a
coat, cap, goggles, log-books and suitcase, etc. Coming to meet
me I saw a gentleman with oak-leaves round his cap. This sort of
gentleman needs to be saluted, so I got all that list of stuff under
my left arm somehow, and saluted. He proved to be a Colonel, and
the C.O. of the Station, and one of the most charming men I have

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ever met. He would not hear of 'business' until he had given me
dinner and all the hospitality the place afforded. At dinner that
night I sat down with a distinguished crowd. Four Colonels, a
Major, and a Captain and myself. There were two V.C.'s, four
D.S.O.'s, six M.C.'s, lots of bars and French and other decorations,
and all amongst those six men. One of the Colonels was my old
C.O. in France, and he was very pleased to see me. I wish I could
tell you of the deeds those men got their decorations for, but it
would take too long. They are household names amongst our-
selves.

"The next time I went up there I met the famous Captain
McCudden whom you have heard about. He, too, is a charming
man to meet, of more than average intellect and ability, with keen,
clear brown eyes, and a firm mouth and jaw. He is tall and per-
fectly formed, with the grace and speed of movement of a cat. He,
too has decorations, — the most honoured man in the whole British
Army."

The following are extracts from a letter dated 9th
August, 1918, from Captain H. E. Tylor, formerly
Manager of our St. Thomas branch.

This refers to the Amiens offensive of 8th August,
1918, in particular to the advance at Villers Brettoneux:

"There has been so little of interest to write about lately that I
have not bothered people at home with many letters, but yesterday
was the greatest day, I consider, that the Canadians have had, at
least since I came to France two years and a half ago. It was a
magnificent sight. The infantry were wonderful. How far the
Hun has retreated we do not know yet. The cavalry went through
in slashing style; tanks and armoured cars were in the thick of it.
Everyone is in the highest spirits over it all. Hundreds of
aeroplanes are overhead but I have only seen two of the Huns.

"The day was perfect for an attack and we are following up as
fast as possible. I would not begin to describe it all; a rolling
country covered with crops, the wheat almost ripe, oats, barley
and rye torn up by the hail of shells. I enclose a souvenir (a two
mark note) as it is easy to send. A Boche prisoner gave it to one
of the men, apparently with the idea that it was quite the correct
thing to do. They seem so pleased to be captured.

"I am no longer with my old unit which has been broken up.
Watts, an old Commerce man from St. Catharines, and myself are
engineer officers. Purdy of Winnipeg also is with us as pay-
master. Newton also is close by, so I see a lot of the old men."

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We give below an extract from a letter dated 18th
August, 1918, from Captain V. Curran, formerly Assist-
ant Accountant of the Winnipeg branch, who left in
April, 1915, to join the Third Canadian Contingent.

This letter refers to the Amiens offensive. The
German Paymaster's office was captured near Rozieres:

"So far I have managed to keep my head down, and am feeling
very fit. It is over fifteen months since I came back a second time,
and I am getting in need of a rest. As you will have observed from
the papers, the Corps have just taken another very successful
crack at Fritz, gathering in about 8,000 prisoners and numerous
guns both large and small. It was a wonderful show in every way,
and it did our hearts good to see the cavalry go through. All
branches did wonderful work, and the flying men completely con-
trolled the air. Our casualties were not heavy, considering, and
most of the wounds were good clean machine-gun bullets. The
work done by the whole Corps was well up to the standard already
set, which will be sufficiently explanatory to give you an idea of the
show. We were favoured with wonderful weather, and the morning
of the attack the ground was covered with a thick ground mist which
enabled us to work up and surprise the Hun. Some of his batteries
never fired a shot, so complete was the surprise. We got a German
Paymaster's place with thousands of marks lying around. They
made great souvenirs. The boys collected much booty and every-
one had cigars and cigarettes galore."

The following extract from a letter dated 22nd
August, 1918, from Sergeant-Ma j or A. P. Reid, who left
our Goderich branch to enlist in August, 1915, gives a
description of a series of air raids by the enemy on our
hospitals in Etaples, France, referring particularly to the
big air raid of May, 1918, and to subsequent air raids
by the Germans on No. 1 Canadian General Hospital.

"On the night of May 19th (Sunday) about ten o'clock, I
having just come down from my office at the hospital to the
Quarters, and feeling a bit hungry, went into the Sergeants' mess
to get a bite of bread and cheese. Three or four of us came out of
the tent together and just outside of the door stopped to talk for a
minute. Just then we heard an aeroplane, and listening carefully,
tried to make out if it was one of ours or a French plane, never
dreaming that it might be one of the enemy's. We had only listen-
ed for a few seconds when the plane dived and the sound became

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very plain, and we knew then that Fritz was over us. Even
then it did not dawn upon us that it might be a bombing machine,
for our lights were still burning and no warning had been given.
Then down came an incendiary bomb into the quarters, about thirty
yards to the left of where we were standing. We had only remarked
'there is a fire' when the terrific roar of the falling bombs induced us
to flatten out on the ground. As soon as we realized that that load
had been disposed of and we had not been hit, we all jumped up
save Sergeant Smith, and went around the corner of the Mess in
order to get the shovels and water to put out the fire, which was now
making great progress. We had no sooner got to the shovels, etc.,
when down came another load of bombs, one dropping very near the
spot in which we had been standing, and killing Sergeant Smith.
Fritz continued to use the flames from our quarters as a target, and
simply poured the bombs into them. Nearly all the W.O.'s,
N.C.O.'s and men were in bed, except a few of the Sergeants and
night nursing staff. The poor chaps didn't have the smallest
chance of escape. Many of them were burned to death in their
beds, while others had their legs blown off and were dependent upon
the other boys carrying them out. And let me say that the boys
who did not get hit in the first few strafes did wonderful work
extinguishing the fires and carrying out the wounded. They were
absolutely wonderful! With Fritz still buzzing directly overhead
and bombs still dropping, with a barrage of our own and French
anti-aircraft guns that was simply hellish, and shrapnel digging up
the ground all around you, they brought out every one of the
wounded who were still alive, and before the 'All Clear' had sounded,
everybody that could be discovered, dead or alive, had been taken
away from the debris of the Quarters. Not only had they taken
them out, but those who were alive on reaching the operating-room
were rushed in there, and while the bombs were dropping, the operat-
ing room was going full swing and our casualties were being attended
to. Our Officers' Quarters and Sisters' Quarters, which were on the
right of ours, were also badly hit, one officer and one sister having
been killed outright, and another officer and two sisters having died
of wounds, while about eight officers and ten sisters were invalided to
England with their wounds. Among other ranks about sixty were
killed and eighty wounded. These casualties represented about
sixty per cent, of our entire personnel. The raid lasted about three
hours, during which time the enemy, not content with using bombs
on us, turned on his machine-guns. We hadn't a single trench in
which to take cover, absolutely nothing. One could only flatten
out where he chanced to be and take a chance on not being hit. All

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

I got was a couple of nice slaps from falling shrapnel or something.
It was enough though. Some of the casualties were horrible, arms,
heads, and some entirely blown to bits.

"Early next morning I paraded what was left of the personnel,
and what a ghastly spectacle it was! With the awful debris of what
had been our Quarters as a back-ground, about sixty N.C.O.'s
and men out of two hundred paraded to answer to their names.
Needless to say, I had to clear my throat many times during the
calling of the roll, when name after name would be called out and
only an unearthly silence, in which you could hear a pin drop, was
the answer. We lost some fine chaps. I had just got to know them
and to appreciate what fine fellows they all were. They had been
with the unit, most of them, from the very start of the war, and only
two days before we had celebrated the third anniversary of their
arrival in France by a regimental dinner. What a change can be
wrought in such a short time! Only at such times can we fully
realise the uncertainty of life.

"We buried them all about seven o'clock on the night of May
22nd, and never shall I forget that night. They were all buried in
trenches in the military cemetery at Etaples, and each grave is
marked with a cross, with full particulars. Before leaving Etaples
the entire unit paraded to the graves to bid farewell to our comrades
and to decorate the graves of those we must leave behind. It was a
most impressive ceremony, and concluded with the 'Reveille* instead
of the 'Last Post.'

"I cannot describe what happened to the other units that
night, but I do know the casualties were about three or four
hundred.

"On the night of May 22nd he came over again, but only
dropped two or three bombs, none of which came near any of the
hospitals. Then, on the nights of the 30th and 31st he made
deliberate hospital raids. By this time a few trenches had been
constructed and large red crosses had been painted on all the roofs
of the prominent buildings in each hospital.

"I thought sure our time had come on the 31st. He dropped
several incendiary bombs on the hospital behind us and our plant
was as bright as day. All the time we could hear the enemy planes
buzzing loudly directly overhead. Other machines were dropping
bombs around Etaples, and these machines which were over us were
drawing the fire of the anti-aircraft guns. The shells were bursting
mighty low, too, and as they came through the air, they made as
much noise as a train. Shrapnel was flying everywhere. Then he
bombed the hospital behind us and then three or four other hospitals

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

on our left. Then he came back and dropped a bomb right in front
of our hospital, shattering one ward, then another two on the diet
kitchen, smashing it to bits, also destroying two wards and one end
of the Administration building. Three more dropped near other
wards in our hospital, damaging the wards but causing no casualties.
As the fire died down, he dropped flares before unloading his bombs.
These flares distinctly revealed the red crosses on the hospital roofs.
So you see no excuse can be made for his murderous action. He
deliberately bombed hospitals knowing them to be such.

"At that time we were specializing in fractured femurs, and
these cases were of necessity in net beds strapped from the ceiling
and suspended in the air, so they could not move a muscle. It was
horrible to see these poor chaps so absolutely helpless and the enemy
fire bursting everywhere, no one knowing but what his turn might
come next. For all that they bore it in wonderful fashion, and
never a murmur was heard. The sisters were perfectly great, and
went about their work as if it were all a matter of course.

"Our patients were all evacuated about the 3rd of June,
though it was the end of July before the train pulled out of Etaples
to bring us down here. During that time we had so many raids
I've lost track of them. Great damage has been done in the area,
though none of them reached the hospitals. Thank heavens, we
are away from all that now, and once again can go to bed and know
we have a pretty good chance of sleeping till morning."

The following is an extract from a letter received
from Lieutenant Sidney Quinton, M.C., formerly on
the staff of the Superintendent of Central Western
Branches :

Lieutenant Quinton retired from the service in May,
1916, to enlist:

"In March, 1918, I was invalided from France with pleurisy,
and some considerable time elapsed before your letter came to
hand, following me as it did from place to place in France and in
England. Methinks its ultimate delivery reflects considerable
credit on the Army Post Office, as my changes of billets were
numerous and fairly frequent.

"The pleurisy was, I think, caused directly, although belatedly,
by enemy gas. The battalion was engaged in operations before
Passchendaele (Belgium) towards the close of last year, and for
days we breathed an atmosphere laden with gas. The nature of
the country lends itself to successful gas attacks, being nothing

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

short of a veritable morass, and I was heartily relieved when we
turned our backs on it after performing what we were sent out to
do. I know that you will be pleased to learn that I was awarded
the Military Cross for work at Passchendaele. Throughout our
stay in that sector the Boche shelled us heavily and continuously,
but I escaped without a scratch, having of course the usual close
shaves. I will recount one which occurred just before our attack.
We had been troubled by low flying hostile 'planes, and I asked the
C.O. if I might try and get one with rifle grenades. Of course it
was an ambitious undertaking, as the range of grenades is dis-
tinctly limited. However, he consented. I prepared a stand in
order that I might discharge four grenades simultaneously and
within a fixed radius, and my batman and myself set out. We
found a suitable location in 'No Man's Land* and laid for the
enemy. Unfortunately, although two 'planes were up, neither
came sufficiently close to warrant a shot. We waited until dusk
and then decided to return. Unluckily the moon was quite bright,
and just as we were within sprinting distance of our lines a Hun
machine-gun opened up on us. My batman, running shoulder to
shoulder with me, was hit, but again I escaped. When I look back
on this incident I cannot help wondering why we were not picked
off going over, as it was in daylight and it was impossible not to
expose ourselves at times. Of course there was nothing heroic in
this; I felt that it was a reasonably safe undertaking.

"I have not encountered any of the old Commerce men
recently. Floyd I met in France almost twelve months ago. He
has done remarkably well. He was then a Major with the M.C.
Drummond-Hay has a company with the P.P.C.L.I., and is, I
believe, also wearing the crown. Harvie left the battalion to take
up the duties of Assistant Sniping Instructor at Corps School, but
is now Bombing Officer with our Brigade.

"The bulk of the men in this Reserve are 'draftees,' and their
average physique is splendid. If they have got the fighting
spirit — which can be determined only during a 'show* — they should
maintain the reputation which the Canadian Corps has justly
earned for itself in France and Belgium.

"The 'Yanks' are going wonderfully well, and at this juncture
it is gratifying in the extreme. I don't think a decision is possible
this year but we may go a mighty long way towards it. Earnestly
it is so hoped.

"I don't know what will happen to me. At present I am in a
lower category than 'A,' but expect to appear before a further
Medical Board in the course of the next two weeks."

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

The following is an extract from a letter written by
Captain A. Milligan, formerly Accountant of the London,
England, branch, who enlisted in March, 1915.

This letter was written at Courcelles. The success-
ful action referred to in the third paragraph was at the
Marne in 1918:

"At the moment I am sitting in a captured Boche dugout,
and this is some of the notepaper left behind. Also I got a box of
good cigars, all of which had been left behind in haste.

"We are getting on pretty well, but it isn't a very healthy
part of the country round here, and I have no doubt we have to
attack again to-morrow morning, if not sooner. You see we are
in a war of movement, and I can assure you we do get moved about
to some tune.

"Have just been down in another part of the country and had
a most successful show there. I enjoyed it quite a lot. It was a
much nicer part of the country than this is. Outside the place is
a mess — machine-guns, rifles, equipment, clothing and every form
of rubbish of a battlefield is lying about. Two dead Huns are
causing us about as much annoyance in their present state as when
they were alive. They will have to be put out of sight soon, but
there is something more important to do first, and that is to get a
few more to put with them."

Lieutenant R. J. Holmes, formerly Manager at Mile-
stone, writes under date of September 7th, 1918, as fol-
lows:

(The third paragraph of this letter refers to the
smashing of the Drocourt-Queant switch line. The
place captured by Lieutenant Holmes' battalion in this
action was Dury):

"I am glad that my letters give you a better idea of actual
conditions here than those of the war correspondents. If you only
knew how sickening their stuff is to us you could also appreciate it
from our point of view. From where they derive their extra-
ordinary accounts of the doings of the gallant colonels, generals,
etc., is beyond all comprehension and only makes us remark 'it's
no d wonder we can't make faster progress.'

"However, be that as it may, it doesn't deter our boys when
we go into battle as doubtless you have read of the great Battle of
Amiens and the wonderful progress made there. I think I may have
written about it before, but repetition will do no harm. The night

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

of the 7th 8th August, 1918, we marched fourteen miles to get
into battle position, being loaded down more or less like Christmas
trees with two days' rations, two large water bottles filled, and a
large pack, besides all our battle equipment of steel helmet, glasses,
compasses, gas respirator, revolver, ammunition, and heaven
knows what not, arrived in position at 2.30 a.m., and went over the
top at 4.20 a.m. We made seven miles the first day, which was
'going some* after months and months of trench warfare. Thou-
sands of cavalry and hundreds of tanks operated on our front alone,
and it was indeed a sight for the gods, and one I shan't forget as
long as I live. To see such famous regiments as the Scots Greys,
the Bengal Lancers, Strathcona and Fort Garry Horse going into
action at the charge, guns coming up on the gallop, aeroplanes
delivering ammunition to the attacking troops, was a truly wonder-
ful sight, and our boys were irresistible. We took heavy toll of the
Germans that day, as we also did on the second and third days, by
which time we had advanced over thirteen miles. In one wood we
captured thirteen 5.9 guns, a very valuable prize, and besides
lighter guns, machine-guns and quantities of ammunition and
supplies, over 9,000 prisoners. Our Brigade took the final objective
and we held it too.

"I went on leave from the line on the 21st of August, thereby
missing the second and the harder of the two battles in which the
much vaunted Hindenburg line was pierced, but from all accounts
it was the same story; our fellows were simply unbeatable. As
this place was thickly defended the capture of prisoners and material
was much greater. Of course, these glorious victories have their
cost, and there are many familiar faces missing from our line-up
of a month ago.

"Our manner of living throughout the fighting was of the most
primitive character, sleeping any place we could and when we could,
which wasn't often, and eating was mostly confined to biting chunks
off a loaf of bread and a hunk of meat, watered down by a pull
from our water bottles. However, we were so bucked up over our
success that we little minded the attendant hardships.

"I had a most delightful leave, spent principally in 'Ould
Ireland,' the land of peace and plenty. I covered the counties of
Down and Antrim pretty well, had some excellent golf at Portrush,
visited the Giant's Causeway and I don't think one could hope to
meet more hospitable people than the Irish, either Roman Catholic
or Protestant. It seemed like a couple of weeks in Heaven after
ten months in more or less of a hell, and believe me, it was hard
to come back."

m

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

The following letter, dated 26th September, 1918,
was written by Mr. J. P. Van de Water, who left our
Calgary branch to enlist in November, 1915.

The advance of nine miles herein referred to took
place at Amiens on the 8th to the 10th of August, 1918.
The great push at Arras was the smashing of the famous
Drocourt-Queant switch line by the Canadian corps on
the 2nd of September, 1918:

"At last I have a chance to let you know how things are going.
It has been utterly impossible the last few weeks to do any writing,
but I have tried to send field cards from time to time which was all
I could do in the way of news.

"It is just a month to-day since I left the reinforcement camp,
and that month has been the busiest, the most strenuous and at the
same time the most successful I have ever experienced, and I
think the same is true of the whole Corps. I will try to give you
a brief outline of the main features. We were rushed up by train
the first part of the journey to join the battalion and then had to
march over thirty miles with full pack, through terrible heat, in
less than two days. We just reached the Corps in time to go over
the top and we advanced nine miles through Fritz's lines in about
eight hours, a record that has never been equalled by any army
on either side since the war started. It was a walk over. Our
casualties were light and his were heavy in prisoners and killed.
We pushed farther there the next few days, and then went out and
right up to the Arras front. We were in reserve there for about a week
and then began the great push, which you have been reading about.
The fighting was stiffer here, as Fritz had his best troops against us
and very strong positions. Nevertheless, we had our objective to
make, and we not only made it, but we passed it. Our casualties
were very heavy and some of the best have gone, but fortunately
a large percentage were only wounded. It was very comforting
in walking over the battlefield afterwards to notice that there were
ten times as many German dead as ours, besides the thousands
of prisoners we took. We absolutely fought him to a finish and
beat him at every turn. It was grand to be in it.

"A battalion runner's job is a busy one when there's a scrap
on, and my running partner and I were back and forth and up and
down through shrapnel and machine-gun barrages for two days,
and marvellous to say, neither of us got a scratch. It was hard
work, but very exhilarating, and I want you to believe it when I
tell you I thoroughly enjoyed the whole affair. We had plenty of

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

the best to eat and very keen appetites. It would be amusing to see
my pal and me boiling a mess tin of water for tea with Fritz sniping
at us and high explosives trying to fill the water with mud, etc.
But we got the tea made and had a regular little banquet all to
ourselves.

"I have been in the best of health and spirits right along and
am prouder than ever of the good old Tenth Battalion."

The following is an extract from a letter written by
Private L. H. Eyres, who enlisted from our Winnipeg
branch in March, 1917.

The fighting herein referred to, in which the Cana-
dians participated, was the opening of the Cambrai
offensive on 27th September, 1918:

"Since this last smash we had a pretty hot time of it. We
have been chasing the Hun pretty close and, according to the old
timers in the battery, we have been closer to him than they ever
were before out here, and although we have had quite a few
casualties lately, we expected more.

"I suppose you have had the accounts of the latest scrap the
Canadians have pulled off out here. It has certainly been pretty
stiff fighting for all concerned, especially the infantry, but, with
few exceptions, everything went like clockwork.

"The barrage work of the artillery was certainly wonderful
to watch and listen to; all you could see for miles and miles along
the front was the flashes of guns, and Fritzie's line was a mass of
smoke and bursting shells. About two hours after the scrap started
the prisoners started to come back, and they were certainly a great
looking bunch. They looked frightened to death. The last day
or so they looked a little more like civilized men, but as for physique,
they are not in it with our boys.

"The war news from all fronts has certainly been good the
last week or so, especially from the East, where events seem to be
moving pretty fast, but the news from this front is what we like
to hear, as the Hun's strongest defences are steadily being smashed,
and as steadily as he is losing ground, the German people's morale
is becoming worse. The general opinion of prisoners when ques-
tioned on their way to the cages is that the war is nearly over, and
they all say that we are going to win. Whether they are so fright-
ened that they say this, or whether it is their candid opinion, is
hard to say, but surely to goodness they must have begun to realize
by this time that Germany and her allies are out of luck as far as
winning this war goes.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"The spirit of our Canadian boys is surely wonderful. They
come down the line wounded, some seriously, but they all have a
cheery word or a smile if possible, and as long as they can get a
cigarette they are happy. The prisoners carry most of the wounded
to the dressing stations.

"We are rather short of signallers, now, between leave and
casualties, but no one minds working when old Fritz is gradually
being shoved back.

"The weather out here is pretty cold at times, but at the
present time we have a little stove going and lots of wood to burn
in it, so you see we are well any way.

"Many of our brave boys are getting it these days; two
Winnipeg battalions were pretty badly hit lately, and I have seen
quite a few wounded fellows whom I used to know."

The following extracts are from a letter written by
Mr. A. A. Kinsley, formerly in charge of the Phoenix
branch, who took up military duty in January, 1918.
The letter is dated llth October, 1918.

"Our battalion has been engaged continuously since the great
offensive began, and we have been in action on the Amiens and
Arras fronts, and recently at Cambrai where I was wounded, being
admitted to this hospital on the 3rd inst. The Germans put up
a great fight at Cambrai, and it was unquestionably the fiercest
scrap the Canadians had had for some time. Martin was hit at
Arras, having four machine-gun bullet wounds in his left arm.
Generally speaking, the German morale at the present time is very
low, as in several instances large numbers surrender without even
firing a shot. There is also a great deal of malingering amongst
them. . . The enemy has not used any of his crack cavalry
against us, and the present open warfare gives him every oppor-
tunity to do so. The German population is suffering great priva-
tions, and it is quite possible that they are eating up all their
horseflesh.

"Bulgaria having surrendered, things at the present time look
very encouraging, and it is generally believed that it will not be
long before Turkey takes a similar course.

"I have not heard anything regarding Taylor, Dinning or
Hughes since I have been over here."

The following extracts are from a letter from Major
A. G. Mordy, D.S.O., dated 15th October, 1918:

Major Mordy was formerly Accountant at our
Winnipeg branch:

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"We have the Hun absolutely where we want him on the
Western Front, and the Canadian Corps has suffered very heavy
casualties in the accomplishment of this. Then the Hun squeals
and very cunningly appeals to President Wilson. . . . What we
want is to have Foch put each American Division in as it is ready
(and they should have all that are needed prepared by now) and
biff the Hun back in disorder. . . It is very noticeable that Foch
hasn't said a word yet, but just keeps slugging away at them.

"Our third show this summer was my 'bete noir', and in the
attack on Cambrai I got a machine-gun bullet in the shoulder
which broke my left arm in several places. It was pretty hard
to miss them as the Huns fought like fiends on the morning of the
1st October, and five officers out of twenty in our Battalion came
out of the show. We made our objective three and a hah* miles
away, but our flank was exposed and the Huns got in behind us.
It was then every man for himself to fight his way back to a secure
position — the first time we were ever confronted with such a
situation. It was certainly exciting, with the Hun about three to
one.

"I am in the finest hospital in England and exceedingly well
looked after. We see many interesting people here, and I had a
chat with the Duke of Connaught the other day.

"Lobley and his wife have been in to see me, both looking well."

The following is an extract from a letter, dated 22nd
October, 1918, from Lieutenant R. D. Borrette, who
enlisted from the Toronto branch in January, 1915.

This refers to the village of Wattines:

"Fighting here has changed completely to what it was two
or three years ago. There are no longer the extensive trench
systems and barbed wire entanglements. The ground is no longer
pitted with shell-holes and the villages we capture are no longer
razed to the ground and laid desolate. Artillery, except in a few
instances, is not used. Machine-guns are the chief weapon of
defence used by the Boche, and as we advance we have to take
cover behind a blade of grass if necessary. The other day I cap-
tured with my company a small village, and as we entered the town
and as the Boche withdrew, women ran from the houses and
embraced us even while we were still under the enemy machine-gun
fire, and wept for joy. It was most ludicrous when one considered
the work we were employed on, but the joy of these people who
had been under the Prussian heel for four years was very pitiable.
Now as we go forward, the same scenes greet us at each town we

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

pass through. We expect soon to have Belgium freed. France is
now almost entirely free, and then for the end of the war. We
are all looking forward to it."

The following is an extract from a letter written
23rd October, 1918, by Lieutenant B. F. Gossage, M.C.,
who enlisted from our Bloor and Yonge branch,
Toronto, in April, 1915:

"We are having a glorious advance, and the French inhabitants
of the towns we have taken cannot do enough for us. The Boche
took away everything they had and left them destitute, and
destroyed all factories, mines, roads, etc. Every house you go
near, you are hauled in and made drink black coffee till you can
hardly see. For the last three nights I have slept in a feather
bed. The poor people here have nothing but vegetables out of
their gardens to eat, and as we have very few vegetables and quite
a fan* issue of meat, we are living splendidly and helping out the
civilians as well.

"The troops coming out of the line are absolutely bedecked
with flowers, and the horses carry so many that the poor beasts
don't know what to make of it. You can't imagine what it is like
to see a decent town and civilians again, and to get into a bed with
sheets, after two months continuous fighting. The Boche is still
scrapping where we are and it is awfully hard on the French, but
'c'est la guerre,' they say, and seem to be quite happy and not to
worry very much."

Lance-Corporal P. C. Read, D.C.M., who enlisted
from our Rainy River branch in December, 1916, writes
under date of 2nd November, 1918, in part as follows:

The incident described in the first paragraph of this
letter happened in the Bois de Gattigny, France.

"I have had some trying times since last I wrote, and am really
lucky that I am alive. My horse was instantly killed when my
troop charged a machine-gun nest. The poor beast was absolutely
riddled with bullets, but beyond a few scratches and tears in my
tunic and equipment I came through unharmed.

"I had another horse hit on August 10th, but I think I already
told you about it. Of the eighteen in the troop who started out,
seven * were killed and eight became casualties, leaving three of us
who came through.

"I "joined a South African Kiltie Battalion after I became
dismounted, and you will be pleased to know that they appreciated
my 'stunts^ for I have just been awarded the Distinguished Conduct

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Medal. I really had an exciting time. I was the first allied
soldier to enter the town of Bertry, a big railhead for German
supplies. I had to do a little fighting to arrive where I did, as the
town was pretty well secured by machine-gun nests left by the
Germans to cover their retreat. However, I succeeded in my
plans and was absolutely mauled by French civilians who regarded
me as their deliverer. Mesdemoiselles would throw their arms
around me and kiss me, embarrassing me considerably. However,
after doing justice to a dinner (prepared for a German officer), I
was standing outside the door of my hostess's house, talking to
her two daughters in my broken French, when the Huns started
shelling the town. Practically the second shell fell only about five
yards from me, pieces of shrapnel wounding both of the girls in
the legs and leaving me unharmed. One of them immediately
fainted and I carried her into a cellar and some nearby civilians
rushed out and got the other one. It fell to my lot to dress one
of t-ie girls' wounds with my field dressing, and I think I made a
good job of it. War has made me more or less callous to the
suffering of others, but I honestly did feel blue when these girls
got hit. I shall never forget their silent gratitude as they were
both only semi-conscious when I bade them good-bye.

"I have only seen the Canadian Infantry once, namely in the
Battle of Amiens. You see, we are attached to Imperials and
practically work with them all the time."

We publish extracts from a further letter from
Lieutenant R. J. Holmes, M.C., dated 8th November,
1918, describing some of the fighting which just
preceded the signing of the armistice.

The town referred to in the third paragraph is
Denain. The "most important city" referred to in the
fourth paragraph is Valenciennes:

"I am glad that you found my last letter interesting, and it
must have been written after the Battle of Cambrai. We left
that vicinity and pulled back for a rest, the one which had been
promised to us for a long time, but we had hardly been out four
days when intelligence was received that our friend Heinie was
evacuating at a certain area, so our brigade was rushed up to get
in touch with him and this we did with a vengeance, although
not in the manner anticipated. He was holding very strongly on
one side of a canal, so we simply dug in on the other and for three
days he let us have all the iron rations in his possession. On the
night of the third day he was strangely silent, so we essayed a

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LETTERS FRO.M THE FRONT

crossing of the canal and found not the slightest resistance. It was
dark as pitch and foggy, so you may imagine the uncertain feeling
of pushing on in the dark not knowing what you might encounter.

"We kept going that night and until the afternoon of the fol-
lowing day, when, just as we were appearing over a rise, his rear-
guard let us have it from strongly fortified positions, so we could
do nothing but await darkness when it was decided to attack.
This we did, and seized certain high ground that would give us the
advantage the following day, but our foxy friend didn't wait for
us but moved again in the night. This sort of business lasted for
six days, and we drove him back eighteen miles in what I call the
most miserable kind of fighting. The weather was wet, and sleeping
out in cabbage patches is a much overrated pastime.

"However, during that time we liberated several small villages
and towns, and one good-sized town, and after nine days from the
time we started we were relieved and returned to the large town
for a rest. Here we were reviewed by the Prince of Wales, who I
think is a remarkably pleasant looking fellow, considering the
inspections and liberation festivities he is called upon to be a part
in. He always seems quite nervous, but is very nice apart from
that, walks around our billets with only an aide with him and
seems to enjoy himself while doing it.

"We were f£ted in great style for a few days, then we were
called up to attack a most important city on the morning of
November 1st. Heinie was holding here strongly and got wind of
our attack, and while we reached our assembly position in good
style, he shelled us consistently until our barrage opened at the
zero hour and then it was wonderful. He had packed his men in
cellars thinking we would neglect to mop up, but he was completely
fooled, and in that one morning our little depleted brigade captured
about 1,800 prisoners and there were between 800 and 900 dead
Germans in our area. I never saw anything like it. We surely
got ours back for almost a month of hard chasing and dirty fighting.

"We were relieved after that fight and are now resting in the
city that we captured, a lovely place, and we have fine comfortable
billets.

"Events have moved in the most astounding manner, and we
expect that peace will be declared at a not far distant date, and I
really believe that things are being prepared with that end in view.
It will take some time to demobilize, and we can hardly expect to
get home again for a few months at least."

The following are extracts from a letter, dated llth
November, 1918, from Second-Lieutenant D. Scully, who

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left our North Winnipeg branch in August, 1914, to join
the First Contingent:

"I have to thank you for issue No. 10 of 'Letters from the
Front,' which reached me to-day — the date of the signing of the
Armistice with Germany."

"Since leaving the Canadian Army, I fear I have rather got
out of touch with many of my former friends of the Bank, and it
is very nice to learn of their various doings and appointments, etc.

"I am at present half way through a six weeks' course at the
Second Army Signal School, and although the work is hard it is
most interesting, as we cover every branch of signalling from pigeons
to wireless.

"We received the peace news early this morning over our
wireless, and to conform with the general idea, we ceased work at
10.30 a.m. After a short celebration service the remainder of the
day was proclaimed a holiday.

"Although we have been expecting this wonderful news for
some time past, it is incredibly hard to realize, and I think it has
been received quite calmly on the whole.

"The great question now is, 'when shall we get back home and
try to forget about the war.' I myself fear we are doomed to stop
out here for some considerable time yet."

Mr. G. G. Rennison, formerly of the Lethbridge
branch, who enlisted in April, 1916, writes under date
of 21st November, 1918, in part as follows:

"In talking with some of the ex-officers of the Bank, there is
usually a good deal of speculation as to post-war conditions. We
theorize on what will be the Bank's attitude along various lines.
The chief points discussed are the question of 'woman labour,' the
question of the re-engagement of the 'old hands' who have left the
service to enlist, and the question which I believe is the most vital
of all, 'What will be the attitude of the Bank regarding the granting
of credit to Germans and Austrians in the future?' You will
perhaps be gratified to know that the general feeling among the
ex-officers is that the Bank may be relied on to do the square thing
when the time comes. More particularly is this the case regarding
the first two points I have mentioned. Regarding the third point,
the ex-soldiers who return to the Bank, will, I believe, have a very
definite attitude regarding the assisting of Germans or German
concerns, more particularly those who have fought against us in
Europe. It is impossible for anyone who has not taken part in
the war to realize the disgust and loathing that the ex-soldier will
have for everything German. Of course, decent Germans, who

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have made their homes in Canada and who have become loyal
Canadians, cannot be as unpopular as the others.

"We have had a very interesting three months of moving
warfare, and have seen many interesting things in our travels.
But in some ways the opening day, 8th August, was the time that
will remain most clearly in our memory. At the risk of inflicting
on you what is already stale news, I am writing of what I saw of
the encounter.

"The preparations for the Battle of Amiens were carried out
with the greatest secrecy, and it reflects the greatest credit on all
concerned that no hint of the coming blow reached the enemy.
The guns and ammunition were taken up into position at night
and no preliminary registration of any kind was carried out. No
movement of any kind was visible during the day, but on the nights
preceding the attack the greatest activity prevailed behind the
British lines. Besides the Artillery, Tanks moved up close to the
line and were concealed in woods. The night before zero hour the
Cavalry moved up, and there were guns of all sizes in abundance.
"At 4.30 a.m.. on 8th August, the massed guns opened up with
one great roar, a fine example of good synchronization. Our
opening range for the barrage was 1,200 yards, and we 'lifted'
till 5,500 yards was reached. Our gun position was in a field
of ripe wheat, the guns being covered with camouflage until
the night before the zero hour. The barrage lasted over two hours,
but before it was over the first wounded German prisoners were
going past us. Then came the sight that is the most inspiring in
warfare, the Cavalry and the Royal Horse Artillery trotting and
galloping past into action. It was a beautiful sight on that morning
in August, — superb horses and beautifully turned-out men. The
cavalry completed the work begun by the Tanks, and our success
in that battle was due in great measure to these two arms of the
Service."

The following letter was written by Private J. H.
Thompson, who left the service from the Bassano branch
in October, 1915, and who returned to Canada among
the first of the forces to be demobilized. Private
Thompson was\ wounded for the third time in May, 1918.

"November llth, 1918, will long be remembered as a red-letter
day by this generation and the future generations of the Great
World Powers. It was on this day that an armistice was signed
between Germany and the Allied Nations.

"When the news reached the ears of the British people that

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Germany had signed an armistice, the people of England simply
let themselves go mad and 'downed tools' then and there, and took
a holiday to celebrate the cessation of hostilities. In London,
where so many thousands of girls are employed in various Govern-
ment offices, they, and in fact everybody who had two legs to walk
on, simply flocked into the streets and commandeered any vehicle
obtainable and drove through the streets cheering and waving
British and Allied flags. This lasted until the evening, when they
further showed their joy and enthusiasm by lighting huge bonfires
in Trafalgar Square and other parts of the city. To provide fuel
for the fires they tore down advertisement boards from the front
of theatres, pulled up the wooden blocks in the streets and even
hauled several German guns from the Mall and ran them into the
fire as the limbers were of wood. They danced around the fire
and sang songs until early morning. The same happened on the
next and following evenings, but on these occasions the crowds
were dispersed at midnight by the police and mounted troops.

"Outside of London similar celebrations took place, bells rang
and all kinds of bunting was displayed. All the celebrations
were favoured with good weather as if my magic, and it
seemed to commence with the signing of the 'scrap of paper' and
cessation of gunfire. I was in London during the week-end previous
to the signing of the armistice, in anticipation of the news coming
through, but as it did not come through until Monday I had to
return to Bramshott Camp on Sunday evening. At this camp
when the news was announced on parade to the men, they raised
tremendous cheers and threw their caps in the air, and the bands
started playing 'Oh, Canada,' 'The Maple Leaf,' and other patriotic
airs. The men were given a holiday that day, and from then on the
strenuous training was relaxed and parade hours shortened.

"Orders were also issued from Canadian Headquarters in
London that all 'B' category men were to be returned to Canada
as quickly as transport could be provided. I was one of the for-
tunate ones who got away with the first batch. Special Medical
Boards sat daily and re-examined all category men, extra clerks
being employed in the preparation of documents required by all
men returnng to Canada. Approximately 2,000 men from the
Bramshott area were got ready in four days for dispatch to Canada,
which beforehand took one to three months to do, thus showing that
some of the 'red-tape' of the Army can be eliminated when
necessary.

"When I was returning to Canada, my thoughts drifted back
to the training days in Canada, and to those with whom I trained

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

and went overseas. Especially did I think of two intimate friends,
R. N. Hanna, with whom I worked in the Bassano office, and
J. S. Barker (a former Manager of the Strathmore branch), both
of whom enlisted with me and trained with me in Canada and
England. Barker was transferred to the same unit in France as
myself, and I conversed with him on the day prior to his death at
Courcellette; and Hanna I saw for the last time, four days prior
to his death in action at Vimy.

"It is in the days of demobilization and when we get back to
civil life again that our hearts feel heavy and sorrowful, when we
think of those fine fellows who have not returned with us, but are
lying peacefully in little military cemeteries in 'Flanders Fields.' '

The following letter, dated 13th November, 1918,
was written by Lieutenant A. G. A. Vidler, M.C., who
left the Vancouver branch to join the 1st Canadian
Contingent on 10th August, 1914, and was with the
advancing Allied Armies on the date that the Armistice
was signed:

"Just going on leave! Only a few lines to let you know I am
O.K., and was in the line by Mons-Maubeuge when the Armistice
was signed and hostilities ceased. Our division was then relieved,
and I got lifts by motor to Cambrai, thence to Albert and Doullens,
Abbeville, and Boulogne, where I cross on fourteen days' leave
tomorrow.

"I was in the last big show on 4th November, when this regi-
ment took Wagnieres-le-Grand, with 300 prisoners, 20 machine
guns and 5 trench mortars.

"After that the Hun was done for, and we marched night and
day to the Mons-Charleroi road, via Malplaquet (which recalls
Marlborough in 1709) and then he threw up the sponge. Great
days! and the best two months' war I have ever known, chasing
him from town to town. I have a good sword, automatic revolver
and field glasses as trophies from the last battle at Villers Pol on
4th November, where his machine gunners put up a stiff fight.
We were helped by a ground mist and literally jumped on trenches
full of Huns, whd either surrendered or ran like hares. Anyhow
it's all finished, thank God! The nightmare of four and a half
years is gone." \

The following extract is from a letter written by
Mr. R. H. Hunter, who left our Lethbridge branch to
enlist in September, 1915. The letter is dated 5th
November, 1918, and deals with the final advance. The

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bivouac in question was in the Caulincourt Woods, near
Vermand. The machine-gun was hit by shrapnel at Le
Cateau, in October 1918:

"This year seems to have passed very quickly, and I can hardly
realize that it is so near an end. There have been some dark days,
but these have now given place to much brighter ones. The war
news is very encouraging and has a great stimulating effect on all
of us here. As I write I can hear some of the boys reading the news
of Austria's surrender. The prospects of getting back to Canada
next year are good. No one can fully realize what that will mean.

"We have had our share of the recent fighting. Our casualties
were slight. Personally I was lucky, both when mounted and
dismounted. One night I was sleeping in a bivouac with three
other boys when one of Fritz's planes dropped several bombs on
oui- camp. One exploded about twenty yards from our 'home,'
killing one man and wounding seventeen, amongst whom were my
three bed-mates. I escaped unhurt. A few days afterwards the
machine-gun I was working was struck by a piece of shrapnel
which injured the hand-guard. We had advanced several kilo-
metres that day in pursuit of the Germans, taking quite a number
of prisoners and machine-guns. They were all machine-gunners
left behind to delay our advance and allow the main bodies of his
troops to retire. They did their work well until they saw that the
game was up for them.

"In all the towns we retook there were civilians who had lived
under German rule for four years. They gave us a great welcome.
It was really touching to witness their delight, more especially when
they found out we were Canadians. One feature which impressed
me was the number of French flags which were already flying in
these villages. At one point Fritz had his machine-guns on the
outskirts of the town, and while we were entering it the people
were waving their flags. Where these had been stored during the
German occupation I cannot say, though one old man told me he
had hidden his in a mattress and from time to time German officers
had slept on this mattress. We had scarcely dismounted in one town
before the civilians were shaking us by the hand and offering to
hold our horses. The women folk came out with coffee and some
rough cakes which they pressed us to take. I honestly believe it
was all they had, and they would take no refusals. That was the
only hot drink since daybreak and all we got until noon of the
following day. Unfortunately we could not partake of their

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hospitality for very long as we had to push on, halting about
dusk and 'digging in' for the night.

"I was in England and Scotland on leave during the first two
weeks of August. After eighteen months of France it was a most
agreeable change. It is with a great feeling of freedom that one
leaves the boat train at Victoria Station, London. But, oh! when
the last day of leave arrives and one has to bid good-bye to one's
friends and to civilization ! Cheer Oh ! we may be back again soon."

The following is an extract from a letter received
from Lieutenant A. G. Armit, formerly a member of
the staff of our Vermilion branch. Lieutenant Armit
herein refers to fronts far removed from France and
Flanders :

"I sampled trench life with the 31st Battalion until August,
1916, when I returned to a cadet unit in Scotland and put in the
hardest training I have ever done in the Army. Commissioned in
December, 1916, to the Gordon Highlanders, I was not long with
them when I was seconded to the King's African Rifles. The
voyage to the Cape was very different from the one in the
'Carpathia,' the ship in which we crossed from Canada. There
were fourteen ships in the convoy and we took a month from Ply-
mouth to Cape Town, calling at Freetown, Sierra Leone, en route.
On the way to Nyassaland we called at Durban, Lorenzo Marquez,
Beira, and Zambesi, a day in the train, then a few hours by motor
car to Zumbo. Service with black troops is very interesting and
they make excellent soldiers. While pursuing the Hun in Portu-
guese East Africa, I contracted a very severe attack of malarial
fever, which eventually affected by right eye and I was invalided
home in August, 1918. The voyage home was very interesting as
we came via the Suez Canal, Port Said and the Mediterranean,
Marseilles, Rouen and Havre. I rejoined the Gordons in Novem-
ber and was demobilized on 14th March, 1919."

The following is a letter written by Major H. E. Rose,
M.C., to a member of the Head Office staff, describing
his experiences during the Amiens offensive of August,
1918. \

"The 8th August, 1918, was the first day of the Amiens show.
I was in command of *C* Company, 58th Canadian Infantry
Battalion, for the show. My men were in first-rate fettle but my
Company headquarters were very groggy.

"The day before, in moving up to the line, we bivouaced in a
wood which had apparently been badly shelled with gas shells a

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short while before. In laying out the camp I unfortunately pitched
on a spot for my headquarters where a few large ones had landed.
Next day we lay around till late and the sun drew the gas out of
the ground.

"I shifted camp as soon as the trouble began to develop, but
by about 4 p.m. on the 7th all my officers but one (including
myself) and our servants and cook were down. I sent the batmen
out, and the doctor worked over us.

"Between his efforts and all the whisky I could round up we
were in condition to march at 10 p.m. that night.

"It's an ill wind though. One of my subalterns — Jack Eyles
— who was the first to go down, could eat nothing from breakfast
time on the 7th, and as a consequence went into action with an
empty stomach. He stopped a machine-gun bullet with that useful
organ. It was a bad wound but he is around again to-day, and the
doctors say that had he gone into action with the normal amount
of food on board he would not have lived long.

"My brigade was next to the French. Our immediate
battalion objective was a village called Demuin, where there was
said to be a Hun Brigade H.Q. Our ultimate objective was a
ridge nearly three miles distant at a place called Courcelles. My
Company was second over the top.

"We kicked off at 5.20 a.m. The barrage was good and the
Hun counter-barrage weak, at any rate where we were. I believe
it came down badly behind us. I got my company away on a
two platoon front and then wandered on a bit ahead of them with
my orderly.

"The attacking company had very little trouble in the Hun
front line and things went swimmingly for about half a mile, I
suppose. There was very little chance of my men losing direction,
as the landmarks were good, so I kept up close to the rear of the
attacking company.

"When we were nearing Demuin I came upon the O.C. of the
Company ahead who was halted with about two of his platoons.
I asked him what was the trouble and he stated that he was being
held up by a strong Hun machine-gun nest, and had lost a number
of men. He asked what he had better do, and as time was a very
important factor — the barrage was by this time some distance
ahead — I decided not to wait for my company to come up, but to
outflank the position myself.

"I had managed to collect about 30 stragglers on my way up,
including a complete Lewis gun crew, so I told the O.C. of the
attacking party to get his men under cover, keep his Lewis guns

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

going steadily, and be prepared to support us when we got to close
quarters with the Hun.

"I led my motley platoon at the double across the Hun zone
of fire, with only two casualties, I think, and got fairly close in to
the flank of the strong point without being discovered. I was not
quite certain where the Hun was, so I went on ahead of my men to
reconnoitre. I worked along a sunken road about 150 yards to a
bit of a bank running at right angles. The patter of the machine
guns seemed closer, but I thought I was yet some distance from
them, so I stuck my head over this bank and found the whole thing
on the other side. I drew down very quickly of course, but not before
a Hun bomber had spotted me, and then over came the cylindrical
stick bombs. I dropped into a shallow shell-hole and did some hard
thinking. I only had my revolver and there were three Hun guns
and about 30 of the enemy. While I was wondering what to do a
Hun bomb dropped on me and lifted me clean out of my cover.

"I don't clearly know what happened after this. I found
myself amongst the Huns emptying my revolver as fast as I could.
Then my men came up and we finished the job. I woke up in
hospital a day or two later and found that I had eight wounds
including two bad bomb wounds. I could not account for the worst
one in the head.

"It was not until some time later that I ascertained it was given
me by a German who had surrendered.

"The net result of the episode was the capture of three enemy
machine-guns and the putting out of action of about fifty Germans."

The following letter, dated 4th November, 1918,
was written by Private George B. Key, who enlisted
from our Peace River branch in March, 1917.

"During the past three months or so we've had quite an inter-
esting time — at times somewhat lively, perhaps, but it certainly
has been a great experience. Now, our chief concern is to keep our
feet in good trim in readiness for what our chaps term, in common
or garden dog French, 'beaucoup promenade.' Continual moving
about from one place to another, 'each man bearing upon himself
his burden and all his possessions,' does become a little bit mono-
tonous but none of us mind much as long as things keep going on
satisfactorily as they are at present. During the past week or
two we have passed through several of the villages which have been
recently rid of the Hun. Many of them were practically
undamaged, and it was almost weird to see clean windows in the
houses with curtains, and flowers in boxes, just as if there never had

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

been a war near at all. The people were, as one of our officers put
it, 'tickled pink/ and although they didn't have much they would
have given us practically anything they did have. At one village
where we stopped for the mid-day rest we could have bathed in
coffee and vegetable soup, and each street had a display of tricolors
sufficient to deck out a man o' war. One little thing which par-
ticularly interested me was to see an obviously home-made Union
Jack — made out of red cloth with only blue crosses on it — hung in
a place of honour on the main with the French flag dipped in salute
beside it. Some of the first of the Canadians to enter these villages
had a deuce of a lively time, having to run the gauntlet of being
kissed by the ladies and generally man-handled and bunny-hugged
by all and sundry. I don't think I'll ever forget the looks of happi-
ness and relief on the faces of some of the old men as they drew
themselves up in salute as we passed, or their fervent 'Vive
1'Entente' or 'Vive la Canada'.

"One little incident too, served to show how little the people
have become converts to German Kultur. One of our fellows
had slung on his equipment a Hun's helmet which he hoped to
send home as a souvenir, which he was rather jealously hanging
on to. One little French urchin, however, evidently misunderstood
matters for he came up with a rush, made a grab at the helmet,
crying 'Boche! Boche!' and would have stamped it out of recog-
nition if he hadn't been stopped by his mamma. Foiled in this
patriotic effort he promptly demanded 'Cigarette,' and this being
supplied he evidently was satisfied that he was dealing with friends
after all. I don't know if there is a law in France anent juvenile
smoking, but in many inhabited villages we pass through we never
fail to see even toddlers of five or six smoking cigarettes with as much
solemnity as might a philosopher of seventy.

"Any of the kilted battalions of course come in for an even
greater share of attention, and the pipe bands were indeed objects
of profound curiosity. As a matter of fact, I've rather a sneaking
sort of regret that I didn't strike a Highland regiment, for I never
pass a kilted battalion on the march without a pang of envy or
being tempted to fall in behind. I'm sure if you could see some of
these great old Scottish battalions going up the line at a good
swinging pace, with pipes playing and drums beating, you too
would say 'to blazes with an armistice,' or something equivalent.
For all that, though, we are more than a little proud of what the
Canadian corps has done in the past month or two and of course
especially of what our own Edmonton regiment has accomplished.

"The weather has been keeping up wonderfully well, and

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to-day has been almost like an Indian summer day. Living as
we do, however, the weather worries us but little, and we take what
comes as it comes, being thankful for the good days and making
the best of the bad ones. My present billet is a barn where we
literally 'hit the straw' each evening. The roof is somewhat shy
of tiles and the doors are scarcely draft proof, so that in the evening,
the heating apparatus being out of commission, it becomes slightly
chilly. Therefore it usually comes about that we are abed very
early as that is the easiest way of keeping warm. Recently we
made somewhat of a record in the way of billets, occupying in
eight days, (1) a dug-out, (2) a former Fritzie hospital, (3) a dairy,
(4) a stable loft, (5) a barn, (6) a theatre dressing room. Needless
to say we made ourselves comfortable in all of them.

"Naturally we hope that it won't be very long until we shall
be on our way back to Canada, and I trust I may be able to hit the
Peace River Trail again in the fairly near future."

The following letter has been received from Signaller
C. R. Boyer, formerly of our Nanton branch, and gives
some information concerning the campaign in Northern
Russia.

"I went to Russia as a Signaller with the 16th Brigade Canadian
Field Artillery, North Russian Expeditionary Forces, in the latter
part of September, 1918. With the exception of a small party of
instructors and dog-team drivers, we were the only Canadians
serving with the North Russian Expeditionary Force.

"We disembarked at Archangel on October 4th, 1918, and
proceeded about 250 miles into the country, in barges, along the
Dvina River. The fighting was not so severe as in France, but we
were kept busy most of the time and were in many a tight corner.
The Bolsheviks were always stronger than our force and owing to
the condition of the country it was necessary to watch everybody
for fear of mutiny. We had what was termed a front line but
attacks were frequently made 200 miles behind it. General
Ironsides, General Officer Commanding the N.R.E.F., credited
the Canadians with saving the force ou more than one occasion.

"We came out of action early in June, this year (1919), being
relieved by a new force."

The following letter was written by Captain Regi-
nald S. Carroll, formerly of our Toronto branch.

We are very gratified at the signal honour which has
been conferred upon Captain Carroll in his appointment

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

to the duties of Peace Conference Pilot, and as such he is
now a historical figure.

Captain Carroll has been awarded the Air Force
Cross for the experimental work he has done with new
aircraft:

"I was a pupil at the Curtiss Flying School in 1915, at Toronto
Island, and Long Branch Aerodrome, and subsequently sailed on
S.S. 'Scandinavian' on December llth, 1915. My rank at this
period was that of Second Lieut.

"On arrival in England I was posted to No. 6 Squadron RJF.C.
at Catterick Bridge, Yorkshire, December 28th, 1915. At this
place I continued instruction in Aviation, and was finally awarded
in February, 1916, my Pilot's Certificate of the Royal Aero Club
of the United Kingdom. Shortly after this I was posted to No. 15
Squadron, R.F.C., Doncaster, at which place I continued my
Flying Course, and eventually passed the extremely rigorous
examinations on the Theory of Flight, Cross Country Flying,
Night Flying, Bombing, Photography, Reconnaissance, Map
Reading, Artillery Observation, Rigging of Aircraft, Aero Engines,
etc., etc., after which I was awarded my certificate as a fully
qualified flying officer, and was immediately posted to No. 4
Squadron R.F.C., B.E.F., France.

"So with 17 hours and 44 minutes actual flying, I found myself
in a Service Squadron in France. Before 1 go any further, I think
it might be well to explain that a 'would be pilot' with only 17 odd
hours total flying experience, is not really qualified to take up a
passenger, so that to be sent to fly in France seemed like asking
for trouble, apart entirely from the question of 'war risks'. Fort-
unately for me, my Commanding Officer proved to be a real 'white
man' and following his advice, I put in just as much flying as I
possibly could, till eventually, after about a week, I was pronounced
by my Flight Commander fit to go over the lines. Well, to cut a
long story short, I managed to survive the first two months O.K.
and, by that time, felt much more confident. Altogether I served
9 months in this squadron, and during that time carried out many
bombing raids both day and night, on Hun aerodromes, dumps,
kite balloons, etc. My chief job in this squadron was reporting
on, and correcting the fire from our guns. Besides this, we did
the occasional reconnaissance, and had frequent scraps on our
B.E. 2C's, with enemy machines that were far superior both in
speed and climb. By the grace of God I shot down two enemy
aircraft, but on several occasions was nearly 'done in* myself by

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

these Hun scouts, which could give us twenty miles an hour in speed,
and a superiority in climb in the same proportion. My closest
shave was during a 25-minute scrap with the famous German Ace,
Captain Boelke. However, he didn't get me, although he put 142
holes in my machine. It was shortly after this scrap that I was
slightly wounded in the nose and under the right eye by anti-
aircraft fire, whilst engaged in an artillery shoot over the Butte de
Warlemont. My observer was very severely wounded in the
shoulder by the same burst of 'Archie'.

"At the close of the Somme campaign, I was recalled to
England to take up the duties of a ferry pilot between Farnborough,
Hants, England, and St. Omer, France. My new duties consisted
of flying new machines to the Expeditionary Force in France, and
flying back the old time-served machines from France to England,
where they were finally dismantled and scrapped. During the
time I was engaged on this work I made 130 cross-channel flights,
and delivered 100 new machines to the Expeditionary Force.

"In June, 1916, I was posted as a test pilot to No. 8 Aircraft
Acceptance Park, Lyminge, Kent. Here my duties consisted of
testing new machines for the first time after erection at the aircraft
factories. After about three months' service in this capacity, I
was posted as Officer-in-charge of Experimental Tests and Des-
patch, to No. 1 Southern Aircraft Repair Depot, Farnborough,
Hants. I was greatly elated over receiving this important appoint-
ment, as it carried with it promotion to the rank of Captain. My
new duties, however, were extremely responsible, and, to say the
least, very arduous. They consisted of carrying out experimental,
production, demonstration and performance tests on all types of
aircraft.

"No 1 Southern Aircraft Repair Depot was the principal
Aircraft Experimental Station in England, consequently numerous
inspections were made of the Depot, by their Majesties the King
and Queen, also inspections by Ministers and Delegates from all
the Allied Foreign countries. On three occasions I had the honour
of giving exhibition flights before their Majesties the King and
Queen, after which I was duly presented. On another occasion
I took a Japanese Delegation for a flight on a Handley-Page
machine, and another time an Italian Delegation on a machine of
the same type.

"One of the most interesting, and at the same time most
important series of experiments I carried out, comprised the
release of parachutes from aircraft. Just prior to the Armistice
the German Flying Corps had adopted a very crude knapsack

316

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

type of a parachute, but despite its poor workmanship this para-
chute functioned most successfully, and reduced the casualties
among their pilots and observers by nearly 60 per cent.

"Up to this time, no attempt had been made to adopt para-
chutes on British aircraft, although our casualties were in propor-
tion nearly 25 per cent, heavier than the infantry. However, the
insistent propaganda on the part of Major Orde-Lees, who for
two years had been agitating for the adoption of parachutes on
aircraft, eventually found its reward, and I was asked to under-
take the carrying out of these experiments, which involved at the
start the release of dead weights attached to the harness of the
parachute, and later the release of 'live loads'.

"I released parachutes to which were attached dead weights
from all of our principal service machines, both of the single and
two-seater types, and, these experiments having proved eminently
successful, I continued same with Major Orde-Lees, who on
numerous occasions made jumps at varying altitudes from the
De Havilland 4 and De Havilland 9 machines, and it was while
thus demonstrating in France, before Major-General Trenchard —
General Officer Commanding Independent Air Force — that the
Armistice was signed.

"On August 8th, 1918, I made formal application to the Air
Ministry — in view of American intentions — for permission to
attempt the Atlantic Flight on any type of aeroplane or seaplane
that might be deemed suitable for an expedition of this character.
A week later I was ordered to report to the Air Ministry for the
purpose of an interview re. this flight. During this interview I
was informed that my application, which was the first of its kind,
so I was advised, had been accepted, and I was then requested to
apply myself to the study of the Atlantic charts and to hold my-
self in readiness to leave England for America at 48 hours' notice.
However, I heard nothing more of this project until after the
signing of the Armistice, when I was informed that owing to the
exceptionally keen competition on the part of the civil aircraft
manufacturers, the Air Ministry had abandoned the Atlantic
expedition so far as 'heavier-than-air' machines were concerned,
and would concentrate entirely upon the organization of an Atlantic
flight by 'lighter-than-air' craft.

"Whilst I was in command of the Tests and Despatch at No. 1
Southern Aircraft Repair Depot, I carried out 1,302 test flights
on all types of aircraft, and tested a total of 1,046 new machines.
I have flown 86 distinct types of aircraft and 143 types of aircraft
engines.

817

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"I have now been flying for four years and two months, and
have flown for a period altogether of 1,386 hours.

"In January of this year I was posted to No. 1 Communication
Squadron, Hendon, to take up the duties of 'Peace Conference
Pilot' between London and Paris. I had the honour of conveying
the first official Government mails and despatches by air to the
headquarters of the Peace Conference, Hotel Majestic, Paris.
On other occasions 1 have piloted Major-General Seely, Mr.
Bonar Law, Lord Londonderry, and many other celebrities, on
various expeditions to France in connection with the Peace
Conference."

Lieutenant F. S. Walthew, of our London, England,
staff, herein relates his experiences as a prisoner of war.

His letter has much in common with that of
Captain N. L. Wells, which also appears in this volume.
The Camp Commandant Neimeyer herein referred to
was the twin brother of the Commandant of the
camp where Captain Wells was imprisoned. These
brothers seemed to vie with each other in devising new
miseries for prisoners of war.

Lieutenant Walthew had a most interesting and
varied military career. He first saw active service at
Gallipoli, and an article by him on that ill-starred
campaign appears in this volume.

"I was captured at St. Julien, near Ypres, on July 31st, 1917,
and after interviewing sundry representatives of the Central
Powers, was taken back to Roulers, in company with some 15
men, where we had a triumphal procession of the 'Verdammter
Englander* through the main streets of the town, doubtless to
impress the civilian population. From there we were taken to
Courtrai, where I spent three or four days in a cell in the local
gendarmerie, together with two other officers.

"I was much struck by the appearance of the Belgian civilians
as compared with those on our side of the line. They were for the
most part pale and underfed — though they were not so badly off
in this respect as the German civilians, judging from appearances —
while hardly any of them wore socks or stockings, and there was
a strained look about them which was entirely lacking from their
compatriots at Poperinghe, although the latter place was nearer
the line than either Roulers or Courtrai.

318

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"The effect of Prussian discipline on them was seen when a
bell, similar to those used on tramcars, was heard from the direc-
tion of a side street in Roulers. Everybody within earshot literally
stampeded for the side of the road, where they remained, with the
road absolutely clear, till a German motor ambulance had gone
past. An old grey-haired woman who couldn't get out of the way
quickly enough was kindly assisted by a Hun soldier with the toe
of his boot, although the ambulance had not even turned the corner.

"Judging from outward appearances, and from what little
I was able to see, the Belgians seemed to get on fairly well with
their unwelcome guests, though it was easy to see that they were
eagerly awaiting the day when they would be rid of them. Children
ran along beside us and gave us cigarettes and matches when our
escort wasn't looking, while on one occasion three small boys ran
up to us with pieces of bombs in their hands, saying, 'Engleesh,
Entfleesh, bomb, bomb!' obviously tickled to death at the thought
of our aeroplanes having done in some Huns, although several
Belgians had their houses knocked down during the performance.

"From Courtrai I was taken to Karlsruhe, via Ghent and
Cologne, with four other officers, in third and fourth class
carriages, wooden seats and no heat or light or necessaries of any
sort. I'm looking now for a fellow at Cologne who refused to sell
us some 'coffee substitute', although he had any amount of it, at
the station, at a time when all of us would have given anything
in reason for a drink of any sort.

"I spent a fortnight at Karlsruhe, where I was given a small
tin of bully, which four of us shared, by a prisoner who was
getting parcels from home. This was the only meat I saw for
five weeks, bar the Hun meat ration, which as may be guessed
was negligible, even before it had passed through the hands of
the Hun transport people.

"From Karlsruhe I went to Heidelberg, which was the best,
or rather the least, repulsive, camp I was in, and where I remained
three weeks. There were three hard tennis courts there inside the
camp, but these were almost entirely monopolized by French
officers, who were in the majority. The British had only been
sent there originally as an overflow from Karlsruhe to await the
opening of Holzminden.

"Holzminden opened early in September, 1917, and I got
there about the 14th of September, and was very quickly acquainted
with the notorious Niemeyer, who met us on entering the camp,
and harried and persecuted us every moment we spent there. One
could write a complete book on the way that swine behaved to us,

819

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

so I won't try to describe his exploits, or I'd never stop! The
10th German Army Corps was generally recognized as the worst
in Germany as regards treatment of prisoners, as everybody who
was at HoLzminden, Strohen, Schwarmstedt, and the other camps
in that command will, I am sure, agree. The Corps General, von
Hanish, was an arch swine in company with Niemeyer (and from
whom the latter obviously took his cue), whose object in life was
apparently to get a man down and kick him. He had good cause
to remember the British, as rumour had it that he had lost three
Divisions on the Somme against us, and also had a son killed
there, and as a consequence had been sent to a home command.
On one occasion we made a request that the barbed wire enclosing
the camp should be moved back so as to include a building, for-
merly used as a drill shed, which stood just outside the wire, and
which we could use for concerts, etc., there being no accommo-
dation whatever inside the camp for anything of that nature.
Von Hanish's reply of 'No, the English are swine and must live
like swine' typified his whole bearing towards us. Everything
was 'verboten'. It was verboten to stay in bed after 7 a.m., and
to enforce this, sentries with fixed bayonets were sent round to
turn us out at that hour, while on one memorable occasion, Nie-
meyer came round himself, though everybody was out of bed
before he got to their room, as he advertised his coming to everybody
within three miles of him, by roaring long before he even reached
the building! At one time he got the interpreter to read out a
list of 'verbotens' every morning on 'AppeF, a roll call, each one
starting with the usual formula 'By order of the Camp Commander
it is forbidden for English officers, prisoners of war', etc. About
the third morning everybody on Appel started to laugh and cheer
at each fresh order, and the climax was reached when, after about
a week, we were regaled with 'By order of the Camp Commander
it is forbidden for English officers, prisoners of war, to laugh at
orders issued by the Camp Commander already!' Such a roar
went up that even Niemeyer's famous bellow was drowned for
some minutes. After this he gave up all attempts to publish
verboten lists, though we still had occasional single efforts!

"The cells at Holzminden were invariably full, and there was
generally a long waiting list for 'Jug'. The first intimation we got
of going to jug was the sudden appearance of an Unteroffizier,
complete with two men 'mit Gewehr', in one's room, with the
command to 'Kommen sie mit', from which one gathered that
he was in favour of one accompanying him to the dungeons below
without dallying to discuss the matter. If he was in a genial mood

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

he would unbend sufficiently to tell one what one's sentence was,
and what for, but more often he would cough up a few guttural
remarks with the result that one would find oneself being hustled
along the corridor with a fixed bayonet in close proximity to one's
back, hoping that some more fortunate pal would send one's
shaving gear, etc., down later. This was the usual procedure in
my time, but things may have changed later, though I much doubt
it.

"We wrote five times to the Dutch Embassy in Berlin re-
questing that a representative should be sent down to inspect
the camp, and when he did arrive, purely by chance, he told us
that no letter whatever had reached the Embassy, which goes to
show that Niemeyer had reckoned on the possibility of our writing,
and had taken steps accordingly.

"I was in the first party to go to Schweidnitz in Silesia, about
fifty kms. south-west of Breslau, from Holzminden. We arrived
there in December, and were quartered in a workhouse, sleeping
and living fifty to a room, so one can imagine the noise, etc! I
think the everlasting noise, coupled with the inability to get any
privacy or time by oneself, told on people more than anything
else. One used to look forward to going to 'jug' simply to get a
little peace and quiet by oneself, especially as the cells at Schweid-
nitz were comparatively comfortable, and were not in the
basement as at Holzminden.

"Things went fairly well at Schweidnitz until the escape
season started, and this as usual got the Huns' backs up. We
got ten shower baths and three long baths installed, for three hun-
dred officers, as compared with six very inefficient showers at
Holzminden for six hundred, and the Central Powers were begin-
ning to look upon us as quite a peaceable community, when Capt.
Loder-Simmons and Lt. Hardy brought off a very fine escape
stunt, getting over the Dutch frontier, some eight hundred kilo-
metres away, within sixty hours of leaving camp. We cooked
the 'Appels' and the camp staff didn't know that anybody was
missing until after they were safe in Holland!

"From this time until the day came when we were repatriated,
escapes went on intermittently, between forty and fifty getting
out altogether, though all were caught with the exception of the
two mentioned above. We succeeded in getting two tunnels
through, from which thirty-six got out altogether. The last of
these tunnels was some sixty ft. long, had a 'Heath Robinson* air
pump to ventilate it, and was dug, like the first, entirely with
table knives, and bits of iron and tin, though I believe there were

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

longer tunnels at one or two other camps, notably the one at
Holzminden, from which ten were successful in getting over the
frontier.

"After each escape stunt the Huns made things very un-
pleasant for us, stopping our walks, etc., and having searches
for 'civvy' clothes, German money, compasses, maps, etc. These
searches consisted in all our personal baggage being turned out,
as well as our pockets, etc. At one Holzminden search we were
all locked in one room while German soldiers went through our
kit, sticking to anything they took a fancy to. We were then
sent to our rooms, where we found the Huns enjoying our own
English cigarettes, and were made to undress completely, when
our clothes we were wearing were searched also. It was a source
of great satisfaction to us when two fellows got out two nights
later, complete with 'civvy' suits, maps, compasses, etc., which
the Huns had been unable to find in their search. I think they
must have heard Niemeyer roaring in Berlin when he got wind of
it!

"I think I'm right in saying that, up to the last two months,
few people ever expected the war to end. One came to look upon
life there as one's normal existence, with civilization a thing
belonging to another world, while all one hoped for was to be
exchanged to Holland at the end of eighteen months. With
nothing to do except cook our meals, — most of which came
out of tins from our parcels, and only required heating
up — I think it was extraordinary that we managed to
exist — I won't say live — in such harmony as we did. Trifles
which in ordinary life one would absolutely ignore, assumed
mammoth proportions when one was herded up in a small
space for an indefinite period with three hundred men drawn
from every walk of life. It was incredible the intensity of
dislike one could work up in a very short time for a man's
face, the way he did his hair, and his habits and hobbies
generally, — especially when the latter lay in 'weiss wein', with
regrettable results in the neighbourhood of one's bed!

"The .greatest blessing which has ever befallen prisoners of
war was when it was, decided to pack up with the war business.
I think that nobody rully realized that it was all over until they
got back home. I know that personally, even on the boat coming
over from Copenhagen, I was suspecting a trap all the way, and
not until I was really in Blighty again, and being beggared about,
as only the Army can beggar one about, did I grasp that it was
indeed all done with.

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"I should like to take this opportunity to mention the great
kindness and hospitality shown us by the people of Denmark
when we passed through there on our way home. Coming straight
from Germany as we did, most of us crossing over after two or
three nights and days in a German train, without heat or light in
the middle of winter, we must have looked picturesque, to say the
least of it. After being used to being surrounded by bayonets —
with Huns attached to the blunt end — day in and day out, and all
the trials and tribulations which must necessarily be the lot of a
prisoner of war, there were few who were not touched by the
warmth and friendliness of the welcome we got from the Danes.
From the time we landed in Denmark from the ferry, when we
were met by a Danish guard of honour, to the time we left Copen-
hagen for England on the 8.8. 'Oporto' with the 2,000 Tommies
on board singing "Tipperary* in response to vociferous demands
from the crowd on the quay, they did all they could to entertain
and help us in every way, — though God knows we'd done little
enough to deserve it. They did indeed make us realize that it
was possible to get back to the lost world of civilization, and
though the process of doing so was strange at first, I, and all the
old 'Kriegsgefangeners' I have since met, seem to have managed
it pretty successfully, judging from the amount of enjoyment we
have got out of life since our release !"

The following letter has been received from Lieu-
tenant A. G. A. Vidler, M.C., formerly a member of our
Vancouver staff, in which he records his impressions of
the last two months of the war.

This letter conveys an idea of the rapid disin-
tegration of the German forces during the closing
weeks of the fighting:

"When I found my old unit, the llth Sussex, had been
transferred to the Murman Coast in Russia during my absence
on six months' rest in England, I applied to be posted to the 9th
Battalion of the same regiment then doing duty in Lens, not
thinking at the time that this decision would enable me to have
the good luck of being in the final battle.

"Thus, in September, 1018, Lens appeared as usual (save the
mark) although great events were happening to the north and
south.

"Towards the end of the month it really seemed as if the
Boche was cracking up for good, but taught by bitter experiences
of the past four years, there were many who could not bring them-
selves to believe it.

823

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"However, events moved quickly. Our Division, the 24th,
was taken out and transferred south, and on October 6th we de-
trained at Havrincourt Wood and the battalion took up a position
on a hill facing Bourlon Wood, of evil memory, in front of Cambrai.
We were to do a show. The Hindenburg line was broken and
Cambrai, like a ripe plum, was to fall. Of course, just then the
Adjutant came along and told off two Company Commanders and
two Seconds in Command to go back to Morchies. I was left out.

"When I was at Morchies on the Bapaume Road I had a look
at the Drocourt-Queant switch where the Canadians made the
first breach of the great line. Then it dawned on me that the
curtain was about to ring down after Nemesis had duly seized the
principal actor.

"Coats, equipment, mess-tins, broken rifles, hasty graves, gun
limbers, stacks of shells, all were here, — the debris of a broken
army.

"Cambrai had fallen, and our battalion working around the
southern edge was at Cauroir. I was to rejoin at once with the
remainder of the details.

"Up the long road past Graincourt and Bourlon Wood we
went and into a city of the dead.

"We arrived after dark and not a soul was to be seen, save a
military policeman at a corner.

"Empty streets, shuttered houses, no soldiers, broken windows,
all dark and silent.

"For two hours we wandered about looking for the College,
then used as a German hospital.

"One day spent there, more litter and signs of a hasty move.
Only one old woman did I see, who had bravely hidden in a cellar
in spite of the evacuation order.

"Railway lines torn up, bridges broken and blown up all
around, crockery and clothes wilfully ruined and houses burning
in the Place d'Armes.

"Rejoining, the regiment moved to Haussy and now the
refugees began to pour in.

"Women and children (some lay dead, gassed by the Germans
in the houses) on lorries and in dog-drawn carts. On the hillsides
and in sunken roads dead Germans, snipers in ploughed fields, and
mixed with our own men lying thick in the sunken roads.

"At Haussy we stayed a week and trained hard, at crossing
streams by hasty duckboard bridges and improvised rafts, also at
moving quickly in small formations a long way at a time.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"On October 30th we moved out via St. Aubert and Bermerain
and took position near Preseau.

"The German had halted and was going to make a final
desperate stand to cover his retreat.

"We were getting bold now. At Preseau three of us laid out
our maps in a turnip field and proceeded to study the Boche
position over the railway. Three 4.2 shells, within 20 yards of
us, caused a hurried retreat. No liberties just there!! The next
day he attacked the division on our left at Famars with tanks,
and then moved back in front of us to a line Tenlain-Villers Pol —
east of Le Quesnoy.

"We were then at Sepmaries (November 2nd).

"The orders came that the 9th Sussex were picked as the first
battalion to kick off in our brigade (73rd) in a 6th Army show on
the morning of 4th November. Four British and two French
armies were to fall upon the Boche and break him utterly.

"In pitch darkness on the night of 3rd November, I led my
Company over a stream through broken wire and felled trees and
up the hill to Maresches. So difficult was the going, the wire,
craters and broken trees on the road, that I used my torch freely.
From Villers Pol a star shell and a machine-gun clatter showed
Fritz still alive.

"Maresches afforded us shelter in houses from 10 p.m. till
4 a.m., but I took a dislike to a Company Headquarters because
the cellar had a ticking clock, and one learns the Roche's habits
in four years.

"At 4 a.m. we moved out and encountered a regular burst of
4.2 shells and gas shells as we were passing through Villers Pol.

"Sharp to the left and we passed the Middlesex Regiment
lying by the straight road — Tenlain-Villers Pol.

"Over the road, our three companies, lying down in open
order, were there, and the Boche 100 yards away.

"Zero was 6.15 a.m. for us (3rd Army) but the army on our
right started the ball at 5.30 a.m., and we had to be quiet for
three-quarters of an hour and lost some men by the Boche counter-
barrage. Nervy work lying out in the open.

"At 6.15 a.m., away we went, and an officer dashed up to me
shouting 'hundreds of them in front running like hell*. It was a
misty morning and we came right on top of them, dug in by a
brick field in little trenches. Some fought to the bitter end and
were bayoneted or shot. Some gave up and I kicked half a dozen
out of a machine-gun post. I had to kick. I felt like it, but sent
them back as prisoners.

m

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"Our Company C took 60 prisoners and 6 machine-guns and
two trench mortars, and had one officer and 30 men casualties.
The battalion took 300 prisoners, £0 machine guns and 6 trench
mortars, and the villages of Wargnies and Le Petit.

"That was the last show and the last I saw of the Boche
except as prisoners. We went on to Bavai and to Malplaquet,
and were just going to attack when he chucked up the sponge.
The game was up and he knew it.

"I went on leave on Armistice morning and got a lift in a car
to Cambrai and the Coast."

"Tout finis!"

The following are extracts from a letter, dated 22nd
December, 1918, received from Captain T. C. McGill,
formerly Accountant at the Kingston branch.

This letter was written at Vladivostock, Siberia,
where Captain McGill was on duty with the Canadian-
Siberian Expeditionary Force:

"This is a wonderful country. We arrived as you probably
know on the 26th of October, since which time there have only
been two days when there was not a dazzling sun — even on the
coldest days the sun shines with a brilliancy I'd never dreamed
of before. It did not begin to get cold until about the 9th of
November, and it's been getting steadily worse — no snow, you
know, just a biting dry wind that strikes one between the eyes
just as ice-cream sometimes does on a hot day; but in spite of
doing more walking than I have ever done before, I've gained
fourteen pounds in weight, and everyone else is doing the same.

"Vladivostock is most interesting — spread along the side of
the Golden Horn Bay (really the Harbour) in one long cobble-
stoned street six miles in length, with the houses built in successive
tiers up the side of a chain of hills 500 feet high. A gay little
mosque with minarets of gold and blue and green and purple adds
to the picture, but apart from its natural setting it has little beauty
to recommend it. A few large modern stores and office blocks are
surrounded by the most villainous collection of Chinese dives one
could possibly imagine. The city is swarming with Bolsheviki,
and we don't venture out alone at night if it can be prevented.
Last night there was a dance given by the Anglo-Russian Society
to 'cement the friendship already existing' — it was amusing to
see the representatives from our barracks putting their automatics
in their hip pockets before they left. This is the first time in my
life that I've ever 'toted a gun' for the ordinary round of business.

326

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

It's silly, too, that though everyone carries one always, it's con-
sidered bad form to let it ever be seen.

"As in all places like this there's a female celebrity — ours is

war correspondent for the. . . . — fair and fat and forty,

with big baby eyes and several chins — rag doll flaxen hair —
officer's jacket and Sam Browne and a short skirt (not quite to
the knees) worn over a very dainty pair of riding breeches with
leather strappings — a pair of stove-pipe field boots and huge
spurs about three inches long. She's about five feet tall and
quite broad, and assumes a very professional air when she talks
in a throaty voice about the 'ultimate settlement of thee Russian
question (with a big ???)' Of course she swarms round us at
all the restaurants and night cafes, waving nonchalantly to 'Mac',
'Jack* and 'Little Billee' and 'Uncle Maj.' — in fact just 'one of
the bhoys* — but pshaw, it's an old type. My own inclination is
always to spank her well and soundly and pack her off on the
next boat leaving for civilization and long skirts.

"There are Russians and Japs and Chinese and French and
Czeko-Slovaks and Americans and Italians — in fact everybody,
the world and his wife. The Russian ladies of good family allow
the finger nails on their left hand to grow to a prodigious length
as an indication that they do no work. The city is terribly over-
crowded with refugees — in fact whole families have lived for
months past in the waiting rooms of the Depot. One cannot
get in at nights for them lying asleep on the floor, women, men
and children, hundreds of 'em — and in front of the General Post
Office there is a long queue of people who wait for sometimes as
long as forty-eight hours at a stretch in order to send parcels of
food to starving friends in the interior. There's only one railway
line, you know, for troops and civilians and everything.

"There's a wonderful opportunity for money making here —
tremendous gold and platinum mines all unworked, timber, furs,
coal, tin, iron, in fact everything, and nothing developed all through
lack of transportation. When we came here first the rouble,
which is ordinarily worth 52 cents, was worth 9% cents. It's
gone up now till it is worth about IS cents and at the same time
it's selling in Vancouver for 26 cents and will eventually come back
to its proper standard. Of course, there is no coin in use at all,
it's all paper money and issued by different Governments. I'll
enclose some specimens of it. The big note is 50 kopeks — ^ a
rouble or 5 cents; next one is 5 kopeks — Yi cent; the others are
15, 10 and 1 kopek. The Russian people are all hoarding
these 10 and 15 kopek notes (the little fellows) because they are

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

issued by the old Government. There's a tremendous amount
of bogus money afloat and it's practically impossible to get
20 roubles ($2.00) changed in any of the shops — they simply
haven't got the currency. The Royal Bank are opening up here
very shortly — I admire their enterprise — and they'll make money
so fast they won't know it's true. I imagine the balance of trade
is in favour of Russia because of her shipments of furs, but I
haven't had time to interest myself in that side of life. I'm too
busy trying to carry on on signalling. Nearly all our staff has
arrived from Canada now, but as yet no more signallers, so I've
only got the twenty men I brought over with me, and it keeps
us pretty busy, especially as not one of them knew beans about
telegraphy or signalling of any kind when we left Vancouver.

"I'm terribly disappointed in not having time to study Russian.
It's really not a difficult language and I'm going to have a whack
at it seriously before I go back. We hear vague rumours that the
Labour Party is demanding our return to Canada. I hope not.
We've not begun what we started out to do, and I'd feel jolly well
ashamed of myself if they took us back to Canada now. I'm
terribly anxious to get home again, of course, but even so I want
to stay till next fall and see more of this wonderful country."

The following is a record of the heroism displayed
by Lieutenant John Charles Orr (formerly of our Lady-
smith branch), when the Elder Dempster liner "Burutu"
sank in mid-ocean, with a loss of 150 lives, after
collision with another liner.

For the part played by him in this occurrence,
Lieutenant Orr has been awarded the Board of Trade
Silver Medal.

"Fuller details of the sinking of the Elder Dempster liner
'Burutu' after collision with another liner, with the loss of over
150 lives, were given by one of the few survivors yesterday. The
inky blackness of the night, the heavy list of the vessel, and the
high seas running made launching and rescue work impossible.
One lifeboat got away successfully containing the main body of
the survivors. Another boat was being launched full of passen-
gers, but descended on the top of a raft full of people which had
drifted in again and all were upset and drowned.

"A survivor said yesterday, *I and five others clung on
desperately throughout the night to an upturned boat. It was bitter
cold, with an icy wind blowing, and I was clad only in silk pyjamas.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

One of our party was a little steward of 15. He was having a bath
at the time of the collision, and came up on the deck of the sinking
vessel naked and dived into the water.

"We pulled him on our upturned boat and a powerful young
subaltern wrapped his British warm round him and held him and
another unconscious passenger in his arms for hours, but the lad
died from exhaustion and was washed off the frail craft a few
minutes afterwards. Another went mad during the night and
jumped into the sea and was lost, and another died. The sub-
altern joked and cheered the remainder until daylight, when the
three remaining were rescued by an American destroyer. While
alongside the destroyer the little boat drifted towards the pro-
peller and was smashed by the blades but the subaltern managed
to grasp a rope and was pulled safely aboard."

"The young subaltern referred to was Lieut. Orr. He and the
two saved, one an officer returning from a period of service as
Political Agent in Nigeria, the other the fifth engineer of the
'Burutu', received royal treatment on the destroyer and were
landed at an English port. When the captain of the destroyer
heard from the officer the details of Lieut. Orr's achievement he
assembled the ship's company and addressing them said he wanted
them to be inspired by the splendid heroism of the young British
officer and, if occasion offered, to imitate his magnificent unsel-
fishness and resource. What makes Lieut. Orr's action all the more
meritorious is the fact that he was himself an invalid, having been
sent to England suffering from malaria after almost a year's service
with the Gold Coast Regiment in the heart of the West African
bush. (He had previously been twice wounded, once at Neuve
Chapelle when serving as a sergeant in the First Canadian Con-
tingent, and again on July 1st on the Somme, when he was an
officer in the Ulster Division).

"The scene may be given in the words of the officer from
Nigeria: "The destroyer people threw us a rope with a buoy to
it. I could only put one arm through, being nearly done. The
ubiquitous Orr pulled my other arm through and I was hauled
up like a lump of meat and with about as much life as one. The
fifth engineer was the next to go up, tied on somehow, of course,
by Orr. And then the worst catastrophe of the affair just didn't
happen. The boat drifted behind the destroyer and the propeller
cut it in half. Thank God, Orr had a rope and shinned up it in
time and walked below as fresh as paint, having had about eight
hours of as bad, cold and wet a time as any one could expect,
and spending that time in looking after us, not himself."

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

We also quote a letter received by Mr. Orr from the
Secretary of State for the Colonies:

"I am directed by Mr. Secretary Long to inform you that
he has received from the Secretary to the Admiralty, through the
War Office, a copy of a report by the Commanding Officer, United
States Ship 'Stevens', on your gallant behaviour in connection
with the rescue of survivors from the S.S. 'Burutu' on the night
of October 3rd-4th. The Army Council have asked that an ex-
pression of their appreciation of the devoted services which you
rendered on this occasion may be conveyed to you. Mr. Long
has pleasure in associating himself with the Council's commenda-
tion."

The following are extracts from a letter received
from Second Lieutenant H. E. Mason of the 6th Battalion
Yorkshire regiment. In this letter Second Lieutenant
Mason describes some of the ills attendant upon cam-
paigning in Murmansk.

Mr. Mason was formerly attached to our London,
Ont., branch.

"We left Dundee on the 12th October, 1918, landed at Mur-
mansk, North Russia, on about the 28th November, 1918. This
voyage as a rule takes from five to twelve days; we were over six
weeks, during which period we were shipwrecked, had our boilers
blown into the air, drifted helpless for two days, during which time
enemy underwater craft did their best to send us to Davy Jones
Locker, but were frustrated by the British Navy. We spent ten
days sight seeing in the Shetland Islands (very much against our
wishes) for there is nothing to see but barren hills. During this
period they were endeavouring to make our transport seaworthy.
Eventually we crept out, but were driven back by the before-
mentioned German underwater craft. The British Navy again
came to the rescue, much to the Huns' discomfort. Two days
following this we arrived in the Orkney Islands, where we were
shipwrecked by being blown on the rocks. Ten days following
the above round of mishaps we left in a transport which was not
possessed of the devil, and arrived at the Murman Coast without
further mishaps.

"It is very quiet here at present but when we arrived it was
somewhat different. We had one or two minor engagements,
suffering a few casualties. At times it becomes rather interesting,
resembling in many ways the early days of the Western States,
it being a case of the quick and the dead.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

"We are now approaching the days of the midnight sun; it
doesn't become dark, the sun setting at 10.30 p.m.; very shortly
it will not set during the whole twenty-four hours. During the
dark period we all experienced sleepiness more or less, but now it
is the opposite."

The following is a resume of the military experiences
of Lieutenant W. D. Hopkinson of our London, Eng.,
branch :

"On the 7th August, 1914, I joined the 1st Battalion of the
Honourable Artillery Company and a short time after I voluntarily
transferred to the 2nd "B" Battery, Royal Horse Artillery of the
same regiment, as a gunner. After considerable training I was
appointed to a commission in the special reserve of the Royal
Field Artillery on 22nd July, 1915; being posted to a training
brigade at Woolwich. On 4th September, 1915, I was ordered to
India; and arrived in Bombay towards the end of September.

"From Bombay I was posted to the 90th Battery, R.F.A.,
and took part with this unit in operations over the North- West
Frontier of India. We were then part of the Malahand Movable
Column which was operating from Chakdara against the wild
tribesmen of this region, incidentally to keep an eye on the Afghans,
who were then being pressed to take action against us by enemy
agents.

"When these operations ceased, I was transferred to another
battery at Hyderabad, Sind, and from here I was posted overseas
to Mesopotamia. I arrived in Busra in the early summer of 1916.
I joined my battery shortly afterwards, and later took part in the
initial operations for the second attack on Kut-el-Amara. Con-
ditions at this time were very bad indeed; the water and food
supply, coupled with the very trying climatic conditions, causing
much disease, which, at this time, accounted for a very large
percentage of the casualties. It was at this period that I had the
honour of commanding my battery (the 66th) for a short interval.
It would take too long to describe the actual conditions under
which we were labouring in the summer of 1916, but later we had
the satisfaction of knowing that a commission of enquiry was set
up; those responsible for the neglect of this Expeditionary Force
were duly dealt with. About the end of September I was invalided
to Bombay, and thence to England on 25th December, 1916.
During my convalescence I was selected by the War Office to
undergo a course of tuition in Portuguese at London University,
and after the course I was employed under the Director of Military

331

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Intelligence, War Office, as a liaison officer and instructor in
gunnery to the Portuguese Heavy Artillery. My duties were both
in France and England. In France I was present at the battle of
the Lys on the 9th April, 1918, in my capacity as a liaison officer
with the Portuguese Artillery, and I continued in this employment
until I was transferred to a British battery at the end of 1918 for
the purpose of demobilization, which took place in February, 1919."

The following is an extract from a letter written by
Bombardier R. MacDonald (formerly of the Regina
branch) describing his experiences during the victorious
march of the Allied Troops through Belgium:

"Well, the old guerre is over at last and, believe me, I am
mighty glad it is. On the morning of the day the armistice was
signed we were trying to catch up to Fritz and we were travelling
some. Well, about 10 o'clock a.m. we met an A.P.M. and he told
us the order was to cease fire at 11 a.m. Say, you talk about a
war, everybody let go for all they were worth. Believe me, I will
never forget the llth of November, 1918; as we were passing the
Belgian civilians, they came out and gave us eats of every descrip-
tion and all kinds of flowers, and when we halted they decked out
our horses with flowers. Say, you should have seen my charger!
The people were crazy with delight and they couldn't do enough
for us. Just at present we are about 12 miles from Namur, and
on our way up here we were received with the greatest hospitality;
the places we stayed at over night turned out their bands and
organized dances and all sorts of entertainments for us, and from
what the people tell me, old Fritz is just as bad as he is painted."

The following is an extract from a letter received
from Mr. R. Guay, who enlisted from our Willow Bunch
branch.

Mr. Guay herein relates some points of interest con-
cerning his sojourn in Vladivostock as a member of the
Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force. He also
describes a sight-seeing tour in Japan:

"I joined the colors at Regina, Sask. After undergoing some
training in an infantry squad, I was granted the rank of corporal
and put in charge of a small squad as training non-commissioned
officer. V

"From Hegina I was transferred to Sarcee camp in Calgary,
where I spentyfour weeks. I was then transferred to Victoria and
later to Vancouver, from which place I left, with other soldiers,
on the 10th of October, for Siberia on board the S.S. 'Empress of

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Japan.' The voyage across was very stormy; gales prevailing
during most of the trip.

"We reached Vladivostock on the 24th of October, 1918.
We found the climate very different from the description given us
in the newspapers. The days were nice and warm, and the nights
cool.

"My first ambition was to learn the Russian language, and when
I left, nine months after, I could make myself understood fairly well.

"The better educated people speak the French language. As
this is my mother tongue I found it a great convenience, being
able to get along much better than some of my companions, for
whom I served as interpreter. After making enquiries I found
that French and English are taught in the public schools.

"We had the first snowstorm on the 1st of January, 1919.
This, however, all melted in a few days. On the 15th of the same
month we had another one which remained until the early spring.

"For the first three months I did garrison duty with the other
soldiers in and about the city. Our duty was to master the
Bolsheviki who were threatening to murder every one of us. It
was dangerous to walk on the streets after dark and we were
frequently fired upon.

"For a time we were short of rations, and this was one of the
greatest hardships we had to go through.

"In March we learned that all the Canadian troops would soon
be going back to Canada.

"Through my Commanding Officer I made application to stay
with the first rear party which would return to Canada later, by
way of Japan. This being granted I had the advantage of making
a stay in that far-famed country.

"On the 28th of June the rear party of two officers, Major
Thompson and Lieut-Colonel Lambert, with the Pay Corps, sailed
for Japan. On the 1st of July our ship anchored in a port of which
I cannot remember the name. At 9 a.m. we took a train for
Yokohama, arriving at our destination at 10 p.m. the same day,
spending the whole day on board the train. We passed several
large cities. We enjoyed ourselves looking at the scenery and
watching the farmers gathering the rice crop. We could clearly
see in the distance Fusi Yama, the highest mountain in Japan.
The vegetation was luxuriant and trees were plentiful. The service
on board our train was of a high order and equal to anything which
we have in America.

"In Yokohama we stayed at the Oriental Palace Hotel, one
of the best appointed in Japan, conducted on the American plan.

M

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

We had to pay 12.50 yen per day, ($6.25). The first thing that
attracted my attention in that large city was the Jinrikisha which
is in universal use. As most people know, it is a light wheeled
vehicle drawn by one man. It is very convenient, and can be
obtained at all hotels, stations, etc., at a cost of .50 sen per hour.
I also spent some time in Tokio, the capital of the Empire.
Kamakura was also an interesting place to see.

"July is the hottest month in Japan, and the mosquitoes are
very troublesome, especially at night. The streets in the cities
are lighted with thousands of Japanese lanterns which are of all
designs and very beautiful.

"Nikko is a few hours, by rail, from Tokio and located far
up on the mountain side. It is one of the most attractive tourist
resorts in Japan. There we enjoyed a cool climate. It is a fine
summer retreat. In the spring and autumn it is especially beautiful,
owing to the lovely and varying tints of the abundant foliage on the
mountain sides.

"We sailed from the port of Yokohama on the 'Empress of
Russia.'

We arrived in Vancouver after an uneventful voyage —
remarkable only by an almost total absence of high winds and
sea-sickness."

The following letter, descriptive of the activities of
a section of the Canadian Forestry Corps, has been re-
ceived from Mr. H. R. Summers-Gill, formerly a member
of the staff of our Nutana branch:

"I think that I cannot do better than give you a brief synopsis
of my adventures since enlistment. I left Saskatoon en route for
the Great Adventure on July 1st, 1916, and reached Mon-
treal, where I doffed my 'civvy' togs and donned the first
Government suit I ever owned. Thenceforward I drilled and
drilled until with fifty others I received the welcome information
that we were to depart overseas to England. We were the 2nd
platoon of the 6th University Company, as one Montreal paper
called us 'The Gentlemen Adventurers,' owing no doubt to the fact
that we were nearly all business men. We landed after five days'
voyage on the 'Mauretania,' at Liverpool, and caught our first
glimpse of Old England when we sailed slowly up the Mersey
River, amid almost pitch darkness. Truly it did not look much
like the country I had left four years before, lying so silent
and deserted beneath cloudy skies. I remember how small
and almost like toys the railway trains looked to me, though
now they seem mysteriously to have regained their former

334

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

glories when I take one for my rare leaves of six days*
duration. On arrival at Seaford we were put into huts of an
open air character, and fared sumptuously from mulligan and
tea and bread. After having been before the doctor for exam-
ination it was discovered that I was not quite good enough
for either cannon fodder or daisy propping, so I was sent to the
2nd Canadian Labour Battalion. After a month of that delightful
unit, wherein I mended roads and did fatigues, I was sent to the
Musketry School, and in time emerged as a full instructor with
one stripe. My good fortune did not last long, and soon all Bl
men were sent to the Canadian Forestry Corps, which was then
forming. From the Base Depot at Sunningdale, Berks., I journeyed
to Whittingham, a small village in Northumberland where we
were to erect our first mill. The timber to be cut was growing on
a steep crag about 1 l -2 miles from the village, and soon our wagons
and lorries were cutting up the roads for miles around, and we were
causing considerable extra work for the Post Office when the
Canadian mail arrived. We logged there for over a year, and on
December 21st, 1917, moved 15 miles further north to Chillingham,
and began operations on another stretch of timber on the estate
of Lord Tankerville, the owner of the world famous Wild Cattle
herd. These animals were parked just a short distance from the
camp, and I saw a good deal of them. From the description I
had heard of the cattle I expected to see something along buffalo
lines, but they are much smaller, in fact the cows are smaller than
a decent Holstein, though they make up for their size by being
very hostile to strangers, as one of the boys found out when he
came to and the doctor was stitching up his ribs. There must be
over 200 in the herd altogether. Things went along nicely until
the Armistice was signed, when it was decided to demobilize the
Forestry Corps, and I can well remember the day, when on Nov-
ember 20th, our first draft for Canada left camp. Since then the
Companies have been decreasing steadily, until at the present
time my Company, old 112, is now officially disbanded, and in
No. 52 District, which originally had nine operating companies,
there is now only one, viz., 131 Company, where I am at present
stationed. Our orders are to despatch every man to Base Depot
on June 3rd, and then after Headquarters has closed down, the
Canadians will have said their last good-byes to the numerous
friends made in the North, and have left the country perhaps for
ever. It certainly makes a chap feel somewhat solemn to think
over all the old times, when supplies did not come through, and
the armies in France were calling for timber, which must be sent

335

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

if Fritz was to be stopped. I suppose that of all the Canadian
units, the Forestry Corps working in England has had better
opportunities of getting acquainted with the country than any
other, owing to our long stays in one district. Although I am an
Englishman, I had always lived in the south, and so it has been
just as strange for me as for a Canadian born man to have to live
here at first. But it certainly has opened my eyes to the country
of my birth, and showed me lots of things about it that I never
suspected before.

"During our operations in 112 Company, we produced just
over 6 million feet of lumber. Our plant was a 60 h.p. Canadian
Waterous Mill, with a 60" saw, and our average cut about 20,000
F.B.M. per day. We moved that mill four times and re-erected
it, and in addition built all our own railroads for shipping and also
for bringing the logs to the mill; put in our own water supply,
drainage and roads, and built railroad cars and huts as required.
Some of the devices used were most ingenious, and it speaks worlds
for the men that they were able to carry on in view of the difficulties
we encountered at every stage of the game.

"Our average Company strength was between 100 and 150,
other ranks, with 4 officers. But it must be remembered that
60 per cent of these men were casualties from other units, and
therefore not in a fit condition to do a very hard day's work, and
stand the weather as Al men would have done. Though I person-
ally doubt very much if men could have been found who would
have tackled the job with any greater success. A visit to the mill
or the woods would have shown men, who by their occupations in
civil life had had no previous experience in lumbering, carrying on
with their several jobs like old timers; in fact we trained in 112
Company, no less than 8 millwrights, 5 sawyers and 4 edgermen,
the most technical work in the mill, while an ex-farmer ran our
electric light plant and a butcher became head cook, and fed us
jolly well. At one time one could have taken 112 Company and
put the entire personnel on an uninhabited island, and they would
have erected a town, had industries going, and carried on without
any outside assistance at all, and made a great success of the
enterprise. In the course of my work in the orderly room of the
Company, I have had to deal with about all the different nation-
alities which go to make up the Canada of to-day, and have always
found every man to be useful in some place in the outfit. We
never had a single man come to us, we could not place somewhere
where he was of value to the whole. It just demonstrates the old
truth that there is a hole for every peg, whether round or square.

336

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

We conclude this volume with extracts from letters
written by a few of those who gave their lives in the war.
No more fitting tribute could be paid to our noble dead
than the publication of these last messages which show
the ideals and high patriotism which burned bright within
them even unto death.

The following letter, dated 7th September, 1916, was
written to his mother by Private Gibson F. Skelton,
formerly a member of the staff of our Vermilion branch:

Private Skelton was mortally wounded on 12th
September, 1916, and died the same day. His brother
was killed in action three months before:

My brother's death brought home to me with force the
necessity of being prepared at all times for instant death as
he was. One never knows what the next moment may bring
forth, and especially here where the 'Huns' use such means
of taking life. Should anything happen to me do not weep too
much or be heartbroken. Remember that I am in God's keeping,
and in what better way could I die than fighting for Him and my
country. There is a mansion prepared for every one of us by our
Lord, and it will be a very short time until we all meet there, never
more to part, and where there is no trouble and sorrow.

"Dearest Mother, do not weep, and may the same good God
who is caring for me keep and bless you all.

"Goodbye for a very short time."

The following is an extract from a letter written by
Second Lieutenant D. E. Gordon, 12th Battalion Royal
Scots, on 13th July, 1916. He was killed during an
attack on Longueval village on the following day.

Mr. Gordon was formerly a member of the staff of
our Saskatoon branch:

"What an honour to be allowed to partake in the greatest
battle the world has known. Let us all hope we make a complete
success of it and that we come through safely. However, duty
first. And, after all, we must sacrifice if we want to win, and we
must win."

The following has been received from the father of
Private Walter Tucker, who died of wounds on board
the hospital ship "Aquitania," in the Mediterranean, on
25th October, 1915.

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Private Tucker, who was formerly a member of the
staff of our St. John's, Newfoundland, branch, received
his death wounds at Gallipoli on 8th October, 1915:

"I do not know if the following will be regarded as interesting
from your viewpoint, but it has afforded much satisfaction, and
some consolation, and not a little pride to me: — When told by
Surgeon-Major Macpherson that he was dying, and asked if he
had any message to send to his relatives, he said:

" 'Tell dad that I would rather be in the condition I am now
in, than have failed to fight for my country.' '

The following letter was written by Private R.
Marshall Livingstone, formerly of the Champion staff,
to his mother, just before going into action for the
last time. Mr. Livingstone was mortally wounded on
27th October, 1917, and died the same day:

"Mother dear, your letters worry me, worry me considerably.
It is evident that you do not understand, but I shall put it to you
this way: Do you realize that Christ was the first one to fall in
the present war? How? Well simply this: The very prin-
ciples for which Christ gave His life are identically those principles
for which Britain is to-day giving her life-blood. It is an old
struggle, and Christ Himself was the first martyr to the cause.
We are fighting for principles. Right against might. Would the
world be worth living in if might and might alone prevailed?

"Therefore, Mother, rather than pray that Harry and I should
never be sent to the front, pray that we shall acquit ourselves like
men and be strong, for we are on duty primarily for God. Don't
feel badly if you hear that we have been specially detailed for
dangerous work. Rather look on it as an honour and a special
privilege that we should be chosen for special duty in upholding
the cause for which Christ laid down His lif e. If you pray for our
return, and only for our return, it is selfishness. Other mothers
have been called on to endure greater sacrifices than any we can
endure in this war.

"Pray for victory for right; pray that we shall be able to do
our duty faithfully, and if we fall in the cause of Christ, remember,
mother dear, that 'greater love hath no man than this, that he lay
down his life for his friends.'

"Personally, I don't want to go back except with honour and
a clear conscience of having done my duty. Life under any other
circumstances after the war would not be worth while."

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LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

EDITOR'S NOTE. A comrade who fought beside Mr. Living-
stone in the engagement which cost him his life, wrote, "Livingstone
died a hero."

The following is an extract from a letter to his parents
written by Second Lieutenant F. G. Flower, of the
Royal Flying Corps, when leaving Canada for overseas
service :

Second Lieutenant Flower was killed in action
on 18th December, 1917. He was attacked by four
enemy machines and shot down in flames over the
British lines.

This letter was not received by his parents until
after his death:

"So now I have the contentment of mind that is born of doing
rfcht and following the path of duty. If I can be of use to my
country and the cause of justice and freedom I am perfectly willing
to give my strength, my mind and my life, knowing that He who
gave me life and has watched over and guided me so far will still
bless me and look after me. Without this knowledge I would fear
to face the bullets and shells of the Germans, but as it is I will not
be afraid. We may never reach the front. I hope not, as I do
not want the war to last that long — but if we do, I know that I
will be followed by the prayers of my father and mother. Pray
that I may be brave and do my duty, and if I fall that it may be
doing my duty. Do not sorrow for me, but rather be glad that
your son has been privileged to give his life for his country and
his king and in the service of his God/'

Index to Letter-writers and References

NAMX PAGE No.

Alexander, P.M... 1.128

Alexander. W. T 191

Allan. G. F 141

Anderson. B. S. 03. 99, 106

Armit. A. G 310

Ayre, G 266

Barton. J. P 122

Benson. H. J 92

Biggar. F. C 20. 28. 71. 78

Blackwell, T. G 248

Blake, E. P 148

Booth. P. E. 0 188

Borrett. R. D 801

Boyer. C. R 814

BriTe, J. A 166. 244

Bruges, W. E 110. 178

Cameron, B. V 42

Carroll, R. S 814

Caton, A. C 4, 5, 28, 26. 88. 168

Caw, J. A 148

Challenor, H. H. R. 216

Charles, E. P 197. 288

Chiaholm, T. G 206

Chisholm. W. G 54. 118, 146. 214

Clement, N 109

Colley.J.N.B 209

Cooke,A.A 187

Curran. V 27, 56, 75, 81. 82. 90, 291

Dalton, N. D 282

Dalton, W. J 174

Darrow. F. R 240

Davison. C. W 142

Day, F. A 161

De Wind. E 68

Dinsmore, G. H. S 207

Donald. D 246

Dore, W. H 102, 119. 184,158

Dowsley, C. G 64, 65

Duncan, H. A 14

Dundas. A. L 177

Dunsford, M 208

Duthie, W. S 257

Eyres. L. H 299

Falconer. I. C 219

Falkner, W. H. 289

Flower. F. J 889

Floyd. T. C 149

Forster. W. B 49, 95, 181

Fowler. J. G., R. T. & W. H 48

Gibson. R. B 174

Glasgow. A. P 17. 27

Glenn, J. F 190

841

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

NAME PAGE No.

Golden, A. D 264

Golden, T. L 18, 51

Goodale, W. H 23, 30

Gordon, D. E 134, 337

Gordon, G. N 218

Gossage, B. F 302

Gray, W. J 7, 218

Guay, R 332

Hampton, P. E 254, 255, 256, 266, 267

Hardyman, F. N 33

Harvie, A. K 168, 204

Henderson, J. A. C 233, 253

Hewat, A. R 235

Hicks, R. S 189

Holdsworth, M. V 199

Holland, G. K 176

Holmes, R. J 251, 296, 303

Hopkinson, W. D 68, 331

Houston, R 76

Hunter, R. H 308

Hunter, J 190

Hutson, F. R 262

Ingmire, G. M 103, 132

"Inspector of the Bank" 25

Jackson, G. H 149

Jackson, T. S 193, 223

Jeffares, R. J 40

Jeffrey, C. J 167

Jones, C. B. F 178, 200

Jones, R. E. N 42, 45, 48, 53, 54, 58, 60, 66, 69, 72, 75, 83, 84, 90

Keith, J. R 8

Key, G. B 312

Kinnear, A. M 261

Kinsley, A. A 300

Knott, E. C. M 32

Lawrence, H. S 208

Lawson, N. E 3, 5, 25

Leader, W. K. M 192

Leggat, W 138

Lewis, G. T 77

Livingstone, R. M 338

Lloyd, St. G. O 235

Lobley, 0 6

Lockerby, J. E 8, 11

Lovett, J. H 13, 17, 56, 78, 147

MacCallum, E. C 188

MacDonald, D. J 74

MacDonald, R 332

Mackedie, A. R 81

MacLeod, E. V 87

MacMillan, A. P 164

MacPherson, J. C 56, 66, 70, 89, 112, 138, 166

MacTavish, I. F 9, 248

Marriott, G. W 119

Mason, H. E 330

Matheson, J. C 7, 9

Matkin, J. H 94

"Member of the London, Eng., staff" 215

342

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT
NAMK PAGE No.

Millar, H. I 183

Miller, D.H 47,94,99

Million, A 140, 296

Mockler, E. C. W 9

Monly. A. G 61. 187. 140, 171, 242, SOO

Morkill. A. B 147

Morrison, W. M 222

Myers, C. R 85

McCarthy, R. B 154

McCIafferty, F. S 182, 225, 243

McClure, J. A. B 192

McConkey, T. W 210

McGill, T. C 227, 326

Mclver, A. R 177, 211

McMillan, C. H 126

McNiece, H ISO

McQuoid, J 26

Nevill, C. D 263

Newton, F. G 115, 195

Oldaker, B. G 98

Orr, J. C 328, 330

Palmer, J. D 59

Pangman, R. P 233, 280

Paterson, W. A 104

Paton, R 116

Patterson, J. K 128, 150

Peirson, F. R 222

Petrie, Miss H. V 268

Playne, L 280

Purdy, C. C 221

Purdy, J. R 181, 234

Quinton, S 294

Rawle, C. W. F 79. 94, 116, 121

Read, P. C 302

Reid, A. P 291

Rennison, G. G 250, 305

Rigsby. A. C Ill

Robinson, J 281

Ronaldson, T. S 217

Rose, H. E 310

Ryerson, J. E 107

Scott, A. C 144

Scroggie, G. E 155

Scully. D 304

Skelton, G. F 337

Smillie, C. B 137

Smythe, J. C 229, 230, 231

Stainton, E 141, 160, 236, 238

Storr, F. C 91

Summers-Gill, H. R 334

Taylor, W. J 264

Tennant, D. G 233

Thompson, D. S 194

Thompson, J. H 186, 306

Tucker, W 337

Tylor, H. E 113, 148, 171, 198, 290

Van de Water, J. P 298

Vidler, A. G. A 87, 111, 118, 212, 213, 308, 323

S4S

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

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Walton, J. M 141. 172

Ward. C.N 167

Waterman, A. H 45, 79

Weddell, W. A 223

Wells, N. L 156, 269, 270

Whitehead, G 190

Whittaker, R. H 7

WigIe,C.E 245

Wilcox. E. R. C 109

Williams. J. S 41, 46, 57, 105. 117. 136, 227, 249

Winning, J. P 31

Woolley. D.B 97

Wylde, H. G 189, 243

Wynne-Roberts, Miss B 160, 184, 225

Yeo,E.L 22

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