Letters From the Front

Dated: December 21, 1916

I got some writing paper today from the Red Cross, so can do some writing again. I'm hoping to get my pay book and some money that I left with J., some day this week. But the next time I go into the trenches, my pay book and valuables come with me, and if the Germans can get them, they can have them. I thought it would be safe and left my money with J. when I went in. I got a razor today, from the Red Cross, a shilling razor, and if it is any good I'm greatly mistaken. I'll make it do until I get my own.

I don't think the British are gaining much now, and won't likely do much more until spring. I think they figured on getting Bapaume this fall and having it for winter quarters, but I doubt they can't. Bapaume is on the last rise of ground, or roll (the country is slightly rolling), and when they take that they have command of the country from there to the Rhine, 20 miles away. But they have to fight for every foot, and if it is a case of driving them out by brute force, it can't be done.

There is a great agitation in England for more men. I don't see why they do not bring in more from India. Even if they can't fight, there's lots of work to be done behind the lines. Then on the Somme, where they have advanced a little, there is a big job for grave diggers, and it would surely pay to save the rifles and equipment that is lying around.

The wonderful tanks that have been talked of so much did not live up to the high hopes everybody had for them. They are big things, but not big enough to travel in such shell holes here, and they can't go in the mud. They carry two guns, about 16 pounders, and have room for three or four machine guns. They run on caterpillar treads, and the idea is good enough, but as for walking over trees, or anything like that, it is all rot. And they talk about them going through walls of houses. Well, a lot of houses are made of trash, little sticks of any kind, nailed on a wooden frame, and plastered with cow manure; so it isn't hard to go through. I believe they are getting out some improved kind of tank, and maybe in the spring they will do better.

I guess there isn't much I can tell about M.C. that you haven't heard. Each battalion of the fourth division was to make a little raid on the Germans, just to kill a few and take a few prisoners to see what battalions were facing us. Volunteers were asked for from the bombers, and of course we did not know any better, and all volunteered. They only wanted half and M. was amongst those taken, and I was left. I think most of the battalions made a success, except ourselves. It was done about midnight, and when our fellows got over to the German trenches they found the trench full of Germans ready for them; after that they all tell a different story. Some say the Germans had mines in front of their trenches, which they blew up, and others say it was our artillery dropped shells on them. Anyway, they retired, and later managed to bring in all the dead and wounded that could be found. M. was amongst five that were missing. One man, Clarke, was left out wounded, but before daylight managed to crawl back. He says he saw three dead man left quite close to the German trench. So whether M. C. was there, or where he was, nobody knows. Clarke was killed on October 21.

We were in the Ypres salient than, near St. Eloi, across the canal from Hill 60. That is quite small hill, with an enormous crater blown out of the middle of it. The hill itself is all chewed up with shells.

The troops are changed about all the time, but none spend very long on the Somme. Forty-eight hours is what they usually stand in the trenches, and each division doesn't make very many trips in.

But the Somme has a few good points. The Germans don't fire on stretcher bearers, and if a man is wounded in the front line he can be lifted out and carried overland with no danger except from the shells; and they don't bother sniping very often. At Ypres you couldn't peep over the top of the trench or take any chance at all even away back from the front lines. But when we were on the Somme it was fairly safe to walk anywhere, as far as rifle bullets were concerned.

But if too many men started walking overland, the Germans would start sniping with wiz bangs, and would soon clear the floors. And there is very little danger of gas on the Somme, whereas we had to be on the alert all the time at St. Eloi. And at St. Eloi we were hardly allowed talk out loud or light matches at night, for fear the Germans would know where we were, and sent over rifle grenades. In fact no lights were allowed for miles back for fear of shells. At Albert, on the Somme, I am sure there were hundreds of thousands of troops camped within big gun ranges, and at night the camp-fires made it look like a city, and still there was very little danger.

The German aeroplanes haven't much show. You can count from 10 to 20 of ours anytime flying around. One evening three of Fritz's came over Albert very high. The first we know of it was when shells began exploding over us. But it seemed only a minute when our aeroplanes were coming back from all directions, just like a flock of crows gathering. The guns had to quit when our planes got in the way, and the Germans beat it before our fellows could get up near their height. The next morning a German came over and dropped a bomb on the road where a battalion from the trenches was getting coffee at a YMCA. It killed one man and wounded 12.

The YMCA is doing fine work. They have dugouts close to the firing line and tents further back where men can get coffee free; and of course they sell biscuits and chocolate and stuff like that. They charge high enough for their stuff, but only half what the natives charge.

Every French house is a “restaurant” as they call it, a sort of little store, and they are making more money than they ever thought of making before the war. French paper money isn't much good. What will pass in one town is no good in another. Only the YMCA takes it all, and Canadian or US money is worth more than English. This seems to be no word now of anyone running out of money to fight with. That used to be what was going to end the war. Imagine Britain is keeping France going, and is getting very little thanks for it.

The Belgium's have no use for the British; I don't know why. There are lots of stories about them spying, and once a Belgium battery fired on the Canadians. Of course it was a mistake, but it is fixed now so that that mistake won't happen again. They keep about a mile of French between the Belgium's and Canadians now. Someone was telling me last summer about a little set-to the Canadians and Australians had. There is a lot of jealousy between the Colonials. From what I hear the Australians are having trouble keeping their five divisions up to strength.

I hardly know what they do with recovered wounded, but I hear the Canadians are sent back to their own battalions, so I shall end up here.