Letters From the Front

Dated: December 8, 1915

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, AliceCanadian Hospital, Shorncliffe. 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. began her duties as V.A.D. in the Queen's

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 prospect, 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, bagged lots of them. It was quite exciting, for we hadn't every­thing 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 hard­ships 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.