Letters From the Front

Dated: May 6, 1915

"The road was full of them running with whatever they could grab of the household goods, some of the things making me laugh, only it was so pitiful. One poor woman was struggling along with a baby in a pushcart shoving it with one hand and a large bottle of milk in the other. I saw two little girls struggling along with a jug of milk in each hand and doing their best not to spill it, men with frying pans and women carrying Sunday hats, and so on."

"About two miles behind us was the town of ------ which we had to pass through. This town had been reduced practically to a ruin, but there were still a large number of buildings standing. This was about the worst part of the trip as they were pumping Jack Johnson shells into it and buildings were falling in every direction. Every moment we expected to have one on our heads, but we got through alright. On the other side of the town we halted and waited for orders. The supports were now coming up thick and the roads were crammed and blocked with refugees. We certainly were seeing things in a hurry."

"About 9:45 p.m. we got orders to return with ammunition for one of the batteries again, as things were recovering themselves, so up we went back through the ruined town which was now on fire and up into the music again, 'got thru' our job then came in for more shell and heavy rifle fire, but no damage. We went back through the blazing town, now absolutely deserted. getting back to our bivouac at 3 in the morning, slept for an hour and then off again. We kept this going steady for four days, practically without any sleep. We have been working day and night, up to the present, for a fortnight, sleeping where we can and shelled every day and night. The night before last one shell killed four men and wounded three others, all in their sleep, besides killing and wounding five horses. Another burst under a sergeant's horse, killing the horse but not hurting the rider. They wounded one man and three horses behind and broke the wheel of the wagon. Our escapes are wonderful and by now we don't worry much about shell fire. There is a village behind us about one-half mile which is shelled every day and is practically ruined. Our chaps are playing baseball with the shells overhead. One shell passed through a house the other day where we had laid our mail bag before sorting it. It took the bag with it, buried it under the bricks, killed two horses and two infantrymen. We dug it out the next day and I got a parcel out of it from you."

"One gets used to this sort of thing. The worst part, I find, is the continuous row of guns. It never ceases and gets on one's nerves especially the one near us, a large gun with a particularily nasty smack. The guns have all a different noise, according to their size, and we get one about three in the morning that sounds as though the earth had split. Then there are Jack Johnson's and coal boxes. They hit the ground before they explode and make a hole large enough to put a house in, and emit a mass of black smoke. It was interesting to watch the different effects."

"There is one thing I want to say and that is the men have all behaved splendidly. They have been through a heavy test, and not one but behaved as though he had been a soldier all his life and had served through several wars, instead of this being their first experience. We are all suffering more or less from the continual strain from this great battle, but that is only to be expected. There is a rumour that we are to go back soon for a rest. I sincerely hope it is true, for the boys in the batteries are getting it much harder than we are. I have not heard anything more about my brother Arthur, except that his name was among the first list in the paper dated April 30th. I have not seen one since so do not know how things are going, but guess we are holding our own alright."

"One peculiar thing about the war is that all civilians are allowed to remain instead of beig sent back a safe distance. The country is crammed with spies and as the civilians are allowed to stay, you don't know who is genuine and who is not. Spies are arrested and shot daily. Three men were caught near us yesterday with a telephone sending the results of the enemy's shooting and our positions right from behind our own lines. I saw the men and the instrument being taken along. It seems funny doesn't it? If they were all cleared back then we should then, that all except those in uniform had no right there and it would make it much easier and safer, as they often get killed by stray shells, but they still stick around."

"We have not had our boots or puttees off for two weeks now and I forget when we had a bath last, but will be darned glad to get both. We are all lousy as pet coons."

Regards to all friends.

Sergeant H. Leacock
Ammunition Column