Letters From the Front

Dated: July 5, 1915

On the day that the battle of St. Julien started Roy was in the front-line trench along with Sergt. Dunbar of the machine gun section, and Lieut. McKessock. They were gassed several times, but would not leave their trenches, and stuck to their machine guns, rolling back attack after attack of the Germans and inflicting frightful losses on them, as they persisted in advancing in close order. The gas did not seem to effect Roy, as he was so tall that his head seemed to be always out of it. The machine gun section were by this time pretty well all gone, but Roy was seen by one of the wounded men at the last moment working the machine gun, and the gun was heard still working by the men in reserve trenches long after the front line trenches were known to be surrounded by the Germans. This is all we know of Roy, that is to say, he is missing. We know from a wounded man who was in the same trench as he was that Roy was still unwounded when this chap managed to crawl away to the dressing station in the rear.

Capt. McKessock, who was at one time reported missing, is a prisoner in Germany and well. Every day some one in the battalion get a letter saying that so and so is prisoner in Germany, and it is my firm belief that a great number of our men were overcome by the gas and taken prisoners. Sergt. Dunbar, who was with Roy, is known now to be a prisoner in Germany.

Pioneer Sergt. Lewis was struck by a piece of shell, but is well, and never left the battalion. The C.O. says that Lewis is a very valuable man, and is afraid of nothing, and volunteers every night as one of a working party to go out and fix the barbed wire in front of the trenches or bring in some of the wounded.

Sergt. Gilpin of No. 3 Company has come through without a scratch and is a very valuable man.

Fred Macdonald was wounded at St. Julien, but quit the hospital before he was discharged as being well, and is with me now wound as a bell. The C.O. has made him a sergeant in recognition of valuable services rendered.

Griesbach is in hospital somewhere, wounded, but not seriously.

Charlie Brindley was badly gassed at St. Julien, and is now in an English hospital. A Canadian doctor informs me he will soon be all right again.

Charlie Macdonald is missing and I believe a prisoner in Germany.

Johnson, who came from Creemore to Collingwood to join the 48th, is in hospital in England. He fell in a charge and hurt his back. From latest letters, he will be all right again soon.

Royal, who also came from Creemore, is also in hospital. He has a pair of badly sprained and bruised ankles.

Thomas Dare is with the battalion and without a scratch. He says he has a hunch he is going to come through without a mark.

McKellar is also with the battalion. Sayers, who came to Collingwood from Stayner, is now a corporal.

Sandy McMillan was wounded in the jaw at Langemarck and from the last report he is doing well.

Lieut. Russell Bell was seriously wounded the other day in the leg, hand, and face. He was a brick. He walked or ran fully 500 yards to the first aid station and the doctor said he must be built of iron.

My billet was blown up by shell fire and afterward buried and I lost my whole outfit, except what I had on.