1915/09/08

In which Gordon Munro is stationed in Belgium. Includes description of the local landscape, life in the trenches, and equipment used on the Western Front.

Belgium sep 8/15

Dear Pork,

I got the fountain pen & candy last night from Mrs. Gallie so I tried out the candy & it was O.K. & so is the pen, many thanks to whoever sent it. I see you & "Pug" did well on your exams, keep up the good work. Scout got a dandy box from Marg Lind & the bunch & we sure did go to it. He is sending this letter through for me as we can't use them & he can.

I guess I'll start & give you a little fuller description of the life out here. The country in which we are fighting is rather hilly & wooded. In the woods there are supposed to be about 30,000 dead Germans buried. they were killed in the heavy fighting last fall when the British drove them back from Paris. The troops who drove them in this part were mostly Highlanders, it is not far from here that the London Scottish made there famous charge. We are holding a trench in a valley & the Germans are on the side of a hill just about 2 or 3 hundred yards away. Last time we were up was the worst I have struck. I guess you will be reading about the heavy bombardments along the western front. lately, we come in for that now & again. one day especially was bad, there was a continuous roar for a half day on our left & then we started to get it too. Goodnight! they shot everything at us from coal-boxes to bullets. I sat in the trench & kind of got fatalistic & said if she comes my way, she's coming. chunks of shrapnel etc. were flying around but I got missed. of course I got a lot of dirt put on me, but that is never noticed anymore. our parapet was knocked in in several places & we had some casualties, then they let up & ours started. I am not shooting the breeze when I say our Artillery is the better of the two. They landed shots right along the Germans without a miss, whereas the Germans hit about once out of four. In the end I think the Germans were sorry they started it. Next day we came out. when you come out you come through communication trenches they are about 6 or 7 ft deep & sometimes miles long, the one we came out the water was knee deep all along but we had to plough through it. We got back to Brigade Reserve about 3 A.M. where we are now. In this Reserve we get a lot of working parties, these are generally at night, & one has to be quiet & quick on them, on one working party we got caught, it was in front of our 1st trench starting a new one. the Germans send up big flares every few minutes & it makes everything as bright as day for 400 yards around. they saw us working & opened rapid fire but without much effect. Next, we go up to the trenches again & then back for a rest.

There is a battery near us & the Major has an Aeroplane of his own they call him the "Mad Major". he goes up & flies all over the German lines, loops the loop & every other thing. the Germans have wasted thousands of shells on him, but he is too quick, its very seldom a German Plane is seen as ours always take after them & generally come off best. I have seen a couple of fights so far & they look allright from the ground.

Last time we were up in the trenches I had a sniping Rifle, its all right but some one else can take it next time. You mus'nt think we are always hammering at each other, sometimes for hours hardly a shot will be fired & then you hear a noise like a train & then you take cover if possible, and wait for the next. It sends some Guys off their nut nearly they run from dugout to dugout for shelter, where they might be better if they stuck, there is no one who is particularly fond of being shelled. We have one fellow who is not much bigger than "Was" & not much older but he has more nerve than the rest of the section. he goes out on listening post & sometimes goes over as far as the German barb wire & one night tried to capture their listening post. Now & again a German walks over at night & surrenders & says he is tired of it, this isn't often of course. I expect to take a course in bomb throwing soon every one has to learn it, I think I'll join the Anarchists after the war.

We got new smoke helmets today & blankets. we have so far been without blankets but its getting cool at nights now. The smoke helmets are ugly looking things, great big goggles & a nose piece, make you look like a pig but I guess they will be handy one of these days.

Perhaps by the time you get this letter something of importance will have happened, lets hope so anyway so long as its against the Kaiser, which it is bound to be, & the sooner it comes the sooner it will be over. Well I guess I've shot enough breeze for now & must close

with love to all.

Gordon

Here is a letter I got from Mrs. Fisher a few days ago. Tell mother when she writes Mrs. Gallie to thank her for me. I would only I don't know where to write.

Gordon.

2017.22.61