Letters From the Front

Dated: June 10, 1917

INTERESTING NOTES FROM LETTERS OF BOY AT FRONT

Following are some interesting extracts from Pte. Horace Whiffin to his parents Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Whiffin of Medicine Hat, who have been spending the summer in Banff.--

June 10 -- This is Sunday.  Cave and I have just returned from attending a very nice evening service in the church army hut.  The sermon was about St. Barnabas, as this is St. Barnabas day, and it makes me think of the many services I have attended with you in our home church of the same name.  Even though I am out here I never let a Sunday go by without attending some church service.

June 25 -- Yesterday, although it was Sunday I saw one of the most novel sights I have evern seen, viz:  Native sports by the native troops of South Africa.  We had tea early and then nearly all the patients that were able, lined up four deep and marched down to the sports grounds, (I may say that this parade consisted of about 1,000 men) and almost every man represented a different regiment of the British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand forces.  Upon arriving at the grounds, which were on the sands about a mile from the hospital, we beheld hundreds of black men, some of them in uniform, which is the same colour as their skin, with sort of cowboy hats,and some of them in their native attire, consisting of nothing but a wreath of string or fibre around their loins.  This latter costume served well to display the fine and massive physique of these Africans.  Practically their whole body seems to consist of muscle, over which they prove to have complete control by exerting movements of the body.

The programme consisted of tugs-of-war, races, and war dances of the different tribes.  The latter were very interesting and in some measure resembled our Indian pow-wows.  The music was derived by pounding tin cans and boxes, and blowing wooden whistles, with which they made the most weird sounds.  They also indulged in loud singing and shouting, intermingled with frantic ejaculations by members of the different tribes.  I understand that when they hold these in their native environment they almost go wild with excitement.  I was wondering what the Germans would think if they saw a tribe of these Africans coming over the parapet in their war paint and costumes and weird whoops.  I am sure Fritz would rapidly evacuate his position and seek cover from what he might well imagine were the hounds from Hell come to wreak vengeance on Kaiser Bill and his followers for their murderous modes of warfare they have exercised the past three years.

June 26 -- I expect to go up the line in a few days now although I am not looking forward to it.  You ask if I, as a signaller, have to go in the trenches.  Yes, we sure do, and over the top of them with the rest of the boys.  When holding a trench we are usually in a dug-out with our field phone, and although it is safe from shrapnel fire, the big shells often blow them in and bury the occupants alive.  Our entrance was slightly blown in last time, but we dug it out all right.

Have you heard of the new blinding gas the Germans have got?  It penetrates our respirators and leaves you blind for about six months.  The Australians got a good dose of it.