Letters From the Front

Dated: June 5, 1917

Wm. McIlwraith, writing June 5th from France, says:

In machine gun work your duties vary.  Sometimes you go over to help with the infantry.  Sometimes you stay in the trenches and do overhead fire, the same as the artillery.  Picture to yourself our boys, turning out of our billets, ready to go to the front line trenches, with the wind blowing 40 miles an hour, the sleet and snow and rain following, the guns roaring and the flashes from exploding shells.  Yet you'll always find the boys cheerful when we go into this.

Again, he is ordered out into No Man's Land on patrol, raked by shot and shell, or perhaps he may be detailed off for the hardest job of all --the listening post.  Again the line gets the order to advance, and over the top you go with the best of luck.  As you already know, many have made the supreme sacrifice during the fight at Vimy Ridge.  But no man can do greater than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

In the Vimy scrap our crew went over the top with the infantry and our work of supporting the new front line was highly recommended, in fact, several boys were awarded medals.

We do not have much rest--so many days in the line and the same amount out.  I'd rather be in the line than out because they drill you pretty heavy in billets.

Just filled in my registration card--what do you think of them?  Most of the boys are under the impression that it is some scheme by which the "big bugs" can obtain cheap labour to work their vacant land.  I filled mine to go in for Bookkeeping.

Regarding the French police dogs:  We never see the French troops at all and the dogs--well, give me a good Scotch collie.  Another thing, I could not bring one over with me as the authorities would not allow it.

How do you like the shape of the war now?  Pretty rotten eh?  I can't see the finish this summer.  It's too bad the Russians failed us.