Letters From the Front

Dated:

These are just a few lines from the Front to let you know that we are all settled down to our new surroundings, and so far no casualties among our old Edmonton staff bunch.
I am now in the Machine Gun Section of the 31st Battalion and like the work very much, and we have an awfully nice willing bunch of fellows in it. We have been in first and second line trenches for over a month, and at present are having a week's rest in an old farm house near a village. Our buildings are pretty well intact, but it is awful to see miles of trenches and sand-bag parapets all around. It will be two or three decades after the war before things are in any sort of good shape. It is a beautiful, rich, mixed farming country, but a good lot of rain and fog in the fall apparently. 'Sunny Alberta' will look mighty good again to those of us who are lucky enough to pull through.
The Balkan crisis will probably add several months to the war, but I think the German combine is showing signs of breaking up a bit. The Allies are well off for munitions now, though I must say our Canadian troops would welcome the sight of any of the new machine-guns which are ready in Canada.
We are all very well, and are being splendidly equipped this year with skin coats, rainproof capes, rubber waders, heavy boots, etc., and food is generally very good and plenty of it.