Letters From the Front

Dated: July 7, 1916

Charlie McBride writes from Brook War Hospital, Woolwich, England, June 12.

"I came over from France last Saturday. I feel a lot better now that I am in England for a while. I just wrote to have my mail sent to me from the Battalion. I haven't had a letter for about a month but they will soon send it, I hope. My leg is getting along fine; it is rheumatism in my back that is bothering me the most now. I have been in bed for nine days but I expect to go to a convalescent home in another week, and be there for about a month. Then I will get leave for ten days, and I am going to make good use of it. I will stay a few days with the Dawson's and then go to Scotland for the rest of the time. Then back to the front until I get another blighter."

"Well, we have been doing some real fighting as you will have seen by the casualty lists. We have been at Ypres since March; that is where the Canadians were so badly cut up last year if you remember, I would have told you before only we are not allowed to say where we are. Well, this last fight started on the 3rd of June. About nine in the morning the Huns started shelling the front line of trenches and blew up a mine. Of course, the shells killed or wounded nearly everybody in the front line for about two miles; then they came over with fixed bayonets to take possession, but our men in support came up to drive them back but there were too many and they came right on. We were out in a rest camp at the time and we had to go up to the trenches as fast as we could and when we got there the Germans were right over in our support trenches and such fighting you could never dream of. The Princess Pats are wiped out and the fourth and fifth C.M.R.s are also wiped out. Before we went up our orders were that we had to make a charge but they shelled us so hard that we never got up until day light. Then I was hit and I went out of the trenches to the dressing station and when I was going out I saw our men lying knee deep, killed and wounded. Just as I left our boys were making a charge but I don't know how many came back, I heard there was only ninety-six left in the Battalion when they called the roll. Our Captain and three Lieuts. and one Major were wounded before I left. Our general and his staff were taken prisoners. It was the worst night I ever saw. During the night we were strung along in a little ditch and there was so much noise of shells bursting and bombs and guns that you could not hear the man next to you. When we wanted to talk to one another we had to make motions. The air was full of lead all night from the bursting of shells; it was terrible. One time when Nance was telling my fortune she said I was going on a long journey and going to be lucky; I am sure lucky to get out of that alive.

It is fine to be in the hospital in a good bed and get good grub again. There are people coming in every day to see us and bringing flowers, fruit and cigarettes. They sure treat a soldier well that is back from the front. I guess the C.M.R.s will be a thing of the past as they are all gone from what I hear, the whole brigade from the general down. I am going to try and get into the Royal Canadian Dragoons if I can they have horses. I am going to Shorncliffe and see J. Oliver when I get out of here.