Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1915-07-16
AnOtherLetter from the Front
Staley Writes interestingly of the Fighting in Flanders

war COTIOSpUl1uCllL INV oCA yang WAeh
the British army in Flanders.
The censor deleted portions Of the
letter, including the opening sen
fences, in which Staley gave the reg
iment and battalion, but Of which
part could still be read, in spite
of the errasure. In previous letters
however, he has given the regiment
and battalion in which he is enlist
ed, The censor allowed enough OF
Reds" description of where he is
located to come through to make it
clear that he is fighting in the
neighborhood of Ypres, Belgium, and
while the letter is dated June p,
the dating is evidently put in by
the cenosr and we are inclined to
think that this letter was written
before the one we published last
week and which was sent first to a
friend at Aberdeen, Scotland.
In reading Staley's letter, it must
be borne in mind that he is en-
gagged in a game where life is given
and taken and his letters naturally
do not favor the Germans. 1t is be-
cause his letters are of interest as
coming from the war zone, that We
publish them and we would be just
as pleased to publish letters from
any soldier, especially if from Lady
smith or Rusk county, who is serv-
ing in the German or Austrian forces.
Reading his letter gives one an idea
of how the soldier himself feels
about the war and may dispel the
idea that the soldier on either side
has no feeling in the matter and
fights and kills as a mere automaton
If we attempted to make his letters
milder by blue-penciling everything
that savored of hostility to the Ger
mans it would spoil the letters.
THE Front" June q, 1915.
Was much interested in
watching the aeroplanes, getting
bombarded yesterday when we got
to this place. I can't tell you any
names as I must send open letters.
Am in a region which has a name,
If you know anything about Belgium
you may know the name OF the
place. You know the name and the
word yellow" may begin with the
same letter. Getting back to the
subject again:
We landed and marched about
miles to this camp where we are
near enough to hear the lombard
ing; can see the aeroplanes flying
over the lines; can hear the bonn
harding and can see the bursts OF
white smoke as the shells explode
about the aerOplanes. None seem
to have any effect on the little planes
so high in the air Certainly seems
to be a great waste Of ammunition
to lombard these bird men. l figure
that they do not try to hit these
SO utUSIA 90 W NAANN S'A'"
them and drive them back to our
lines Of course they would hit the
mark if they could.
They are bombarding away about
10 miles to the East. Can hear the
old AZ Centtmeter guns of the enc
my; can hear the whistling shell
and then the report of the coal box
as it explodes with terrific force and
damage. (Also called Jack John
son.")
Last night I lay awake a long time
watching the star shells as they lit
up the Heavens, finally falling
asleep, but with only an overcOat on
of course. 1t gets cold along toward
morning and l cannot say that l
slept very soundly.
Firing continued all night, ceas-
ing about 900 this morning.
Today we could hear bursts of
cannonading at intervals.
Volunteers were called for today
to make up a 'snipers" squad of Is
men and / was not at all backward
about volunteering. SO hereafter you
may think of me as being in the most
dangerous service of the war. They
never let a sniper rest, and incl
dentally you may know that snip
er tries to never give the enemy rest.
l get out of all fatigues, all SEN
try work, do not have to dig tren-
ches etc, and in fact do nothing
but "snipe."
The boys pulled off big charge
yesterday in which they were sup
posed to capture three lines of tren-
ches. This they did, Strengthening all
within. With a battle cry of re
member the Lusitania," they bayo-
neted the occupants of the enemy
trenches, who begged for mercy
which they never got
/ missed that battle by about 2
hours
I get mine tomorrow. We go into
the trenches this evening as soon as
lit gets dark so I consider myself