University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1915-08-06
From a Canadian Gunner,

A Canadian gunner at the front in
Belgium writes to relative in Co
! lumbia:
We did not receive any fireworks
to celebrate Dominion Day or the
Fourth of July here and there was
only a light artillery fire on the
Fourth and none on the First-but il
was enough celebration for us. On
Saturday night July 81 while at the
guns the Germans brought one of our
aeroplanes down by rifle fire. 1t was
terrible outburst of musketry but
the aviator was able to land safely
near our battery and was only slight
! ly wounded. When the Germans saw
him descending they nred about forty
/ large shells in the hope of getting him
by shell fire, but | am glad to say he
escaped and even the machine was
only slightly damaged.
THE artillery is rarely ever near
the infantry. | had a friend in the
4Sth Highlanders from Canada and
after Ypres | could find out nothing
about him. Then one day l happened
to pick up scrap of Toronto paper
and saw that he had been killed at
Ypres. Another man, a friend of some
of my friends. had just been drafted
into the Princess Pats and was to go
into the trenches that night. He rode
nearly thirty miles to get to our lines
and that same night was killed
In one charge near here the Cana
dians were supported by the Seventh
Division composed of number of the
British regiments that had fought ia
the retreat from Mons and who were
considered the cream of the British in
fantry, though they have had great
losses. Well, the Canadians took the
three German trenches as mentioned
in the newspapers with only six men
wounded and it was not until their
ammunition gave out and they had to
retreat that any serious losses took
place. The Seventh Division was un-
able to advance and this, together
with lack of ammunition, prevented
the rout of the Germans. The British
infantry said afterwards that the Can
adams advanced too rapidly for them.
Il forgot to tell you that in our
roundup at Ypres We secured a fine |
COW and the animal is now one of US. |
The only drawback to having the COW
in the battery is that she goes visiting |
around our sleeping places between |
2 and 3 o'clock every morning. She |
is very gentle and affectionate. A
few weeks ago while in France We had |
a terrific rain storm and the men strip !
ped and ran out to get needed bath. |
The next instant the wind changed |
and hailstones as big as hens eggs
began to come down. had never
seen or felt such hailstones.
Il was on gun wagon all one
night while Ypres was being lombard
ed by the Germans. 1t was the night
that the church began to burn and the
proud old Cathedral took two days
more before it succumbed to the
flames. There were some of the most
wonderful pieces of old stained glass
in it's windows, the secret of making
which is said to have been lost We
are thinking of moving our guns soon
which means another packing up. A
short distance from here there is to-
tally deserted village with the church
still standing, as the Germans have as
yet not been able to get the range
Of the steeple, though they are trying
hard
"Our infantry are suffering terribly
from flies in the trenches but the last
ZEN days have been so cold that prob
ably these pests are being destroyed.
We are all glad that We hung onto our
)vercoats and warm clothing, as the
nights are very chilly. The packages
you send over are getting to be as nu-
nerous as shrapnel shells these days Z
mot like high explosives which are
scarce and which we need so badly.
Dur cook here is most generous with
lis tea so that you can leave that out
If your packages, but it can be re-
,laced by cake. All that YOU send is a
,reat treat"
From q French Airman. L
A letter received by w. T. DiaZ,