The Redwood gazette., 1917-06-27
Delhi Boy Writes
From Battle Front
Sherwood Leslie, Former Red
wood Falls School Student,
Writes His Father.

frSt from the actual lighting
ground of Europe that the Gaz-
cite has the privilege Of pub
fishing. This came to the writ
er's father after having been
passed upon by the cesor.
France, May 26, 1917.
Dear Pa
Received your letter yester-
day and. was real glad to hear
that you were we'll and getting
along alright. Was sorry that
Uncle Dan had died. It must
have been quite sudden.
[ just remembered that this
was your birthday. Many happy
returns. Mine was on the sixth
but | forgot all about it until
couple of days after.
My goodness, but this is an
awful warm day. 1t certainly
can get real hot in this country
when it takes the notion. We
have been having most excel
lent weather for the last six
weeks. Well, l had real good
swim in the creek after playing
a game of baseball. I'm playing
first base on the battalion team
and we have cleaned everything
in our brigade so far. Some
American ball association sup
plies us with all the equipment
we need. At present we are
back for a rest in a fair sized
town are sure making the best
of it. We were in this place
Christmas and got pretty well
acquainted with the civilians.
They think our battalion salt of
the earth. Do you know that
this is the prettiest place on
earth in summer. The scenery
sure is grand around here.
| suppose you read all about
the Vimy Ridge scrap and how
the Canadians took it. Well we
were square in the middle of it.
ii was always believed to De.
almost impregnable and to look
at it | thought so too, but we
took the whole blooming thing
and pushed him right off in less
than eight hours. Of course we
knew for some days previous
that we were to take it and on
the morning Of April 9th at $50
we went over the top and at
him.
| wish you could have stood
and watched it from a distance.
1t was the grandest and at the
same time the awfulest sight
that | think was ever witnessed.
The artillery and the machine
gun fire was dreadful. One
German machine gun man kept
firing at our section till we were
right on top of him and killed
him with a bomb. O, it sure
was warm alright.
| got hold Of a German Ser
/. geant Major later and started
shooting English at him. He
talked excellent English and
7 turned out to be a New Yorker
and knew Kingston, Ont. quite
well.
| was lucky again and came
out without scratch An
officer and three of us were
bombing our way up a comuni-
cation trench when Fritz threw
I a bomb at us. The officer was
wounded so he couldn't go on
; so he gave me his automatic
! Colt revolver. He died later so
4 | still have the gun but no hol-
\ ster as yet.
Z Well | had my picture taken
I for the first time since | have
I been in kahki and as soon as
they are finished | will send you
one. Of course you must rem
i ember that we don't go in for
4 fancy dress out here but | guess
\ that wont make much difference.
\ have been promoted to Lance
! Corporal since the scrap and so
have things little easier. Was
+ just issued with a $25.00 army
watch so am well away. Have
\ been thinking for some time of
applying for a commission in
the Royal Flying Corps as a
pilot but | don't know whether
y to or not. Quite a few of the
boys have done so and after
taking a course in England have
come out here and done real we'll.
Il Had letter from Hub Gillies
when he was in England and
answered right away but have
not heard from him since. Both