Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1918-04-05


is in a London hospital. The letter
was written to his brother, Bob, of
this place.
February 23rd, 1915.
Manor War Hospital,
EPSON, Surrey, England
Dear Brother:-
| received your letter a couple of
days ago In regard to the other let
ters you wrote me, you must have
made mistake in the address or
would have gotten them. My number,
10000 Canadians will always get me,
no matter where | am.
General Sherman said War is hell"
but If he had been at Passkendeale
Ridge do not know what he would
have thought. If 1t was hell for us it
was worse for Fritz. He certainly
got 1t where the chicken got the, axe
and more besides. With all of his pill
boxes and concrete dugouts which he
thought were impregnable, he has got
to back up. II he was fighting and
living under the same conditions as
we are he would not last couple Of
months. He thought nothing could
stand up against his pill-boxes. 1t did
not take him long to put his hands up
in the air trying to grab the sky when
the boys got anywhere near him. You
have got to watch him close because
he is liable to try and slip one over
on you. So it is best not to take any
chances. But the biggest part Of them
are only to glad to give themselves up
If they get chance, If they are not
shot down by their own officers. We
have come across them chained to
their own guns, so that they could not
beat it. | expect you have read about
his pill boxes. They are built Of re-
enforced concrete with 90 pound rails.
The walls are feet thick with ma.
chine guns placed inside and outside
and besides his concrete trenches and
dug-outs. That is what we had to go
up against on Paschendaele Ridge
and besides this the mud and she'll
holes. And still he could not hold us
back and besides the artillery fire. We
have got to hold our ground laying in
shell holes up to your waist in mud
and water. It is hard on the wounded.
When you try to pack them out they
start firing at you. He seems to take
great plea 'ure in shelling our Red
Cross dressing stations-the dirty ours.
They will have to get out In the open
some day then look out-that's what
our fellows are waiting for. would
like to send you one OF his bayonets.
One side Of It is like cross cut saw
and the other S sharpened like knife
and then the gas-you can never tell
what kind they are going to throw at
you. II is better for a person to get
killed than get few whiffs Of It or
get It on any part OF the body. No
matter where we go in France we
must have our gas masks with us.
1t is a good thing. You can tell your
friends to take good care OF their
gas masks-it is a good friend to have.
| There is nothing to dirty for the
brutes.
No matter where you go in France
or Belgium II is one pile of bricks and
mortar, what was once fine towns
are nothing but heaps OF bricks. In
Ypres one cannot find n pane OF
glass or a building left standing and
there was some OF the finest buildings
In the world there. You people can.
not begin to realize what the boys
are going through day after day. II
IL alright for you and Obed to talk
about king and country. II was what
would have happened IL the ficnd in
human shape had got good foot.
hold in this world. You would have
felt It over there the samo as the
rest OF Humanity. You must 20
through II to find out and begin TO
realize II. cannot begin to tell all
about II as II is more than can do.
have been and seen over here that
would like to forget. II was hard
after going through the Paschendaele
scrap without scratch to get hip a
couple OF months after in another
part OF the front. They were not
satisfied to let me come out In peace
} but tried to send me out in pieces,
but ] made II all right-just little
shrapnel. have had two operations
. will soon be all right and hack in
the line again. It was last August
when the Canadians slipped a nice
! ono over on him. We got about
10000 killed besides his wounded and
prisoners. His dead were piled up al
over the country. The stencil was
fierce. That was only small affair
Do you wonder why he calls the Ca
nadians the butchers. II was som,
sight. II makes you feel good wher
you know you are getting your owl
back. Some day will tell you al
\ about Il. Every time we have wen