Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1919-02-27
shepherdown Jefferson County, Virginia Thursday February 2 1919
Letter From Lieut.. Mcdonald.
Arras, France,
Innnaru 10 1910

Dear Anne-Am up in Arras, at the
er building was hit by several shells
Saskatoon Club" which is run by the
Canadians for their officers. II was
an old chateau, which like every 9TH
but this one is still livable, which is
more than can be said of three-fourths
OF the houses here. The Germans nev-
er held the town, but the "crest OF the
wave" reached it in 1914, and were inn,
mediately driven out by the French.
They dug in on the outside so close
that they could snipe people in the
streets with rifles, till the show in 1917
when they were driven back three or
four miles. Again this year the Ger
mans drove in a couple Of miles, but
never reached the place. There are
a number of caves and tunnels under
the town, and the English hid two ,di-
visions in them until the attack and
they went forward in tunnels TO the
support trenches.
Vimy Ridge is just north and ex-
tends almost to the city. 1t was TAX
en- at the same time. Yesterday went
out the road towards Bethune to Souch-
ey, where the French lost $4,000 men
in four days attack for gain OF less
than a mile. All France shudders at
that name. | came back to La Target,
MELVILLE, St. Vast, Phelus and Vimy,
the same ground that spent week
in last March with the Canadians. Now
all was still and quiet, only few SOL
diers working at salvage-quite con-
trast to my last visit, when there were
three or four shells every minute. |
went to the same dug-out, but it was
occupied by some other soldiers, so
did not enter. 1t all looked just the
same-the same wire, trenches, ruins,
etc., but how very quiet it all seemed!
The old "double culvert" that Jer-
ry used as ranging point was filled
and the railroad rebuilt Jerry used
to drop a few shells in it every five
minutes Of the day and night just for
luck. | had to go through it several
times and always did so on the dou-
BILE. Visited the crater line, where the
front lines were only 90 feet apart in.
places and the war was both above and
below ground, as testified by the line
of craters where mines were blown.
The largest, "the Twins" is $50 feet
across and 80 feet deep, and the next
one is almost touching it, You never
saw such a chewed up bit Of ground
shell holes, trenches, shelters, with
wire beams, etc., scattered all around
a mute testimony to the hell that was
ragged there.
To the west the Germans had an un
interrupted view for miles. They told
me that in the daylight it was neces-
sary to enter the trenches five miles
back from the front. To the east the
hill is steep, and a comparatively lev
ell plain beyond Douas, Is miles away,
plainly visible.
We went on to Lens, which is just
one big pile Of wreckage. Hardly a
wall is standing, not house is recog-
nizable as such. From here eastward,
everything is built Of brick. There
are a number OF "fcsses" or coal mines
each with its pile Of slack hundred
feet high and covering 10 to 20 acres.
Fosse No. 6, just to the west, was the
one spoken of by Ian Hay, in his "First
Hundred Thousand" When you stand
there you can picture it all-machine
guns hiding everywhere and the shells
breaking all around-everything knock
ed down. You wonder how anyone liv-
ed.
Tom Todd was in bunch OF Can
adams who attacked and had to hold
on without food, water or help for sew
eral days before relief could come up.
We went on towards Lille and 5
miles away the houses were untouch-
ed. Trenches and wire in the fields
and tank barriers built across the
streets were the only signs Of war.
Wherever there had been bridge was
a gap, with wreckage scattered all
around. The many roads were built
with a system Of portable bridges that
the British have developed, some Of
which carry tanks AS tons) across
gaps 120 feet long and can be erected
in two days. They are wizards at the
game.
Your Fond Brother,
MARSHALL