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Date: May 3rd 1915
Letter

May 3rd, 1915. We are still here hot at it. We had a hot time last night. They tried to put through an attack. First of all we could see the air get green above the trenches, then firing started and then we opened up. They shelled us pretty heavily at the battery, but did very little damage. It is just like the pictures you see of Colenso. Horses galloping, shells bursting, and men standing in their stirrups with whips flying. We brought up six loads of ammunition last night in the hottest firing, had one driver killed, two wounded and three horses killed, also two gunners wounded. Our infantry are now able to withstand that barbarous gas which is sulphur and chlorine. They use pads moistened with washing soda over the mouth. We are going to use them too as the fumes are fierce even at our distance. We licked the brutes last night and drove them back again. In fact most of them had'nt the nerve to leave their trenches and come out to fight This is probably the biggest battle in this part of the war. Men of other regiments who were at Mons, St. Eloi and other fights say that this has them all beaten. We can hear the big Jack Johnsons sailing over into the town. They sound just like the old street cars going down Sherbourne St. in the middle of the night. You get after a while so that you can tell by the sound where a shell is going to hit and have time to "duck". I think the first Canadian Division has shown the world the stuff it's made of. Our ears get awfully tender from so much concussion even with cotton wool in them and it is a bit hard on the nerves. My poor horse Captain shivers with fright all day and all night. You should see my dirty unshaven face and you would hardly know me.