INTERl'Xl‘lNG LEI'I‘EKFROM
ANISLAND SOLDIER

 

Private Joseph McKenna, Son of Mr. Michael McKen-
na, of Newton, Lot 26,DosmM His Experiences.

 

Hr. Michael McKenna oi Newton
m 26. has received the following let
ter‘i‘rom his son Jeseph who enlisted
in the original ’10501. _

' France. Aug". 30th. 1918.
Dear Father.

Your letter of 26th ult. reached me
today. As usual i am delighted to
know that everything is running
smoothly about home and vicinity.
Too'bad'that th'o' cropshave tan in-;
1% of the tornado which visit
we. but believe' me n is lucky you
are that it is not bombs. high ‘eaplo-
alto ahella 01 every calibre and mac-
hine gun bullets which are liberated
at the rate of about 600 per minute.
pa machine you have to contend with

As you already are aware the ('an-
.edians have during the past week at-
tacked the enemy three times with
good success on the Arras trout and
atill continue to punish him.

At 10.15 a. m. August 27th I went
over the top with my battalion and
we advanced about 5 kilometres and
only. halted then because a flanking
not! was held up ior some reason orl
Other no we had to coniorm to, our!
neighbours movements in order to’

  
  
 
 
   

 

held‘at 12.30 p. m. on Aug. 28th over
tM‘top again we advanced about one
natiemnd were relieved the following
night-l had been thirty-two months
injtle: army before taking an active
part and believe me the initiation was
anything 'but‘ soothing .

The days of trench warfare and dug-
dnta have been tom rarlly abandon»
ed. Hundreds amt‘ ousadds ,«lmt obi]

keep the‘line intact and lo and be—‘

' Jectlves have given place to ndvanc-

in; in open with kilometres of
numbers for objectives so you see it
is the real line stui'l.

‘1 am living but. how or why is the
mystery.and i did not get a scratch:
To try and explftin what i have gone
through would be worse than mzul-
nesa. .\'o poets pen much less an uro
tists brush could suiflciently make.
clear the awful panoramic scene of
the battlefield as we advanced against
the enemy who clung to his guns tni
we silenced him. To our disadvantage
we .were operating in a salient the
enemy commnnding the high ground

Eon either ilank irom which his mach-

.ine gunners and snipers operated.
but nothing dauntcd thc fimadinns

who always set out to win.

all ' 'connictgoi the great

   

 
  

 
    

According to stories from prisoners‘ know we shall‘!‘ bu 943"”! be
they were ordered to counter-attack left to carry”) 'e #3 lfiopera-
twice but reinsed to race us and l‘ ions. In cc _ es w' mould not
don't blame them. i might also say have a dec r ' or bri now'we

.are spondin G S 000 p9 a}._wha[

that we had no tanks in rushing his!
machine gun posts and of course we‘
got the benefit of any resistance he
loitered.

War now-a-days is a grim business

|and those who know least about it
are best off.
' in summing up the matter to my
mind the Allied motivcs are the high-
est but I can conceive of no autocracy
however despotic that should justify
the material destruction and human
butchery today. nothing oi the pri—
rations amt suiierings caused by the
twentieth (‘entury war machine.

.\'ow after forty-nine months of
savagery scientific to n dctnil—— the,
Nations oi the
world i-lfiltinucs with unabated viol-
ence —yes. it has assumed a ram-
puncy which instead of showing signs
of dying out ilickers up anew as the-
ldnys roll on . '

in life. it}.
' To go hack (6*!
tainly have had the protection
lotherwioe i should not be telling this
ltale. Talk about miraculous escapes
II had hundreds oi them. Somebody

t must be praying for me and if so con-

'lbaitl

 

.WJN torthcoming.. 9293.5. good and

' l'i‘iOF'noth'iiig' else'l‘can never return.
him thanks for his )n'otection‘ during

 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
  

the past few days when danger was
so great indeed there is always dun-
ger even in oncs that know not the
foul touch oi war and yet men have
lived out here for {our years.

l.have not heard from brother \V.
P. for some weeks and I suppose he
has been in action ere this. Should he
et wounded yOu would hear of it
)efore i would.
‘ . Army are very good. The weather
| ‘ am not a paciiicist but I can see' ’lins been ideal the past month. I am
that the morale oi the world hnsl enjoying 140““ health. I am 5"” “'m‘

Ireached a low ebb anti it seems mad-l i the 22nd Battalion. ' Win "3115‘" ‘0

.1 ' . . . .
fitness to sacrifice all the manhood of' ‘ the lblh If ilOSSlblC as I know a great
many of the boys in that unit. How-

!good physique in order to restore I
ever it all amounts to about the same.

llihcrty as we call it. but liberty we i .
'shall never have. while there are mcn' SO'd'e'mK '5 Soldiering.

 

in the world like Raisers seeking to I must "0““ ring Oil on account. of.
grab all. i would suggest the guillo-: drakuess.

lune tor 'WWMM politicians; L0“? to all. son 21
' iand let the people rest. 1 am not down' {JOSEPIL/H

 

é‘hearted. my spirits are good anti l

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