FROM THE FIRING LINE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2320, 30 November 1914, Page 7

FROM THE FIRING LINE

WITH THE ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS AN OFFICER'S EXPERIENCES The following extracts from letters received from Captain the Hon. Jas. Boylo, of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, third son of the Earl of Glasgow (news of whose death in action was published on Saturday), are particularly interesting :— - ' "Haven't had a moment to write to you for days; all very busy, but I will try to make up for it now there-' is a bit of a lull. I haven't had my boots or even my belt and pistol off for days. I havo lost all count of time , . I think we have been here for five days, but am very vague. This is an extraordinary business.' We are up against a pretty big force of Germans—how big' we don't know—but after a pretty, stiff bit of fighting we crossed the river and have .been hanging on to the German side of the river at the edge of tho plateau for days waiting for the armies on our right and left to come up. "It is a life which lias.a great deal of humour, and we have our particular friends among the German guns, wliich we have names for. For instance, "Silent James" is a great friend; he is a big Howitzer, throwing a 901b. shell with. the utmost regularity every 15 minutes into the village behind us. There is not much left:of the village, but otherwise. 'Silent-James' doesn't do .much harm. Heis called that because he is. so far off. "we do not hear the report, but the first thing we know is when he whistles overhead and bursts with a treniohdous explosion in the village behind.- One of his brothers, ■Whistling Willie,' is reported to be oii his back .with his legs in the air, tho result' of- a lucky shot from our heavy guns. We spend our days digging trenches, and most of our nights tooi 'I occupy with my company two trenches on the edge of the plauteau, which we have improved until they are nothing more or less than a series of rabbit burrows, and we now think they are shrapnel proof., Everybody lives underground in holes they have dug or found. The four of us in my company found a splendid cave used by the aborigines in times-of peace. It has a'door, and we have a large firb every night, and live, iri perfect safety.

How Some of the Men L,ve"l, have all-the men who are not actually on/duty -in the trenches in'a large cave opposite.this one, and they are quito safe. 'At the.-present moment the Germans are firing -Valof shrapnel at our trenches just above my head,'but nobody minds 'that now. Not far from here is a sandstone quarry which was in work until the war broko out. Now every terrace is' honeycombed with holes in which live one or two men. There ore all sorts there—transport drivers, ■Royal Engineers, some of this regi-. : ment, and various others, including the headquarters of the regiment. Standing at the bottom and looking'up it looks like a 'bank full of sandmittins' holes, and one sees .'a head stuck out of a hole every now end their; I saw amail arrive this morning, and an engineer corporal going found with the letters to the various holes and dishing them but. It makes me think of.the suburban postnian until one of .'Silent James's" reminders came along. "Since we have been in this extraordinary existenco. iye have been- -gotting masses of mails—all the accumulations that'have been:-chasing us round for weeks and weeks. ... To-day I got some : cigarettes, candles, and soap— all most ■ acceptable. Soap.is not so necessary just now,: as we have no water towash withj. and just enough to drink and : cook "with. That is only obtained from the village; not,a very healthy occupation! "with■■' Silent James' throning his. portmanteau about. ■'. ■' I haven't washed since/we came-here, or shaved for a'week, hut feel very well and fit. Wo .have lots to eat. My feet are very wejl." One day they got a bit sore, but are quite hard now. I am commanding a company, a quarter of the battalion, and, should have a horse to ride. I mvehad two. 'The first one was lame , for three days, so I sent him away, and got another, which was short of a shoe, and I couldn't ride him.' He wa3 killed three days.ago when we were having a nasty two hours' under' shrapnel from our own guns. They,; killed the company dog too'.'-.vOur ..'brigade has been doing most awfully , well. We have'a very_ good brigadier, and I hear' our division '■ has been very .much complimented by French, but consequently we get. more than .our ,share of the work. We are, always being eont to clear a village or_odd.jobs. It is quite amusing in its way; ' There are no matches in the Army. I believe, and to see a man strilce a match is a very rare sight. We all keep a fire sjoiiig in camp, and there are a few-.burning glasses, in ■ho company, but some matches would be really most acceptable. Cigarettes and sweets, such a-s ■ chocolates, aro much appreciated, as somehow the diet we are on gives one a sort of craving for sweets. The candles are 'most acceptable, also, as wo are practically out of them; as a matter- of fact, I havn't seen my kit sinco we camo here, as it is on the wagon, winch is still on the other side of the river, and will not' come over until we move on. Hence my dirty, unshaven state. I have got to go out 10-night and dig, for the last time I hope. ;It is slow work' digging in tho dark, and not safe to dig as they will shell one so.' 'An-order has just come round to.me communicated to all ranks, and is as follows :—--.. 'This afternoon General Doran found a soldier cutting a piece of divisionalcable lines to tie a macintosh sheet to his bicycle. When opportunity occurs,would you please impress on all ranks tne vital necessity of keeping all cables • intact. , "Personally I think that it is the nicest piece cf humour I have seen for''a long time. There have been a lot of complaints, that it is impossible to keep communication with, divisional headquarters, and if thore is much of this sort of thing I don't wonder at complaints.

A Further Communication. "My letter to you written yesterday missed the poet, but while we are in J his place apparently there is goin-* to be a post out every day, so 1 send it to-day and also this one. There is no change in the situation so far as wo know here. 'Silent James , speaks no more and wo miss him very milch. We have lots of others Us keep us busy, but 'S.J7 is a great loss. Perhaps •ho will turn up again. The Germans are very active- to-day: I hope they are not meditating trouble; wo are very happy and peaceful here, resting the men, etc. • The weather is perfectly beastly, very cold;, driving rain, anil the men havo no greai>coats and some liave not even waterproof sheets. They feel the cold and-wet dreadfully, and they still have to live in the trenches most of tho day. Perhaps by the timo you get this yon will know'all about the Battle of tlie'Aisne, in which we aro taking a small but important part. -It ficoms difficult to imagine. that this is a portion of-« great battle that will bo in history for all time; everything thai one thinks of, i.e., the iMiiount of rations one gft|s—tho stnto of tlto men's rifles and equipment and, :ill tho interior economy of one's company—everything seeni6 so petty when ono thinks of tho enormous issue's which depend on tho result. All one's''little troubles seem small eomohow. But to go on. "We arc now threatened with a shortnge of firewood, wirioh i'h morions, or, wther, was, for .my. junior subaltern.,

who has just conio back from a foraging trip reports that ho discovered a heap 61 firewood in a garden. I havo ordered a platoon, i.0., 'about 50 men, to descend after dark and transfer it to my camp. 'Heaven helps those who help themsqlrcs/andone Las to bo selfish on active service for the good, of ono's men. I must find some cave to storo it ill, as I should certainly have it looted if any other company or corps wore to hear of niy store If I tried to movo it by day I should probably bo shelled as well as having eomo other regiment claiming as their owji property. . "Another parcel arrived from you today containing shirts, socks, hank, choc, and cigarettes, all most acceptable—and a very nice letter. But you mustn't get downhearted; tins is all going to be a very sad business for everybody loft behind, but it is what must be expected, and I don't let myself think of these things at all."