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and cripples already in the streets of London to believe it.

We are in for a long and terrible summer and no mistake and God alone knows the outcome. Believe me there is going to be something doing. With the modern enormous siege guns, the machine guns, shrapnel shells &c. - thousands of men can be accounted for in an astonishing short space of time.

The Bedfordshires lost 600 men in twelve minutes at Mons. Our losses at Neuve Chapelle alone amounted to 12,000, which is going some. One thing I know. If we got within a few hundred yards of Germans there’s no officers in the world would stop us from a bayonet charge. We sure are a wild crowd. About 75 per cent of the Battalion speak the Gaelic.

The kilt is ideal for marching and running. We wear absolutely nothing under the kilt, we are not allowed to. I dressed Eric up in the kilt and he said it was like being in your shirt. You have to be careful, of course, if you are with ladies, how you sit down &c. &c for obvious reasons, otherwise one might have to render first aid to a fainting and unspeakable shocked virgin! (I was going to say something else but I won’t. It’s too hot!!!)

Well, old boy, I must pull it in as it is near ‘roll-call’. If I am spared and survive this war I should like, as I mentioned before, to send David that series “The Books for the Bairns”, starting at No.1. I don’t know whether it would be wiser to wait until he can read. I think he would enjoy the pictures hugely and then they would be there ready waiting for him when he could read. Anyway, please advise, and don’t forget to remind me of it whether I am in the trenches or not. I must say I envy your happy lot, nice little family, far from the long drawn battle line and dreadful clash of armaments. You can sit in peace under your own vine, as it were, and meditate on the futility of this war. Let’s hope Britain will emerge from this war a newer and greater Britain and a victorious Briton ‘wider still and wider may her bounds be set’ - that is my wish - and “God that made her mighty, make her mightier yet”. Well, here’s confusion to our enemies! All best to self, and love to David & Jess.

BC Archives, MS-1901 Box 1 File 5 / RUSSELL, Alma M., 1873 - 1964. Victoria; librarian. / Letters and associated items from Private Jack A. Gunn, 1915 - 1916.