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Three Officers, out of four, gone, one killed, and the S.M. wounded. You can form some idea of our casualties. The rest of the Companies suffered badly, but not like us. It seems that the Battalion, were called up in support, where they could do no good, and were unmercifully shelled, with our Artillery, as usual, giving no support; when they did start, they silenced the Germans, all right, but they were a long time starting. All the wounded were fine, and their cheerfulness amazing. Harry Wootton got a shattered hip, and they tried to carry him out on a blanket. He was in such agony, that he had to do something, so he -"sang"-. Stevens, of the Royal Bank, had his leg nearly blown off, and instead of bandaging it, he used his dressing on another man, and so on. I am now Company Sergt. Major, and have been having the finest kind of time, getting things straight. We only got our Draft the middle of this month, and we have been so chivied about, that I never got a roll of the Company, and none of the survivors had one, and three platoon Sergts, were out of it, so you can imagine the time I had of it, making alphabetical rolls, and casualty lists. The present indications are that we are going back to the excitement, but I hardly see what we can do. By the way, I had a close shave the other day. We started out on a billeting party, and this time we were all mounted. We rode to Brigade Headquarters, and were waiting in a group, when, whizz --- putt, along came a shell, which hit about 50 feet behind, - and did not explode, otherwise, it would have got us sure. Several others followed, but further away.

BC Archives, MS-1901 Box 1 File 10 / RUSSELL, Alma M., 1873-1964. Victoria; librarian. / Selected letters from Sergeant John Raymond McIllree, 1915.