British Exped. Force. N. France

March 21/1916.

COPY

My dear old pal,

Yours of 23rd. February arrived O.K. along with 2 Saturday evening posts and paper. I was very pleased to receive these as in so far as bright literature was concerned, I had fallen on evil days.

I have written fewer letters the last three months than at any time since I first went abroad. The winter out here is a terror and our billets, cold and cheerless and no fires, are not inducive to letter writing. In January and February we were out of the trenches — this being our first real rest since were were out here. Towards the end of last month we left the district we were billeted in and started off on a long march. The weather conditions were terrible, snow practically every day, and one day we marched in snow a food deep. This is nothing to Canadians properly equipped, but imagine carrying full active service kit on your back, pack, rifle, heavy haversac, goat-skin, doublet, besides shrapnel helmet, iron rations, 275 rounds of ammunition, besides all your own stuff, socks &c.&c. in your pack. March 12 or 12 miles under these conditions and the strongest man has had enough. The march lasted several days. Sometimes we bivoucked in the snow and snatched a hasty meal (bread and cheese and hot tea) by the wayside. There were many ‘fall outs’ so severe were the conditions. Personally, I managed the march well, being in splendid condition and as hard as nails. I never felt the marches at all and arrived at the village nearby these trenches feeling fit and well.

After a day’s rest we entered these trenches and took up our position, 8 days in firing line, 8 days in reserve and then 8 days again in firing line.

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.