Belgium May 13, 1915 Mrs. Caleb Bateman Stirling, Ont. Dear Mrs. Bateman, I hope you will forgive me in not writing home before now, as I have been very busy in our drill just before the great battle of Ypres. A few years ago, when I was home with the rest of your family, little did we think of what would happen between two great powers of the world. If Germany would fight like the British did the days that we were in the raging battle they would have been driven on their own soil, but they only checked us by using poisonous gases. We lost a great many men and also our company lost three officers. One of our officers, Major, died since of wounds. Major Sanderman and Lieut. Simpson severely wounded, Lieut. Mason killed in action, and men after men fell around me, a great many killed and a very large number wounded, although there will be a good number of the boys come back again shortly as they only have slight wounds. Our brigade you know is the second. The Germans thought we Canadians would run because we were not like the English troops, but they found out to their sorrow we did run but the wrong way to their liking. Although they used gases to shift us we came back with such force that we mowed them down like a mowing machine mows down hay. I do not know how I came to be alive today, it is more than I can explain. I helped to carry our wounded soldiers out from the trenches into safety back about a mile on stretchers, then we would to back again under heavy shell fire which was fierce. My kit was blown clear off my back in which I lost my razor, comb, underwear, socks, towel and soap. Now I have not got any, and a good many other boys are like me, so we are letting our whiskers grow until we are issued with a razor. Well mother I will not say much more about the battle for I can't help but shed tears when I think of my close comrades that have been killed on the field of battle, you can get a better account of it when you read the papers of us in the second brigade. The brigade contains the following battalions, 5th, 7th, 8th, and tenth battalions under the command of General Currie of Vancouver, B.C. Well, we were in the trenches 22 days, and the first nine days were terrible. After the battle we did not know just where to find our battalion, we were all mixed up with French and English soldiers, but when the roll came what was left in our battalion we had got mustered together fairly well, so now we are all pretty well lined up again and all the contingent made up in strength once more. We are about 20 miles back of the firing line resting a bit, and we can still hear the roar of the big guns, and in the evening all the boys join in singing hymns and speaking of the boys which are dead and wounded, although there were about a dozen taken prisoners but got away again. We got a number of German prisoners as well. When we first started out in February we were put in the trenches along with British regulars, and the coolness of these men made us settle down like ourselves. Then we took over other trenches on our own. Our casualties were not very heavy at Neuve Chapelle as we only kept the enemy busy at rapid fire so they dare not send troops to help them. At the present as I write a big battle is raging on the right flank. The noise of the guns is deafening. The machine guns are a madly roar. My people in this country are very good to me. I get all sorts of parcels, cake and other things. I passed through a very large city both in France and Belgium, and it was pitiful to see the ruins caused by the Germans. I saw a great many beautiful homes, churches and catherdrals totally destroyed, and the city of Ypres was more than human tongue can tell. Surely the German nation will be held responsible for all this. I tell you there is no mercy for any German that gets in our boys' hands even after the war. Well mother, we are to move for the trenches again in a few days, and this may be my last letter but I trust not. So I trust your are all in the best of health as I am at the present, and remember me to all my friends. Wishing you all a happy and prosperous summer, I remain A true Britisher Albert E. Roscoe