Another letter from Pte. Melville Mellis to his mother, Mrs. W.A. Mellis, dated France, May 9th, reads as follows:
Just a few lines to answer your very welcome letter. I was glad to hear that you are all well. We are out behind the lines for a rest which I think we have earned it. We were inspected by Gen. Currie to-day. He read a letter to us which he had received from the Canadian Corps Commander congratulating us on our recent successes. The Canadians have made quite a name for themselves around here. The old Frenchman says Canadians are 'tre bon', meaning very good.
Yesterday, I was on guard at the Battalion headquarters. I was not on very long but who should come up the road but BARNEY KANALEY. He is over in the Transports just about 500 yards from my billet. I had just got relieved of my sentry when TOM PORTER came over to see me. He said Barney had told him I was here so he thought he would come and see me. He told me all the news he knew in exchange for mine. There were a couple more lads over to see me but I do not know their names. Tom told me he was up to the guns after the big advance and he came across a pair of German officers boots, and he thought he would take them if they were any good, so he picked up one and it felt kind of heavy, so he turned it upside down and a part of a foot fell out. Tom says he decided that he would keep the pair of boots he had issued to him after that. He tells me he has lost track of REUBEN JACKSON. He says that one day Fritz was dropping shells around pretty close and Reub and the others made a dive to cover. He made the dugout all right but fell on the others and was taken to the hospital that night. He has not heard from him since. NORMAN McINTOSH is somewhere around here with one of the anti-aircraft guns, but I have not seen him.
Jim Beatty must be having a great time around the old burg. I was reading of Jim's speech from the Cobourg papers.
We do not get a chance to write very much when we are in the lines. For the last while we have had something to think about, believe me.
I have just come back from the battery boys' billets, but they have gone to their guns with ammunition and the old fellow there told me he did not think they would be back before daylight.
The other day a little fellow whom I chum with went with me into one of the French stores to buy a pound of butter. The old lady who runs the store wanted 90 cents for it. We only bought half a pound. Eggs are worth ...Cents apiece. Well, I guess this is all, I'll have to close now. Love to all.
MELVILLE.
