Letter from Angus McLean

The following extracts are from a letter received by A.E. Stephenson, of The Speaker staff, from Private Angus McLean, now doing his "bit" in France:

DEAR FRIEND:-
I received the Speakers you sent, and believe me we were glad to see them. It seemed like home again. I see New Liskeard is still holding her own in sports. The first of July is the first celebration I have missed there yet, and I think it will be the last as Bill (Thomas) and I expect to be back from Berlin by the next.
We are in the thick of it now. They put us in the first line right off the bat, but it was quiet while we were in. We put four days in the firing line and have eight days to put in here in reserve, and then I don't know if we go back to billets or up to the firing line. We haven't seen any Germans yet, as they won't show up in daylight. Since Warsaw has fallen I guess we will soon see them. But, we are here first, and they will have to go some to get through. They will find it harder than Warsaw.
Well, Allie, we have been going some since we left Haileybury, they haven't left us long enough in one place to get acquainted. I hope we keep on going still. There is nothing to stop us but the German trenches now. Our trenches are only three hundred yards from them.
Bill and I were over to see Capt. Robinson a couple of weeks ago. He is looking better than I ever saw him. There is a lot of boys here that we know. We have not seen Claude Kennedy yet, but expect to see him as soon as we get back to billets.
They certainly use us well, far better than we expected and the trenches are just like home. But, I guess I will have to stop at that, before I say more than I should, as the letter is liable to be thrown out.
You can tell the boys that everything is going well with us here, and we will be glad to hear from them.
Well, I will have to close now. Bill is rasping away on an old mouth organ that sounds as if it had been through a dozen battles, and it is getting on my nerves.
Yours,
A. McLean.
[Below we give Angus' address, and hop a number of his friends will sit right down and write him a cheery letter. - A. E. S.
Pte. A. McLean, No. 47910
No. 2 Co., 15th Battalion,
1st Can. Div., 3rd Brigade,
B.E.F., France