France
31/8/18

Dear Winnie: –

I received your letters some days ago but did not answer them soon as we were on the go all the time.

No "safety-first" for a while. I got fed up & thought I'd try for a commission so got back with the battalion some time ago

I went "over" with the boys on the 8th, I suppose you read all about what happened on that day long ago, & came out all O.K. We had a great time going over, more ideal weather couldn't be asked for. It had been raining up until the day before when the weather broke. The 8th was started off rather cool with a mist. Our first lot went over when the missed was on & it helped quite a deal. When it came our turn to go over the sun was out good & strong & it was a lovely day. We went through the first bunch after they took their objective. Our objective was a wood. We had to pass over quite a stretch of open country a few sunken roads & a wood before we got to the wood where we were to stop in front. We gained all our objectives on schedule time & took a good many prisoners. We took a great many more prisoners than the number of casualties we had. There were more killed by us then we had casualties. Our casualties were not very heavy. We only had a few killed & the most of those wounded were very slight. The only thing we had to contend with was machine gun fire. They kept firing the guns right up till the last minute & then threw up their hands. Heinie's  guns, what managed it, beat it earlier in the day.

I got a few slight wounds a couple of days ago but will be all right in a short while. There were three of us in a funk hole & two in another close to it. He started to send a few over just back of the trench & we crawled into the funk hole. He lengthened his range & we started to joke & laugh. Another one came, but we didn't hear it, & landed right in the trench. I was slightly wounded in the forehead, just over the left eye, & in the leg – below the knee. I can hardly hear anything yet but that will wear off in a day or so. The other four boys were badly wounded. I am now in a hospital in France and am having a good rest – the first I had since coming over here. We get treated very well here & enjoy the fine atmosphere. The hospital is not far from the coast & is on a high hill. The scenery around here is lovely.

I suppose you got that German field-glasses I sent you.

Jack

J. A. Corcoran