BX September 12, 1916

Men of 84th Now in Firing Line – Private Foster Reeve Writes Interestingly of Fritz Shell Assortment

An interesting letter has been received by Mrs. Walter McHutchion, Ontario Street, from her brother, Pte. Foster Reeve, formerly of 75 Emilie Street, and now a member of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in France, he having gone over to England with the 84th Battalion, which was split into drafts. He says in part:

August 22, 1916
Somewhere in France

Dear Sister,

I have not yet received the box you sent me, but I am not worrying, as I know it is on the way somewhere, as you know parcels don’t travel the same as letters do. We all know what it is to wait for mail, as it has a long way to travel, and as we are now in France it takes a little longer for us to get it.

I have been in the firing line for two days and two nights and so am now right into the game for which I enlisted just about a year ago. It certainly is a queer and nervous situation for one who has never been under fire, but I was all right myself, although sometimes things were getting me going. I managed to overcome all thoughts of that and came through all right. You would think that you were at Toronto Exhibition, watching the fireworks, only the kind they send up and through the air there are more dangerous. The greatest danger is to get into the trenches, which we enter at night.

The other night when I went in it was raining hard and as the ground is all clay we sure had some fun as we slipped and fell. I was in a nice mess when I did get there. At one place we were on a slat walk and a fellow tripped and fell headlong into me knocking me down into a hole about two feet deep. I laughed so hard I could hardly get up, but it’s no joke at that when one has to stay in the same clothes. But the sun came out good next day, and so dried them out. I couldn’t take them off, as no one is allowed to remove any equipment when under fire.

It is a great assortment of things that Fritz sends over, and they have a name for all of them here – rum jars, coal boxes, sausages and whizz bangs, which all make an awful noise, and if they hit the right spot do a great deal of damage. We lost two men and had several injured the first day. Corp. Brooks was one of those killed. He was with the 84th in Brantford last winter, and was a nice fellow. I saw him about an hour before he was killed, and he was in high spirits. We are all taking that chance and some of us are sure to get knocked out. I am into it to stay and come out if I can.

The bugles are blowing “Come to the cookhouse door, boys,” and you know what that means. It’s me for the good and wholesome beef stew and margarine and oleomargarine – soldier’s butter.

Your loving brother,
Foster

BX September 21, 1916

Some Incidents of Trench Life of 84th Battallion – Lieut. Bartle Killed by Bullet Through Head – Pte. G.D. Millard Wounded – Fred Kerr With 75th – Former High County Constable is Now B.S.M. – A Review by the King Followed by Special Training and Trip to France

Mr. John Colter has received an interesting letter from Pte. Foster Reeves of the 84th giving some details of the breaking up of the battalion, one despatch of the drafts to France and their experience in the trenches. He writes:

Somewhere in France

Dear Mr. Colter,

Just a few lines to let you know that I am well and feeling fine. As you will no doubt know by this time the 84th Battalion was split up soon after reaching England, the greater part being now with the 75th Battalion, which is also a Toronto unit, under the command of Lieut.-Col. Beckett. We have had a very busy time since leaving Toronto – June 15. We arrived in Liverpool on June 25 and joined the 75th Battalion at Bramshott camp on July 2, arriving there at midnight. We were up at 4.30 the next morning, Saturday and marched to Hankley Common, where a review was held by His Majesty the King. This was composed of the Canadian infantry and artillery in training in and around Bramshott and Aldershot. It was certainly a grand sight and made a fine showing as they marched by the saluting base in columns of half companies. It was a hard day’s march on our boys, as they were not in shape after the long journey over, but we got back to camp all right, although a few had to drop out from being overcome by the great heat.

The following week we went to the ranges and were there for about three weeks when we were given a three days leave, and so I went up to London, which is only about 43 miles from Bramshott. I had a very good time for the short time there. I was up and saw the tower of London and Buckingham Palace, and also saw the changing of the guard. They certainly have some well trained horses and they stand so still that you would think they were statues.

Casualties Recorded

Well we left England Aug. 11, so are now at the firing line. We have been in the trenches for about 10 days and came out last night for a rest of about four days, when we will be going back in again. We have had a few casualties and have lost two corporals and one officer. The first two were killed by the explosion of a shell, and Lieut. Bartle by a bullet in the head. He was with the 84th Battalion at Brantford last winter and was a very fine fellow, being one of the officers in C Company. There has also been several injured one being young Millard at the American hotel. He got hit with a piece of shrapnel, but is not considered dangerously hurt.

A Narrow Escape

I and my pals had a narrow escape the other day when one of Fritz’s shells burst just over the top of the parapet. We were sitting down in the trench eating our dinner, and it sure made a mess of us and the eatables. But we escaped unhurt and hope to keep on doing so. It certainly gives one a very funny feeling to be under fire for the first time, and it is no place for a nervous person. However, one soon gets used to it and can sleep too, when one gets tired no matter how much noise is going on. We get lots of rain here, and as the ground is mostly clay, it is hard work getting around. Some get into a nice mess sometimes, especially if they fall down into a hole in the dark. I took a tumble one night and looked like a clay model in the morning. But one can expect hardships in this life and we can believe what we have read of the hard work that the troops have had before we came.

There are not many horses here on the farms at present and all the grain is cut by hand. It is certainly a great growing country, as the oat and wheat crops look fine, but back about four or five miles everything is in full bloom and one would hardly think there was a war on only for the presence of troops and the sound of the guns in the distance. I have not seen many Brantford boys yet, but saw Plant, who used to be station master at the G.T.R. He said he met Seagram, you know Jack Porteous about two months ago, and he was looking fine. He is an officer’s batman in the artillery, but they have moved away from here to another point, so I will only run a chance of seeing him. Ernie Moffat’s brother is with Plant in the 40th Battery but I did not see him, as he was up to the firing line with supplies when I was at their camp. By the way, Fred Kerr is our battalion sergeant-major, and he is well and fit. Jim Mounce came over on the same boat from Halifax with us. He had to report at Shorncliffe before coming to France. I had a letter from my brother Ed. He is at Bramshott with the 125th Battalion. They arrived there on Aug. 16, just five days after we left, so I missed seeing him, but I may see him when they come over here. I haven’t heard from Dr. Cutcliffe or Dr. Montgomery, but as they are in another division I don’t think I will.

Pte. Foster Reeve, 164510
C. Company, 75th Battalion
Army Post office,
London, England

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BX December 26, 1916

Brantford Boy in Somme Battle – Private Foster Reeves Gives a Graphic Description of an Attack

Private Foster Reeves, who recently while with the 75th Battalion in the Somme region, was wounded, now being in a hospital in London, England, has written an intensely interesting letter to his sister, Mrs. W. McHutchion, 37 Ontario Street, descriptive of the battle in which he was wounded. He was wounded in the arm on Nov. 18, the letter is as follows:

November 29, 1916

Dear Sister,

I suppose by this time that you have heard of my having been wounded, and you will be also surprised to see by the above address that I am in hospital in London. I was wounded on the 18th of this month. A piece of shrapnel went right through my right arm, above the elbow. It is very sore, but is getting along fine. I don’t know how long I shall be here, but it will be for some time, anyway. You will see by the papers that the Canadians have been in the heavy fighting on the Somme front. Well, it was there I got mine, on the other side of the famous Regina trench, which you will see mentioned in all the papers.

The 75th have been on this front for about six weeks and we certainly put in some hard work while there. The weather was anything but good and almost a continual rain, which made lots of mud. We had made about four trips into the front line for the purpose of making an advance, but the mud was so deep that advancing was impossible until the week beginning Nov. 11, when the weather man was very good all week and the mud dried up, so that on the 17th we were told that we would be “going over the top,” which is climbing out of the trench we were in and advancing across to attack Fritz in his own trench. Well Friday night was very cold and men were called off to bring up hot soup, which helped to warm the boys up.

At 4 o’clock on Saturday morning the weather went against us again, as it started to snow.  But that didn’t stop us and with the first rays of daylight the big show started. First the artillery behind us opened fire with a noise like continual thunder. I shall never forget it. It is what they call an artillery barrage. The shells burst about 50 yards ahead of us, and then they would lift the range and we would advance under the protection of it. But don’t think that Fritz is quiet while this is going on. The first intimation of his gun fire is to see one of your pals knocked out, but we can’t stop to help them as there are men already detailed for that. It must have been about 600 yards across “No Man’s Land,” where I was, but I got there without a scratch. When we got about 100 yards from the German trench the artillery lifted their fire and we all made a rush for the German trench. This is where the fun and work begins. The Boshes come running out of the dugouts with their arms up hollering “Mercy kamerade.”  We chased them out and behind us and there they were taken prisoners. But then we had to go over their trench and did in about 100 yards further, on what they call consolidating our position. I was with a machine gun crew, and it was our duty to keep off any counter-attacks while the rest of the men were digging themselves in.

It was here that I got mine. A shell burst just behind me and one right arm and another just grazed my right side, but enough to draw blood. But my arm was the worst, as it sure did bleed, and I couldn’t use it. The first thing I did was to unbuckle my equipment and throw it off. And then get to a place of safety, which was a hard proposition with machine gun bullets and shells bursting all around. But I must have had a charm on my life, for I managed to get back to the German trench without being hit again. Oh, but it was awful to see the number of men lying about wounded and killed.

Others were hurt worse than I was, and although my arm pained me a great deal I helped to bandage a few of my pals’ wounds, until my arm got so stiff that I had to quit and I was faint from the loss of blood. Then I started for the dressing station, which seemed to be miles away, but I got there safely and after having my arm dressed and something hot to eat I felt all right. From there I got into an ambulance and came up to another dressing station, were I had to have another "inoculation," of which I have sure had a few since I signed up. But it must be all for the safety of one and also stops infection which might set in. I had some more to eat and believe me I was hungry. Then I got into another ambulance and came to another place, where I took a train. There must have been about 1000 wounded on the train. Then we got off at a casualty clearing station and were put to bed for the night, but it was about 5 o'clock in the morning, and Sunday at that. Then on Monday night we were sent to Boulogne, where I went to No. 3 Canadian General Hospital. I was certainly surprised to be told by the nurse that I was going to be sent to England, as I did not think my wound was serious enough to warrant my going to "Blighty."  But, however, here I am and am having the time of my life. It certainly is good to get away from France with its dangers and excitement of war, and to get back once more into God's country, as we all call it. This hospital is certainly a swell place, and the nurses are so good. There are 26 cots in this war, all occupied by wounded men. We have a piano and also a gramophone, which gives us lots of music and then we are allowed out in the afternoon from 2 to 5 and can go to a show or for a walk. I was out yesterday, and went down to the Canadian pay office to get some money. I had to wait a couple of hours, so I and another chum who belongs to the 54th Batt., went over to a lady's house, where we were treated to tea and cake. She does nothing else but entertains wounded Canadians while they are waiting for their pay. One doesn’t need to want for anything here, as everybody seems to want to do something for the wounded, and there are certainly a lot of them in London.
 
Your loving brother,

Foster