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Date: April 24th 1917
To
Aunt Maggie and Uncle Jay
From
John Leslie McNaughton
Letter

France

24/4/17

Dear Uncle Jay Aunt Maggie and all

I must just write you a short letter tonight for we may have a busy time for a few days.

Did I write you since we had the show on the 9th of April. They call an attack a show and well they might for they are always entertaining while they last.

On April 9th our unit attacked with others at Arras and we had good success. We were on the 6th German line within thirty minutes of the start of the attack. It was better than I expected I must confess. Our men fought with a great deal of dash and the Germans did not have a look in. A goodly number of Germans were put to sleep that day for the last time. Our losses were light but of course some of our best men went down. That is the discouraging part of these shows.

The Canadians did very good work that day too in taking Vimy ridge. It was a position which was thought to be impregnable, but they took it and even went beyond it.

You would wonder how the Germans are sticking it if you could hear the guns which are throwing shells over at them. While I write this the table is vibrating with heavies which are well over a mile and a half away. The noise of the guns are bad enough but are not near as bad as the bursting of the shells.

Now I must close for this time. I am quite Well. Write Soon.

Affectionately

Leslie