The Front Lines

August 1 1916

Dear Ada,

We must constantly be ready for action when on the front lines. Although there are times when there is nothing to do, any minute could bring a whiz bang or potato masher with it. I believe I wrote to you in a previous letter about the living conditions in the trench. 

It is a relief, to say the least, when our shift ends and new troops come to take over for us. Constantly staying out on the front lines is quite taxing, both physically and mentally. One of the ever-present factors is lack of sleep. This of course doesn’t make anything else better. 

As well, nobody knows when he will be hit. It’s incredibly stressful. There have been a few soldiers who have just picked up and left. Whether it’s because of the stress, the boredom, or some whole other reason, who knows? There are also those (although very few) who injure themselves on purpose or fake shellshock to get out of the fighting. Soldiers can be admitted into the hospital with it though, and are treated with talk and physical therapy, or electric shocks. But to put it frankly, shellshock is really a sign of cowardice. Never would you catch me being admitted into a hospital diagnosed with shellshock. Never.

Take care of yourself,

Grant

WW1 / Western Front / Canadian Soldiers. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica Image Quest. Web. 24 Nov 2010.

Canadian Infantry / W.Front / WWI. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica Image Quest. Web. 24 Nov 2010.

“The Effects of Low Morale.” Canadian War Museum. Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. <http://www.warmuseum.ca/‌cwm/‌exhibitions/‌guerre/‌low-morale-e.aspx>.

“’Shellshock.’” Canadian War Museum. Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. <http://www.warmuseum.ca/‌cwm/‌exhibitions/‌guerre/‌shellshock-e.aspx>.