COU-31

27^th Feb 1916

Dear Mr Elliott,

There isn't much to tell you this time. For about a month I have been having a very peaceful time. I was appointed gas adviser to the Division & sent to army headquarters to consult with the chemists & see how we protected ourselves. Imagine how surprised I was on going to the billet which was allocated to me to find that Prof. Stanley⁹⁹ was already installed there. He is in charge of the wireless.

My stay at army headquarters was a delightful holiday from the hard work of trench life because we were so far back that the guns were a mere rumble. Then I came down to the front line again & am now engaged in the work of instructing the division in our methods of protection against gas & gas shells. It is most interesting but there is an element of danger about it which makes it rather piquant at times. For instance a few days ago I was explaining a bomb containing incendiary liquid & said I would show them how it worked. It worked much quicker than I intended for instead of a safety fuse it had an instantaneous fuse in it. By a sheer miracle none of its contents touched me. Another time I was foolish enough to attempt an experiment in order to find out how long it was possible to remain in gas with a certain gas helmet on before the fumes penetrated it. I found out! I never want to be nearer death than that.

In the past four days we have had heavy snow & accordingly we are cursed by having a white background now for all our movements. The enemy can see us the moment we show ourselves & of course we can see him so most of our fighting is being carried on through loop holes. The French have been getting a very severe handling but they are fine soldiers. The stories of the Verdun firing having been heard in Holland is absolute nonsense. Newspaper stories of fights which I have been in show that they are hopelessly misinformed by their so-called correspondents.

By the way McCausland came round to see me the other day. I am glad he called because at times I can lay aside my rank & help him. He thinks of applying for a commission but I doubt very much whether he could hold one if he did get it. I rather fancy he is rather a lonely boy. I would gladly help if I could & have asked him to come & see me if ever he is billeted in the same place.

The life the men lead is very hard. It is for us too of course but we can buy many little comforts they never see & they don't have the everlasting gnawing responsibility. Someday it will begin to dawn on our men that some officers at any rate do really worry about the comfort of their men. Our fellows are splendid but not soldiers in the real sense of the word. They will endure the most remarkable hardships without any complaint. I spent 24 hours in a shell hole with four of them once & never heard a murmur, though I must confess I was nearly mad with the abominable discomfort. First my legs got wet then one shoulder & gradually I could feel the cold sinking through my clothes & the climax came when the watery mud reached my stomach. That is the time when one is really cold. I had a rifle the same as they had & I was more than glad to use it when I could in order to distract my mind from my environment. I never took greater pains with my shooting than I did that night. I was having a duel with another sniper, we were shooting at the flash of each other's rifle but he had me at a disadvantage because he could change his position but I couldn't. Finally I got him. But the whole experience will live in my mind as one of my greatest discomforts.

I must close now. I hope you are all well at home & that all my old colleagues are also well. I haven't heard anything of Gourley¹⁰⁰ getting into uniform yet. Can't you spare him? Please remember me to my old friends & to Mrs Elliott.

With kindest regards

Yours sincerely,

T Coulson