Loyola College - Review Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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САРТ. ARMAND CHEVALIER, 22nd. LIEUT. PIERRE CHEVALIER, 22nd. | ERE CAPT. PHILIPPE CHEVALIER, 163rd. MAJOR GEORGE BOYCE, C.A.M.C. à LIEUT. G. VICTOR WALSH, 24th.

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LOYOLA COLLEGE REVIEW 19 LETTER FROM CAPTAIN VANIER: Flanders, Feb. 29th, 1916. I found your card, with Christmas wishes, in a box containing cigarettes and a pipe from the ‘‘Montreal Gazette Tobacco Fund. It is splendid to think that those behind the lines are thinking of those who are fortunate enough to be at the front. We are running into our sixth month of trench life. So far I have had exceptional luck. | have been neither sick nor wounded. Ever since our arrival in France, we have been in the first line trenches, with the exception of the rest periods which are given us at regular intervals. But even when in rest billets, the Battalion is never more than three miles from the front and always within sound and range of the artillery. Pierre Chevalier, who came out with the Ist Canadian Contingent, is now with us as Transport Officer. You heard of poor Adrian McKenna’s death in action. Не died a Christian hero, doing his duty. He had received Holy Communion the day before his death. The pages devoted to the Old Boys in the LOYOLA COLLEGE REVIEW were very much appreciated by all of us. Will you give my best regards to my friends at Loyola College LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT HINGSTON: | March 11+Ь, 1916. Here I am still in my dug-out, as safe as a bug in a rug. I saw René just a few minutes ago. He was ordered to London uU E We are going back to rest camp the day after to-morrow, and we won't be sorry, as we are doing all the dirty work here, fatigues we call them, bringing rations to the trenches, water, etc., and we stay in our dug-out the rest of the time. I was in the front line for three nights and had no sleep at all, but had a great time. Of course I was pretty tired afterwards, but feel fine NOISE КОКЕ ЖЭ o. I would give a lot to get home for a day or two. I would appreciate my little room, I can tell you, and all the comforts one never appreciates till he lives in a dug-out. Аз soon as we get back to our rest camp we will be О.К. again, and I will be able to get my clothes off and have a bath. I haven't had my clothes off for six days, and it will be eight days before I do. However, I have got quite used to it now ЖАЛА LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT PIERRE CHEVALIER: Flanders, Feb. 28th, 1916. This morning I received a reproachful letter . . . asking why I had not acknowledged the cigarettes, pipes and tobacco you so kindly sent to Armand and to me. Аз a matter of fact, the cases in which they came arrived only yesterday, so I hasten to thank you and my Alma Mater most heartily for the soothing smokes. Аз Armand is now in London, I took it upon myself to distribute the contents of his box to some of the men, for which I hope you will forgive me; but I have forwarded your card to him. The LOYOLA COLLEGE REVIEW, which mother forwarded to me was very much ap- preciated. I passed it on to George Vanier, who is now second in command of ''C Co'y. We often chat about the good old Loyola days, and now do we fully appreciate the saying that Father often quoted to us: '' The happiest days of your lives are your college days. At the moment of writing there is an aeroplane duel—a daily occurrence—taking place right over our billets. The graceful manoeuvring of enemy 'planes and our own is a sight worth seeing; but the Germans have a nasty habit of hovering over our horse lines and dropping bombs without the least warning. Then they beat it back to their own lines with a couple of our ‘planes after them. The German '' Fokker ” machine is furiously fast and makes a quick get-away, and it is no easy matter for the anti-aircraft guns to bag one. Only once have I seen a ‘plane brought down, and I am glad to say it was a ““ВВосһе” machine. This happened at Ypres in April, and though brought down behind their own lines, it was undoubtedly hit in a vital spot. At the present time the Battalion is marking time, doing the usual trench routine and holding this part of the line. When it happens that the Battalion is out in rest billets on a Sunday, Holy Mass is celebrated by Father Doyon, a forceful and convincing preacher, at the village church close by. The four walls of that sacred edifice re-echo with a thousand voices singing the hymns which recall to our minds the early days of Loyola. Іп а few weeks І expect to obtain leave to go to Paris, when 1 shall not fail to call on Father — — ————-, , our former Prefect of Recreation, with whom I shall discuss the advantages of early discipline and extend my gratitude for past enforcements of same. Please accept the repeated thanks and best wishes to you and to old Loyola from an Old Boy.