My days in the trench are fairing better than most, but i want you to give this to my brother. You know just how much of a firearms fanatic he is, and he would absolutely enjoy the contents of this letter. It seems that these letters are the best form of a gift I can give everyone back home, so I should so my best to get them to everyone.
Ethan, it is so great to be writing to you, we haven't even seen each other in months. It's sad that you weren't able to enlist in the colonial corp, but from what I've heard in the letters, you've still done a fantastic job producing weapons and ammunition for the war effort. Writing from the front lines you can imagine all the forms of weaponry that I've encountered in and out of the trenches, and i thought who better to talk to about them than my brother. Our issued weapons sadly not fairing well against the trenches. The Ross Rifles we were issued constantly jam and break down in the muddy conditions, and are definitely not made for the trenches. They work beautifully when used by our sharpshooters, but little else. The British troops fared better with the Vickers mk1 Machine Gun, capable of much faster firing rates and the dirty trenches in which we fight. As for the explosives, our artillery and cannons fire huge bullets, almost like a giant gun. You've probably seen them being manufactured in the factory, the shells are as long as my arm! These massive guns fire at the German positions constantly every day, and you can the build up of empty shells reaching several meters high. Lest we forget the humorous names my fellow soldiers have given them, like Jack Johnsons, Weary Willies, and quite possibly my favourite, Whizzbangs. We've also seen the first tanks enter the battle, to little effect. They can't cross out trenches and the bumpy terrain in No Mans Land break them down to a complete stop. These lumbering beasts can't even make it to the front lines some times, and it is quite a sight. In closing brother, I want you send my warmest regards to my family, and make sure to keep the flow of supplies coming. You may not be fighting in the trenches like i am, but let no one say you didn't do your part to help us win the war! Oh, and i've sent some weapon manuals with the letter for you to recieve, i am sure you will enjoy them much more than my wife.
Warmest love, Daniel Wadsworth
Sources: Canadian at War 1914 - 1918 Donald M. Santor, Socials Studies Eleven Student Workbook
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