France, September 3, 1916
Dear Sister,
I received your letter tonight OK and was very glad to hear from you. It's too bad Pork is coming over here. Make Herb keep the home fires burning. I have done my share. I guess I can do his. I will soon have 7 months of it in. I am still good for a few of them. Only I have a ringing sound in my ears but that's nothing. You said in your letter about our June scrap. Well Sanctuary Wood was our front and I was in thickest of it all the time. It didn't bother me much until I got out after it was all over. Then I thought how serious it was. But wait if we don't give them hell inside of a month. There will be something doing. I am on a machine gun now - No.1 600 rounds per minute. Ron didn't last long. Well there are lots get it without ever seeing Front Line. Nobody can imagine what kind of night it was June 12th. When you see 5 acres of bush going up in the air there is something doing. Big trees and everything in the air at once. I got a letter from home wanting me to send a souvenir but believe me if I come back it will be souvenir enough. Ron can tell you more about things than I can. Well goodbye.
Your affec. bro. Corporal MacKinnon