BX April 14, 1915

None killed in Company From Here – Sergt. Dockray, in the Trenches, Says Brantfordites Have Been Fortunate

Sergt. John Dockray, formerly of the Dufferin Rifles, now in the trenches at the front, writing to J.S. Davenport of The Expositor staff from "Somewhere in France," in an undated letter says in part:
 
I am writing this letter in the trenches as I am on duty, and I thought it would be a fine chance to communicate with you. It is indeed, a different experience to that I had in South Africa. Here it is all trenches, with the Germans about 250 yards in front of us, but we are safe all the time as long as a man does not get foolish and want to see too much. Of course, it is the old cry of 'Keep your head down and you are safe,' but with us there is no need to put your head above the parapet in the daytime, as we use periscopes. Up to the present time we have not lost a man from our company through being shot, and I must say that our men act like veterans, and one could not wish for any better soldiers. They all work together with a will, and in fact, all there is to do is to tell a man what to do and he does it. You would think they had been soldiers for years. I would like to tell more but the censor is so strict that we cannot name any place in our letters, but I suppose you know as much about it as we do, as news will get out no matter how much they try to stop it.

BX April 23, 1915

No Shortage of Tobacco for Soldier Boys – Brantford Sergeant at Front Says They Are Getting All They Require

The Dufferin Rifles contingent with the First Canadian Contingent had not been in any big fight up to April 5. That is the word received by Tom McPhail, of the Dufferin Rifles’ Sergeants Mess from his friend, Sergt. Jack Dockray. The latter commenting in his letter expresses pleasure that the third contingent has been organized, and that Sergt.-Major Oxtaby has been given the position he has in the new regiment, though the writer is of the opinion that the war will be over before the third gets to France. The letter, in part, follows:

April 5, 1915
France

Dear Old Mess Mates,

You will have to excuse me for not writing sooner, but we do not get much time, as there is always something for sergeants to do, but better late than never. We have been in the trenches, but we have not been in any big fight yet. We are going to move tomorrow, but we don’t know where. There is going to be something doing, and no doubt we will make a name for ourselves. The 36th Regiment and the 38th are in the same company, so you will get some news of us in the papers. Up to the present we have not lost a man through being shot, and the boys are acting like veterans. They could not wish for better. We are getting plenty of food and lots of clothes, also plenty of smoking tobacco and cigarettes. Tobacco is issued every week, and we sometimes have gifts of tobacco given to us in between, so you will see we get lots of it. Give my best wishes to all the members of the mess, not forgetting Sam (Burnley). 

Your old mess mate,
Jack Dockray