ODDS AND ENDS FROM THE FRONT.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15871, 10 April 1917, Page 7

ODDS AND ENDS FROM THE FRONT.

An ex-member of tho Christchurcli Press Company's staff, writing from Franco under date of February 9th, says:— Three weeks of snow on the ground, with a temperature usually a good deal below freezing pointy accompanied by clcar blue skies —it's a welcome change after months of mist and ram, almost as cold, and with never a glimpso of sun. With the fine weather nave come tho 'planes and the captive balloons. The former actually did turn up on the worst of days, but they never looked so good as they do now with the Bunshino glinting from white wings and flashing on metal framework as they turn and twist, dodging the universal shrapnel. I never tire looking at them, although Fritz's 'planes and ours seem to time their excursions so that they do not meet on tho jobj and there's nothing thrilling to wateh. All these months liavo only seen one 'plane drop —Fritz got a lucky shot in, and it fluttered down very like a bird in its death throes. Seemed to take hours to drop, so that everybody could watch it, and before it had landed heard the Huns laughing across the way. Don't think I should laugh—even if it was a German 'plane doing the dropping— it was a mighty sad sight. There have been numerous bombardments lately—tho voice of Spring, eh? Waugh! Waugh!! Was fairly close to a "Minnie" bombardment the other night—you know these big shells are lobbed over at a range of somo five hundred yards, and seeing that they contain an odd hundred or so pounds of high-explosive aro not pleasant neighbours. There were two guns firing, and they had four or fivo shells in the air at one time. Each one left a track like a falling star and, I guess, made a hole big enough to bury a platoon. No ono grudges Fritz his occasional retaliation. He has to put up with a good deal worse from us— the small trench mortars, the larger "plum puddings," and tho "living Pig," an improvement on tho "Minnie," heavier and with a longer range, fends his trench works flying skywards dav and night. Did you Know we had a Divisional theatre, picture show with orchestra and pierrot troupe to complete the programme? Went there last night with Eric Good, son of the Good of Rangiora. Between items you are reminded there's a war on by a wandering shell looking for batteries, or the faint rattle of machine-guns. Felt ouito liko a kiddie seeing mr first cinema show. There were "movies" at Armentieres nnd we went one night, onlv to find that there was a coal famine .nnd the engine had stopped work. Evprybod.v was prettv downbonrted, till somo wag yelled out, "Never mind, bovs. we'll go round to the Lyric!" Fnnnv how quickly good humour, was restored.