BACK FROM THE FIGHTING LINE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2422, 30 March 1915, Page 6

BACK FROM THE FIGHTING LINE

AN EX-NEW ZEALANDER /

INVALIDED HOME FROM FRANCE

Particulars are given in the "Grays and Tilbury Gazette" of February 13 of tho experiences of an ex-Wellington resident who had just returned to England from the fighting line in France. The soldier in question is Corporal Smith, who is serving in the 12th Lancers and has been invalided home suffering from severe rheumatism, contracted in the trenches. A New Zealander by birth, lie has served in the Colonial Forces of the Crown, and also fought in the South African War, while ho is now in his father's old regiment, tho 12th Lancers. Corporal Smith, v at tho outbreak of the South African AVar, endeavoured to join the first contingent from New Zealand, but failing to do this ho, nothing daunted, worked his passage to England in order to get into the fray in some way or other. He thus attracted a good deal of attention in tho Old Country, and joined the 18th Battalion of Sharpshooters,, and as the result of the campaign holds the South African medal with five clasps. At the close of the war he determined to see life in another part of the world, and joined tho North West Mounted Police of Canada, while on the formation of the Veterans' Brigade in the Dominion he became an active supporter of the movement. Returning to England a few years ago Corporal Smith naturally joined the National Reserve, and can claim to be the first Grays member of that body to be called up for active service. He was called up on August 21, and electing to serve in lis father's old regiment was drafted to the 12th Lancers at Dublin, where he soon obtained his corporal's stripes. Corpora l Smith has now returned home to recover his health after four months' absence. He has been in the thick of tho fighting with his regiment, which was in tho retirement from Mons and also the great advance subsequently. In the course of an interview he spoke modestly but enthusiastically of the success his regiment had had at the front. They had, lie said, been several times mentioned in dispatches, and in the earlier stages of the war were so far advanced 111 the attack that had tho Germans only known they might have | easily been cut off. Narrow escapes, of course, were a matter of every "day occurrence, and they were all looking forward to the spring to end the arduous winter's trench work, and commence the task of back the "Boscli9s.'' Asked as to the'-'present work, he said it was all trench work,'for cavalry men as well as for infantry, though they did not have their horses very far away in case of need. They had their lances in the trenches, too, and when the opportunity came they could ride out and got' sometimes within 300 yards of the enemy. As long as they kept 011 the move there was not much chance of many getting hit,,and having once got to cover they could give a good account of themselves. They were, however, always fighting three times their number, but the German rifle fire was poor. The German lance was longer than the British, but it was not so efficient, buckling badly at close quarters. Corporal Smith told an amusing episode when one day they wero ordered out, and riding through a wood they wore eventually taken to a large cinema hall. Hero they were all ordered to strip, and while their clothes were attended to they all enjoyed the luxury of a hot bath. It came as a complete surprise to them, ho said, as they had Do idea what they wore out to.do that morning. When they got their clothes again, cleaned and repaired, each man had a completely new set of linen, and they all i-ode lack ''as happy as sandboys." "Next day," auid-the'Corporal, "the Germans were in the place." Such were the _ups and downs of the conflict; but, he said, there was 110 doubt as to the result of it in the long run. They could see the difference in the troops they had to face, and it would not be long before the pres-. sure of the Allies would be felt.

Corporal Smith spoke -warmly of the way in which the Army was catered for, anil compared the clock-work way in which the business of bringing up supplies and taking away the wounded v. as undertaken to the methodical method of running the London street traffic. There was an atmosphere of cheerfulness running through the whole of tho workers, especially the R.A.M;C., and the nurses, who all had a smile on their faces. Incidentally. Corporal Smith mentioned that he returned to England on the Hospital Ship Asturias, which, it will be remembered, the Germans attempted to torpedo en route. He did not, however, see much of the incident, though he noticed the activity among tho officers on deck. He was hoping to return to France before long, but bis rheumatism had not yet left him. Corporal Smith was formerly a member of the D Battery, Wellington, and is a son of the late Mr. Henry Smith, who resided in College Street, and who saw service in ihe East Indies with the 12th Lancers and the sth Regiment. Besides Corporal -Smith there are six other members of the family either at tho front or on their way there.