ST. PATRICK'S DAY IN THE TRENCHES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2429, 7 April 1915, Page 5

ST. PATRICK'S DAY IN THE TRENCHES

"HIGH FALUTIN' REFLECTIONS." (Rec. April 6, 6.2 Op.m.) London,: April 5. An ofßcar writes: "St. Patrick's Day at the front saw a number of the men sporting sprigs of shamrock in_ their caps. ; An Irish flag was materialised from somewhere and stuck on top of a parapet amidst a hurst of' cheering. Shortly after the Union Jack was placed beside the green ensign. Everyone was wildly enthusiastic, and the whole trench hurst spontaneously into the National Anthem. Tho incident was finite' unrehearsed and sounded splendid.

"Thank goodness it's spring," the goes on. ''The warm sunlight means movement, the dr.vine up of the abominable marshes, and a great advance which will terminate this wicked war. It- is a great prospect—a, line ,of two hundred miles on t]ie west, douhle that on the east, sweeping irresistibly onwards until they finally crush tlio German Armies between them. I hope I mav be there to see the end. "It is an enormous privilege to take part in this war, apart from the question of right or wrong. The whole thing is absolutely an epic. Everything is colossal: millions of men struggling over the' map of Europe: gigantic guns hurling tons of metal every shot; hundreds of factories feverishly pouring out supplies and munitions. "Yet when we are hauled .out of bed in thp morning these hjgh faliitin' views vanish, and all our feelincs are summed nr\ in the word 'Damn!' ("Times" and Sydney "Sim" Services.)