IN OFFICER'S MARY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2706, 28 February 1916, Page 3

IN OFFICER'S MARY

INCIDENTS DESCRIBED PEN PICTURE OF EVENTS IN FRANCE By 'Telegraph—Press Association—CopyrightLondon, February 26. The highly interesting diary of an officer of the 17th Australian Divisional Supply Column, describing incidents during tile past few .days, has been published:—"Oil 18th February, after a period of comparative quietness, great activity shows that the French aro heavily engaged, whilo further north wo are closer still in touch with tlio fighting. We aro sending lorries of all sorts on dangerous missions, taking supplies and • ammunition. Big shells burst near the roads, and we sometimes see aeroplanes soaring overhead. Frequently the marauders find themselves in a very unpleasant place, for, eudden!y, our anti-aircraft batteries send forth a dozen shrapnel shells, which burst all round the aeroplane. Almost invariably our own intrepid airmen soar up and engage tho enemy. We hear the crackling of the matihine-guns from the skies above the purring of the aeroplane engines. "A couple of nights ago we were in the little town where our column is located, and heard about 11 o'clock the buzzing of engines, indicating that a large fleet of aircraft was passing overhead. Shortly afterwards we heard eight explosions, and guessed that a pretty little town five miles away was being bombed. We ascertained that the damage was not extensive, although a young woman was buried in the debris of a building. This was only one of a series of raids which the Huns havo lately perpetrated. Our lorries on detached duty have continually to run the gauntlet of artillery fire, and sometimes of asphyxiating gas. Two lorries wore being loaded at the railhead when shell burst near by. Everybody luckily escaped. A few days ago I was on the road when a bomb fell some distance ahead, killing an Army Service man and making a big hole in the road. One of our men reports that he was watching the enemy aeroplanes and distinctly saw a bomb leave the [ machine. It fell without doing any j damage.

"There is a complete abscnce of complaints on tlic part of the motormen ; the greater the work, the greater the pleasure in its accomplishment. We receive grateful messages from units u;ho have been assisted by our column. In addition to this work, we have to keep in repair the columns of transport vehicles, numbering over one hundred and Our Forces are deugbteaat the Allies' recent success in the bringing down of a Zeppelin by seven- aeroplanes after a desperate struggle. "TJie progress of the present division with which we are serving, and which is bearing the brunt, has already lasted for ten days, and may last much longer. The Allies are fighting tena- ; and the fact that the enemy is | sustaining tremendous losses will have a demoralising effect, not only on the troops in the field, but on the enemy generally. "After a spell of bitterly cold weather, snow commenced yesterday. To the Australians it is a beautiful and novel sight. Soon tho whole countryBide was wrapped in a mantle of ivh'+'e. The men of the column get much amusement from as we pass the villages, and the sight of children skating on the ponds and cutters. The whole aspect of the country has changed in a day. Flocks of food*ess birds are invading the camps. Our column achieved a record on the sth February by loading the supplies for tlie division from the railhead in thirty-three minutes. "Many of our men engaged in transporting loads of ordnance relate that thoy pass through tho town of which is a little more than a few hat'tered walls, the roads being shell-torn and broken, and then proceed to the ramparts. A party of men left in th« trenches took charge of the contents of the lorry. Meanwhile they were so close to the trenches that they could hear the whistles and the words of command of the infantry officers. Everything was in total darkness, even smoking' beinp; prohibited. Tho strctcher-bearers passed us and we sa«v ninny dead and dying horses. Our men then passed on to deliver the remainder of their load,

_ "February 23.—There has been continual fighting during the past fivo days, tlie column doing tho maximum of \\;ork in transporting supplies, ordnance, and other necessaries. Our mobile workshops were also taxed to the utmost, repairing motor vehiclos which have, hoaevflr, wonderfully stood the prolonged and arduous work. Everyone has been working at the highest tension, realising that relaxation would react on the efficiency of the fish ting forces."