BEHIND THE LINES IN FRANCE.

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2902, 14 October 1916, Page 6

BEHIND THE LINES IN FRANCE.

SALVATION ARMY OFFICER'S LETTER Writing from the firing-line in France ' ill August'one of the "Salvation Ai;m.v , chaplains says: -"Another week has gone, arid I still have to thank God for His care and protection. For the first few days 1 went to bed wondering whether we would be shelled during the night, as we are liable to be at any ; time; now the. thought never enters my head, although never a night has passed but.what I,have closed-m.v eyes 'with the roar of guns all round, and with star shells lighting up the country for mile's awav. Sometimes I imagine the whole business of exploding shells and firing of minis' is a huge orchestra. -You hear the growling, sullen and ominous, of the howitzers, followed by the ..plaintive sound of tlife. missile flying through. space, then some moro of the- sro.aller field guns lend a hand, while in. between one hears the tap, tap, tapping of the machine-guns, for all the world like a typewriter going, and the treble parts are supplied by the sharp crack .of .rifle bullets. Trench mortars and band grenades all assist ,in increasing the. awful din. "One afternoon 1 ran out a few miles with our second in command (a major, horn in my native town), mid accompanied him on air inspection of somo work our bovs were doing close to the firing-line. We got there safely, and [ were'returning; through a village where there was an old church. This building was being shelled, as we passed up tho ' main street. Soiv.o of the shells wore | bursting ahead of us oil the road, and 1 we took shelter -behind a.small, well--1 built villa. .'lmmediately afterwards a shell came over and burst over tho house, scattering its contontsOiu every direction. I looked around tho corner to see. what damage Imd bnen done, and 1 then heard the dull 'nlonk' of a gun ill the enemy's lines. I know the sound well,'and a second or two later recognised the screech made by the ap-

nroachincc shell. You ■ cpurrally get a •fcir" -seconds' rinfice in 'this way. I pressed : myself flat against tho wa!!, 'and in a .moment tlio shrapnel hurst over.out" heads, hitting the"'officer on tlio 'side of the temple, and" injuring a. soldier in tlio leg, and .a ted ill the chest, 100 yards' np the street. For a moment I thought I was hit, and felt greatly distressed to see' m.v friend lying huddled'on the-ground,-quite unconscious. I have-soph him since, bofore he was ta.ken to the hospital, away from our district. We hope he recovers. ' .

"Ono of the strangest sights here is to see shells -landing 011 a prominent building, and within a f"w hundred yards to see children playing a gamo something like hopscotch, .mul women leaning nut of their upper window, lookin" at the show like' some great pantomime affair. For some weeks tile men have been at today. and ilight, aiid tlio only way in-which one can see them is bv i;oing out to the trenches or wherever they are working. It moans liltlo rest often, but one must keep iii touch' wi<h them. What with visiting the l"ds ; in their abodes—come queer places they live 'in. too—looking after stray tneii, and seeing to the' censoring of letters, and other business matters in <v»tot>. T have.few hours to spare."