A MINESWEEPER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 232, 19 June 1918, Page 8

A MINESWEEPER

HARD AND RISKY WORK AN INTERESTING LETTER. (To tlio Editor.) S' r —Enclosed you will find a teller of thanks from a, minesweeper. If it is not too long, will you kindly publish it m your valuable paper, as it -vill be of interest to the members of the Navy League. It was through them that our ease of 'presents to the minesweepers was sent last August, so they ore entitled to our thanks. Wo put a letter in oacli parcel, ami* this is the reply received from one of them last week.—l am, etc.,

(MISS) V. B. JOHNSON, ' President, Patriotic Guild, Wallacevilk I ho letter is as follows:— s

Dear Friend,—l nm writing on behnlf ot tlio skipper ai;d crew i f our vessel— a minesweeper—lo (liauk youi most heartily for the present of canned fruit, which wo received to-day. 1 can assure you it is very nice, and I only wished you could have seen all hands enjoy such a luxury at dinner lime, a. few minutes after the fruit came aboard. Ami what laade it all the more enjoy.ible, I told the men all about the city we havo to thank—jjood old - Wellington—Kia Ora. 1 know Wellington well, also a few-other places in the North Island. I nm an Australian—a native of New South Wales. I left that land over ten years ago; spent a year in Jliioriluid— in Aucklnnd, Taranaki. Wellington, etc.—and niter roaming round the South Sea Islands for a time, drifted aenrss to America. I travelled all over North and South America; had a good time and many exciting experiences. I also journeyed to the Oriiiiit—China, Japan, etc*, —and South Africa. I had just reached Karakoora Bay—a spot in Hawaii, about 160 miles from beautiful Honolulu—when the Kaiser went mad and fumed Europe into one huge battlefield. I tried to reach either Australia or New Zealand, hut could not get a ship—loo many Hun raiders in the Pacific, so I sailed across to the Pacific Coast of tlw United States of America. Then by stages I reached Galveston, Texas, and here got on a cotton ship and reached Franco.

I then joined llie English Army—the Coldstream Guards—and for six months was right in the front line. There were no colonial regiments then. It was terrible, I can assure you, fighting all the time against great odds, and the cold was intense. I felt it so much after coming from the Hawaiian Islands, where it is always so warm. "Well, I had many narrow escapes from death, anjl finally got badly wounded just south of the now famous Tyres front. A shell burst right over my Lead and nearly put me out for all time. I. was in a Franch hospital for five weeks, and then was sent to England. Two weeks later I was transferred to the Boyal Nav.v, and have been in it ever since.I like the No.vv best-not so much discipline and red tape as in the English • Army. Since joining' the greatest Navy _ I have served most of my time in minesweepers —a very dangerous game, I can assure you. Three times I have been blown up—twice wounded—and only last weei a "death-fish" (as we call German mines) exploded close to the bows of our ship, and almost lifted us out of the sea. I am the only colonial aboard —the skipper and the other members of the crew all belong to the British Isles, and have never been abroad. They love to hear 1110 tell them of strange lands—especially about Australia and New Zealand. I often amuso them with an imitation of a hakn, and shout a Maori war-cry.

They are very nice fellows. The skipper is a- real "white" man; and they fear nothing. To prove that, we swept np six big .fields of double-action German mines a little over a week ago on the Belgian coast, to make a clear chaunel for the big ships that made that big smash at Zeebrugge and Ostend. It was hard work, and very risky, as we had to sweep at night, and were fired on more than once by tho shore hatteries. I might mention that three months ago His Majesty the King commanded me to appear before him at Buckingham Palace. Ho had 110 doubt heard of my adventurous journey from Hawaii—a distance of several thousand miles—oll only two dollars (Bs. Id.), also my career in tho Army and Navy. I. was presented to the King, and he was vevy interested in me—asked mo all about 111" unique trip and my travels in all parts of tbo world. He saw my two wound stripes (we wear a gold stripe for eacli wound), and asked me how 1 gut wounded, etc. lie was verv nice, indeed, and it was a groat honour to be presented. I suppose you will wonder how T. likfi the Old Country? It is all right, but not as good as Australia, and not as nice as New Zealand. .Scotland is a fine place. I like it best of all the places over here. I have done some travelling sinco 1 hare been a minesweeper—Wen all over Great .Britain and from olio end of tho Mediterranean to tho other. 1 only returned to Blighty (as we call England) six months ago from Malta. I travelled overland from Taronto, Italy. Was in Rome a few hours, and a whole day in Paris, which is a very fine city. 1 aiu now serving in English waters, my base being a small place, only a small East Coast town. *

I shall be very pleased when all is ever—when peaeo" arrives. Then (here will bo one fellow leaving these parts in a hurry, and that's me. 1 shall bo glad lo get back (o Australia—to see my sister and my old home town once again. I have lost "both of my • brothers in this awful struggle. Both gave their lives for their Mother Country at the I'ardanelli's. One—my young brother—was embalmed, and sent back lo Queensland, and is buried with my good mother and father near Brisbane. So you sen, Icm very much fln orphan. I have 110 relatives over here, but I am pleased to say 1 have made lots of l'ri6nds, all very nice people. How aro things in "WellingtonP Do you feel the effects of the war at ;.'l? I know you have suffered in the loss of many brave lives. New. Zealand has surely dono her share, and her s&!riiers liavo fought real well. I often meet the kiwis (as New Zealand soldiers call themselves) when' I get n few days' leave ai:d get to London. It makes theiu smilo to hear a bluejacket yell out "Kia Oral Tena Koo!" to them. They aro well liked all over, and everyone admires their dress and manly ways. . I must really close my letter. It js nearly time for me to go on .watch. _'I am a stoker—will soon be down bolow in a hot stokehold—cleaning fires and'.hrowing a few ton of coal about. It is hard work, but I don't mind that, so .Villas I know I am helping England and doing my little bit to make this world worth living in. I take u six-hour watchsix 011 and six off.

Again thanking you for your lwst welcome gift—it is our first present f"om good ol'! New Zealand—and wislniig :cu ai' kinds of good luck and-best wishes l'rom all,—l am, yours very sincerely, JACK LANGFOIID, Stoker, E.N.K.