"A Hell of a Game."

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 March 1915, Page 3

"A Hell of a Game."

LEIi'ER I'ROJI Dtt. MARTIN

in ;f letter received by Dr. McNab, .U.P., lroni Dr A. A. Martin, of Palmcrslon North, now at tho front, the latter says:—"l am hero with the 10th rietd Ambulance, attached to the loth Brigade under the command of General Count Gleichen, and we belong to the lainous sth Division. 1 was with the army during the last two days of the famous retreat, was through, the Marne and the Aisne, at La Bassee, and 'attorly was at Ypres, where 1 witnessed the charge of the Prussian Guards, lhen 1 was in those bloody trenchcs for three days and three nights, and was glad to crawl out; was frozen half dead and could not feel my feet. It is a hell of a game. It is certainly exciting. I have had a considerable lot of major surgery. We had about 7QOO wounded British through our hands at ono town in France .during 21 days. Tho fighting at La Bassee was of an amazing stubbornness, pitiless, and most sanguinary. At one time 1 ivas up night and day operating, and had to keep myself going with coffee and brandy. Occasionally 1 snatched a quar ter of an hour's sleep; rolled up my coat for a pillow and lay on the floor. Used to drop off and sleep like a pig. I was never so done up before. We have a lot of German wounded at this time. 1 had to operate on a lot of them. 'J he wounded have no nationality with the medical service; they are to us simply poor fellows in need of skilled help, and we give them all of our best. They arc all so very grateful, be they wounded French, Belgians, Germ ana or British, to the doctor who stands by them in their hour of great trouble. 1 am glad 1 came out. J. will feel in years to come that 1 have done my bit. I never imagined when a youth that I would serve in two wars— South Africa and the war of the nations—but there it is. . . T am still going strong, but the hard fife is tolling on me a bit. Mercifully I have escaped so far. but twice 1 thought that my hour had come. It • was so close that I got my notebook and several letters, re-tied them up and had them addressed to my wife, but le bon Dieu saw me through. . . (The letter is dated 7th January, and a portion had been cut out by the censor.) Manawatu Standard.