From the Western Front

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 June 1915, Page 2

From the Western Front

j 'ihe Chronicle is indebted to Mr. J. B. Currie, acting County Clerk, for a ; copy of tlio Lennox Herald (Sootland") J from which the following extracte are i made :-±- j I WITH THE m'MBARTOXSBIJtIdS'" FRANCE. BOMBARDMENT OF YPEES A hirther account of the I.9th (The I; Dumbartonshire) A. and S.H.'e share in the fighting is given by poral John M'lntyre. In a letter dated 19th April (Monday) to his parents at Moradun, Dumbarton, he saysj"We orderlies havo had very little to do, and have most of the day to ourselves. You -will remember that 1 wrote about the artillery duel on the Saturday night. Our big guns were at it again, but not to the extent m on the previous evening. No 2 platoon is considered the lucky platoon of the company, as we have returned from the trenches and dug-outs time after time unscathed. Last night, However, our lucky spell camo to an end, one of our number receiving a hullet wound. Our link was not altogether out, since the lad could no*: have wished. For a "oushier" μ-dmik!, the bullet going through the lk'sh.o part •■"f.Jfche.. I' , !!. Tluj GonnaJi •sirr.iliery did not ; ifij-iLoi u> pay ii.se hi.ek m our orvn oom | l,| - (, -">- • li »H' Hinl I happened to j be ii! ;i i.ii/V-.-i^av■ egg;, <-tnd chipe ■■.lien the series ol shells buret ever the !.<vvn. Prior to thie the I Dwiifi , -. ~" the establishment, n which >vc were sitting hustled around among the cutsomers and would have giTW us anything—in fact they thrust more on us than" we ordered—but when the shells arrived they, and all, ecurried like rats into the cellars, and left ut to manage for ourselves. Finishing our meal, we made our way to headquarters, passing many wounded soldiers on the way and encouuitering many more -when -we arrived at our destination, a ibillet adjacent to ours having 1 been .struck while we were at the cafe. The heavy (shells continued to hurst over the. town, many of them landing near us. I was standing in a doorway -when a piece of one dropped from the roof above, and finished its course a yard away. On picking it up I found it to be extremely hot, but not so hot as a smaller piece which arrived with greater velocity and landed at my mate's feet. Companies of regulars were- hurrying hither and thither, and ■wounded men were being carried and helped to hospital. It was a pitiful sight that met the eye. When the firing had, as we thought at the time ceased, 1 made my way to- the billete where two of our companies were quartered to ascertain if any damage was done, and was pleased to learn that all was well. 1 nvas not long in the billet when a terrific crash was heard, however. There was a rush for the door, for we actually thought the billet had been struck It was a narrow escape i'or, <ju looking out, I found tiiat a lioiifte on the opposite side of the road had been razed to the ground, two civilians, 1 believe, having been buiried amongst the debris. The shells "the .Germans have been using must be of enormous size for 1 saw a piece to-day which measured 18 inches by 2 inches by H inches. . The material of which it .was made was oast steel."

A .postcard, written on the 22nd, snys: ""We left our quarters for a spell in the trenches on Tuesday (22th April) night. Instead of the boys being sorry they were glad to get to the trenches or dug-oute or anywhei'e." A FOOTBALL WANTED.' Lance-Oorporal Tom Drain, E (Renton and Alexandria) Company, says:— ''We have one of the best officers -b th'e battalion in Lieut, ii. J. Campbell. He i« a daring one, and all our boye are proud of him. We expect to be going into the firing line this week .i-ain. We would like a football to puss the time with when we are out of the trenches. Perhaps some of the Vale or Renton sportsmen can oblige oy sending on t one. 1 wae with Campbell iieaton, of the Yalo, when Jie waJi killed, and "tlie other three that were wounded. UEIiMAN NOTES. Private -Martin Wallace, of the Bonhill Company, in a letter home to hie parents at Jiurn Street, tfonhill, eaya the Germans are led up with the war, as they were throwing notes over into their lines asking their opinion of this savage warfare, an dif they would not be all better at their homes with their wives and families. MAKING TEA. Vale of Leven private writes:— "Ton will laugh when 1 tell you that we had to boil our tea m the trenches with the aid of two candles. Our tire went out and that was the only way we could tcet our tea made. When we are sea rue of water wo just stretch out our water proof-sheets, and when the rain coince down we take as much from the waterproof sheets as gives u.% enough for our tea. it some of our parents saw us making our breakfast in the trenches they would get a inu laugh. , ,; On page .) to-day appears a list oi