At The Front In East Africa

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 September 1916, Page 2

At The Front In East Africa

The South African Church Chronicle for July contains a very interesting account by the Bishop of Pretoria of his visit to the troops in German East Africia. Bishop Furze tells at length of his experiences. He thus describes General Smuts: ''Hard, fit, alert and cheery, carrying his' big responsi;bilties with a wonderful spring; he really is splendid. I don't believe there is an officer or a man in that force wherever he comes from who wouldn't do anything for him; the "complete confidence which he had inspired in all ranks was very fine."

There is a vivid description of the hardships which the troops cheerfully endure.—"N*<> blankets and no great coats; one macintosh sheet apiece; half or quarter rations; the mud, what we call up here 'black turf.' simply appalling; the ox transport workod gallantly till the oxen gave in; waggon after waggon sticking i'ast and having to ho hauled out by as many as eight teams in spa nned at once ; with a liun«.'ired men or so pushing and pulling. Home days no -more than one and a half miles were covered, the rain so torrential that often no fires at night were possible; and boots! Many ot the men were practically without them, feet clothed in native sandals or tied up with puttees; fever! terrible; and so they flogged on and stuck it out and finally had to man-haul their transports into Kandoa us the oxen had timplyi given out, 'but they got there and none too soon, 'for <i few days after they arrived, the Germans attacked in force and gave the lltli S.A.I, and the 12th, though not bo heavily engaged, a terrific fight for eight solid hours— but afi the Tommy says 'the Bosclie got it in the -neck,' though they had brought a machine gun to within 70 yards of our trenches. One most gallant fellow by name Donald, of the 12th SjA.T,, who was mortally wounded bringing up ammunition to the 11th had marched, for over 20 miles 'on his toes' rather than fall out, never putting heel to the ground as 'both heels had two biig raw holes in them. Finally to save_his feelings (and hi me ell') he was made "O.G. Meat" i.ind ordered to carry out his duties by 'sitting on it!' As I listened to the story oT their march I never felt prouder of being a South African."

After further descriptions of the difficulties of the campaign the U>hop Minis U]) his impressions of our soldiers in East Africa and the way in which they had responded to the devoted, work of the eh'nplains.— "They have done this job right well, and South Africa has good reason to he proud of them. Again T was cheered by finding how our own churchmen were rot only sticking to their faith, hut finding it a sheet anchor to hold on hv.

r.s perhaps they had never found bofore. ... J came away feeling that the church liad anyway counted in the campaign, that when men had got up against the real thing, as they had done there, they bogm to realize that there was something over and above physical strength and adequate supplies which was needed and that was the Right Spirit: and some, for the first time in tWr lives perhaps, were coming to nee (lose personal relationship to the Man cf men, Jesus Christ, through Sacrament and Prayer lay the secret of getting the Right Spirit for themselves, and of passing it 011 to others. The church of the. province can well he proud of its representatives at the ■front, and can thank God for the work thev 1:1 ro for Him."