A SOLDIERS’S DIARY.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 January 1917, Page 3

A SOLDIERS’S DIARY.

Iha Re d Thing. Latter from L ince-Corporai W Smith frem Branco to bit muiher, Mit Smith, Hampden S ne', Hikbik*:— s.9.l6—Just a few lines to Lt you kuow that 1 am quite well and still in the lacd of the iiv.ng and hipo alt at borne are the same. I have beta some time answering your last, Itter, owing to the bu.-y time we have been having with tbo Hans so I have not had much time to myself. At present we are out in billets and it’s the only ohance I have had of dropping a line to yin.

The weather has been dreadful thi3 last tjme, in water aud mud galore, in fact, it's a long time isince I hav9 seen such a lot of taip. Watsr aud mud everywhere, and ntUl there has beeu no grumbFng amoug the men Plenty of work to do getting winter quartets tog-.ther and fixing up the parapets which are in a very dilapidated cordision in p'aoes. I have been «vtry busy with my bombs lately, getting them bright ai d ready for use at any element. We tale a lot of them with us. They a*e wbf*>. 1 cal! good things in a mix-up, in fact they are better than the rifi-;». More execution is done wi-h them.

These wet nights are cold enough to freeze the m-irtow in your bone?. (Jut in a listening post in No Man’s Land in very trying to any body’o nerves. No place to dry enr clothes, yet before long ‘they, will have drying rooms for u@, which will be just the shiny matble. There is not retch news 1 can give you at present—it’s the same thing straffing and ths cold, fcet and mud.

.-I have just received (mother parcel from you with, a pipe, tobacco, cigarettes, writing pad, knife BDd sweets. It’s a busker smoking pipe. I received also Auckland Weekly and half-a----doz-n Hokitika Guardian papers. I l ave got one stripe above a private now (Lunce-Cirporal). The parcel Maggie sent must have died cf wounds, as 1 have not received it yet.

15 9.16—80th of the Rifle Brigades made the first wave across No Man’s Land in the great struggle at 7 a.m. They gained their third objective at 2 p.rr., with heavy casualties. For eontinnstiriu of nows see fourth page

36.9.16.—Ruahine Coy of the first Brigade and tanks took Flere with the aid of the oaterpillar. Terrible lot of dead, mostly Huns. No 12 Coy was carrying up ammunition under heavy shell fire. Thme were light ca-su tlrie«. At 3 p.m. eft for the firi g i.n : . to dig m H»d a terrible bak-iy bat radge,of trgh lydriue mgo throcgb. Toe Nelson O'y lose m>"t goi-.g ovor the ridge. Starred to dig in at li p.m,, and was well dace by daylight. 17.9.6—Heavy rain, trenches very muddy, plenty of high explosives and shrapnel over head. Was on stretcher bearing doty all the afternoon right near the factory. The transports lost a lot of horses.

18.9.16 —Still raining heavily, terrible experience for the boys, no sleep, all getting cramps. Wellington B relieved ut at Ip.m. We had a terrible time coming out, shelled all the way. A lot of us stopped in a orater until it quietened down a bit, then got lost; arrived at base at 6 a.m. dead beat, but not downhearted. First night’s sleep since the 14th and I did sleep.

19.9.16. —Raining steadily. The ammunition column is having a terrible time getting up supplies, as many as 24 horses in a limber. On fatigue duty carrying ammunition from the green dump up to the Flers dump, slipping and sliding all the time. Got into gas ; fiist tear gas, then shell gas. Terrible dark with helmets on ; got lost; had two wounded after the job. 20.9.16. —Fine day, cleaning our clothes and getting bombs ready for, another go.

21.9.16.—L0ve1y day. On fatigue all day making new roads up to High Wood from Devil’s Wood. All the able men available were used ; when finished theie was some big stuff same amongst the troops, more casualties ; 3rd Auckland lost a lot at the Cookers, All were lißyd np for tea when a high explosive shSIl landed among them. 22.9.16 Fine day. The cavalry broke tbrongh on oar right and got to the first village. Shifted up in front of the factory to a Hun trench. 23.9.16 Lovely day, bat under an awful bombardment. Was buried four times; a bad day for No 12 Coy. Shifted out to Flers Road, then on water fatigue till midnight. 24 9.16 —Looking for water cans under a strong barrßg6, Slight wound in leg. Went to the First Field Dressing Staticn to got leg bandaged at 10 p.m., arrived at 4 30 a.m. 25.9 16 —At the transport lines Nob 12 and 13 Coy in the first line of advance badly cut np. Also No 2 Coy. The Huns put up a big fight with the boys, but lost on points.

26 9.l6—Things quiet all day until 4.30 p.tu., then a heavy barrage started for the Tommiet who gained their objective ar.d strong point, bat lost their ground early in tho morning. 27.9.16—L0ve1y dey. A lot of reinforcements arrived, 120 for the 2nd Coy and 12 and 13 Coy. Thought we bad to go back into action. Not so; the first wash for three weeks. 1.10.16. —Lovely day. Fritz shelling green and thistle dump moat of the day. The British made a big advance. The barrage started at 3.30 p.m., the 2nd Brigade N.Z. had a glorious wio, took 4QO prisoners by themselves, a very ragged lot of boys. Oar guns were goiDg all right. 2 10,16 —Raining heavy, very muddy and wet, No oversoata, wet through. Loft Savoy trench BDd Green damp, for Brown’s Lane in support of the Rfla Brigade. Had to stand up all right in trench, a sea of mud. 3.10.16, Heavy bombardment going on on our left. Got relieved by the Suffolk Regiment to go to Monatanbarel Redoubt. Went right down to Fricourt wood. Lost unit, walking all night. Left Fricourt to find unit. Roads very muddy, arrived at Ponimeries Redout dead beat, nothing to eat for over 24 hours. Had to report to Cotnpany, slept in Mamgets Wood. The Tommies just left—a

good place. Went to Albert for a bath —a long way, got back in the evening. 4.10,16. —Raining, on water fatigue from Mamgets Woods, Shifted from Monieband Redoubt to train for Albert, Tbe bombers gave a hand with tbp machine guns—very heavy going, arrived At Albeit at 9 a.m. P,iar«ed quite close t<> <he old eburoh where the statue of tha Virgin Mary was knocked down by the Huns. (A picture of tbe partly demolished Cathedral appeared in last week’s Weekly Press.)