LATE LOCALS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 October 1917, Page 3

LATE LOCALS

Mrs. Kortegast received a telegram to-day stating that her son Hugh Sarsfield, was wounded on 11th Oct. in France.

Writing from Somewhere in Europe on August 17th, Lieut. T. E. Y. Seddon stated that he had been appointed lately to the 12th Nelsons, with whom he went into the forward trenches bordering, on No Man’s Land. He had been called up to take the place of an officer who had been wounded while shaving for which purpose he had risen extira early. “Thank, goodness,” remarks Mr. Seddon I was rover an early .riser!” The usual experiences were gone through in the front line trenches, which wero particularly well watched and marked by the Huns. The 13th Canterbury* were adjoining, and Lieut. Seddon saw some of the Coasters frequently. Among others he mentions Lyes, of Grevmouth, and Hollov of Hokitika in the working parties, while he saw also Eeelesfield, Cooper and Coy. They ’"ere all jolly well. In the trenches ho hn'd for a companion,in bis dugout, Sergt. Breach of the New Zealand Railway Department who had been at Otira and Tkamatna'. Another sergeant in the Nelsons was Sergt. Anderson who -had competed at the axemen’s carnival at Kumara. With two such townies in close companionship there was plenty of talk about the Coast. When relieved and sent back to billets rest the Nelsons wero taken 25 at a time in motor lorries for the luxury of hot baths. Tt was splendid” is the comment. Then; “To-night T wanted! to be particularly spruce and had inv hair cut by an old barber who lives, close by. The old bird pulled handfulls of it out by the roots, and cut it ever so hadlv. His wife and goodness knows how many more refugees were looking on the while and speaking an awful patois.”