A SOLDIER’S LETTER.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 October 1917, Page 4

A SOLDIER’S LETTER.

FROM (RUNNER J. SHANNON,

Gunner .lack Shannon of Rimn, writing from England on August 19, to his people says : My last letter was written before I went on leave I went on. 3.oth. July, leaving at 9 a.tn. and arriving in London at 3.30. the same day. The weather was very bad the whole time, the papers said it was the heaviest rain for 5S years. Nevertheless I had a good run round, visiting Westminister Abbe) - , Houses of Parliament, St Parris, The Tower and Tower Bridge and the area bombed during the big air raid.

Westminister Abbey is the most historical building in London. It dates back as far as the iotlr century and has been enlarged and improved during the reigns of succeeding Kings. It is made up of various chapels called after the Kings who built them. Each chapel contains monuments and tombs of the royalty of the various periods. In the Abbey there is a corner called Poets Corner, containing the statues of the most eminent poets. There I passed over the spot where Sir Isaac Newton was buried, and also David Livingstone. The graves of Tennyson and Browning are to be found there, and also of GQldsmith, Addison, Dryden, Dickens. Near the Poets Corner is Edward the Confessor’s Chapel, and this was considered the most sacred part of the whole building. His body which lies there was brought there in 1269, and rumor hath it that many miracles were worked at his grave. One Bishop, when asked to resign is said to have struck his staff on the tomb, and could be displaced by no one. What truth there is in it I can’t say, but the verger illformed me that was the legend. In this chapel is the Coronation Chair which was made by Edward I’s orders. From that time up to the present, all English sovereigns have been crowned in the same chair. It is also stated that there is a chalice in the chapel containing the Saviour’s blood brought from Jerusalem. I questioned tlie verger if the blood in it was really Christ’s, and he said according to the statistics it is. I could not get to it to see it as it is covered over. There are other chapels such as St Andrew’s Chapel, St Michael’s, St John the Baptist’s, Henry Vll’s and many others which I cannot remember. I also saw the portion where the Royal Family sit during the service. The Choir Nave is a marvellous piece of work, and the altar is simply marvellous. The coronation ceremony takes place before the altar. The space before the altar is paved marble brought from Rome in 1268. When we went to Parliament House we were shown through tire House of Lords and House of Commons by John Burns, the ex-Minis-ter for Labour. I took a seat in both Houses and also on the wool sack, the Chancellor’s seat when Parliament is being opened. St Paul's, although not of such historical'interest as the Abbey, is a fine building, the dome being a particularly fine piece of work.

The air raid did a tremendous amount of damage completely demolishing some buildings. One bomb hit a corner of the G.P.O. doing a good deal of damage, but more would have been done if it had fallen in the centre of the building. I went to the theatres every night and what I saw there would surprise you. Talk about staging and scenery, it was lovely. The shows that are performed in London you would never see in New Zealand. It does not matter what theatre you go to, smoking is allowed, and the air is simply thick.

The greatest wonder of London I think is the underground railway or tube. They run under the heart of the town, and you go from one place of London to any part of the town hy these. I believe they go down to a depth of 200 ft and in some olaces them are three tubes one above eacbr other. To go to the platiorm from the street you can either go down in a lift or on a moving staircase. When you get down there is a complete network of tunnels to the various platforms and it is very simple to take the wrong one. In London we were constantly asking the police the way. They are very obliging and one does not mind going up to them. I went out one day to Mr Thorburn’s and they' treated me very well. It is some considerable distance away from London proper. One thing which interested me was the police controlling the traffic, and the traffic is immense. One place in Piccadilly Circus where four streets meet, the traffic was immense. The streets would be banked up, and the police would allow a certain portion ot traffic go and hold the rest up, then the same procedure would be followed in the other streets. Despite the awitil weather I travelled a good deal. I saw Buckingham Palace, the Admiralty War Office arid Scotland Yard, but did not gain entrance to them. The leave was altogether too short. I could have easily spent a fortnight there. After arrival back, we received orders to transfer our camp to Aldershot. We were all very sorry to leave as it was like a home to us. The Colonel tried to squash it but without success. We left there on the 13th at 10.45 and arrived at Aldershot at 8 p.m. We then had a walk of five miles in heavv rain and along muddy roads. We got to our camp at 9.45 and after getting tea, and other things done we retired to bed at 11 p.m. I was very tired as I was tour _ hours on guard the last night at Oldham, and reveille was at four a.m. so I had very little sleep. We are in barracks, about 30 men to a barrack room, which are fitted with electricity and water. These barracks were opened by the Kaiser twelve years ago and christened Leipzic Barracks, but since the outbreak of war have been re-christened Ewshot Barracks. As far as accom- | modation is concerned we are very comfortable, but the food is not by j far as good as we had in the old 1 camp. For a week we have " had' stew every day for breakfastfv and.

for dinner we have had it every day except one. The camp is very isolated. There are other camps nearby brtt no civilian houses within two miles. Unlike our old camp we see no girls near the camp at all. Before we left Oldham we had a great piece of fun. You, no doubt, 1 read in the papers of a Peace Meet- | ing being routed in London. Well 1 they came to Manchester and re- j ceived similar treatment. Next day ; au advertisement appeared in the paper stating a week’s rally would be held in Oldham. The first night we went in full force and as soon as the meeting begun, we rushed it: Talk about" a melee, it was a real rough and tumble. The men got a rough handling, and blood and skin was flying in good style. The police grabbed them but there were too many of us and the fellows were pulled away from them, and when we finished with them, we let the police lock them • up. There was one woman in the party, but we left her alone. The women folk, however, tackled her and one woman chased her up the street, punching her across the head. She eventually got away minus some of her clothes. We ransacked the Labour Hall and drank all the lemonade, and now we find we have to pay for the dam age done. I don’t think it will be much. All the same we had some fun for our money. 1 After getting back from London, I received a letter from Eddie saying he had arrived in England, and wanted me to come to London and he would come up from Plymouth. It appears he was there when I was on leave. I was sorry I did not know it. I tried to get leave, but on account of moving camp could not get it. Now we are closer to London I may get it later on. At present Eddie is at sea again and expects to be back in September. I have had several letters from him.

I am quite well and fit and still have no idea of when we go across. The 26tlis and 27ths arrived on the 18th August, but are isolated on account of measles and small pox breaking out on the way over.