SOLDIERS’ LETTERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 November 1917, Page 4

SOLDIERS’ LETTERS.

PRIVATE ARTHUR PEAKE

Private Arthur Peake, writing from France at the end of duly say : —Just a few lines while I have the opportunity to let you know I am still well and having a very fair time. We are now on a new front and near enough to see some of the French Army, They are a fine lot, and we are not long in chumming up with them. We are having a good time together, the humorous part, about it is trying to understand each other. The French are very good at screening their guns and.ammunition dumps, and do not expose themselves unnecessarily to the Huns. Their casualties seem very light while in the trenches. They could not understand onr pay, considering they get only 2|d a day themselves—though they do very well on it.

I met Bart Dowell here. He is driving in the Engineers who are attached to pur Brigade. We had some very interesting talk of old times, and he was able to give me quite a lot of news of the Coast since I left there. Bart is a real Coaster, and is as contented as any man in the camp.

We are having splendid weather here, and the crops are a picture to look at. I should think where we are is the best cropping land in France. I hope you are getting good crops in New Zealand. FROM WILLIAM MACFARLANE. Writing on August 21st, Mr Wm Macfarlane talks interestingly of his work and the outlook where he is “ Somewhere in France ” Fancy it will soon be eighteen months since I joined up, and still the war is going on as strong as ever. You, no doubt, hear more about our New Zealanders and how they fared'in the last big push, than I do. You hear so many rumors here, that you don’t know what to believe. The other day one of our fellows was at a base camp and he met Gordon Braddon, of Hokitika, and was getting the news. We are gtill not far from the old quarters which I cannot indicate because of the censorship. I have been on some survey work of late, and from that you might guess where I have been. We are, having splendid weather this last week, and that enables us to shake, the enemy up. I only hope it keeps fine for a month. It would suit our offensive immensely. Fritz seems to have all the luck with the weather—it has saved him several times. I hope this time we have the luck. We have lost a good few of our chaps lately. Some of the later Reinforcements were not more than a few weeks in the trenches. It is best to be born lucky after all. Our work consists mostly of exposed outside work, andT have been lucky to have put in ten months of it, without a scratch. I must say we had the luck to get away just in good time on occasions. Vve often escaped a shelling by the opportune removal of our quarters. I hope this summer will see the end of it, but I have my doubts of it. If it lasts niuch longer one will be thinking it is an ordinary occupation one is following. I always have the feeling that I will come through it all without a scratch, not having the faintest idea of stopping one of Fritz’s Rather funny the other day. Coming home he sent a shell along in our direction. We were passing a big water hole or small lagoon when he lobbed one of those toys fair in the middle of it. The explosion sent the water up for a height of thirty feet into the air. We were about 100 yards away—better a water splashing than metal scathing about. It was only the night before a lot of Scotties were bathing in the water hole. They would have had a rise in life if they had happened to be there when the shell landed.

It is a funny world. Before the war there was no money, and now see what the war is costing every day— and the money being found. Everything is going up in smoke. Millions are flying through the air. It makes one feel he is only half civilised—the terrible waste of money going on throughout the world. The poor old West Coast will hardly have a man left. But it is the. only way to finish this j war—send more men. We are just j waking up to the fact that talk won’t win the war. Do less talking ancl get into it, boys. Yon hear some of the chaps here doing a lot of talk and saying the war will be over in two months’ time—

the Germans can’t stick it out, starving etc. The sooner the people in New Zealand, or anywhere else get that out of their heads the better. Also remember the Germans cau fight. I have had the best of chances of seeing, how they are fed. They are not short of rations, even if the Austrians are. The German soldier does not go short, and a well-fed soldier fights well. Its the same in civilian life if you have to work hard, you must have something at the back of you to get through a hard day’s work. We are pushing all the time. He must go back, but remember it costs life, and those fallen have to be replaced. So you see its a case of more men all the time. New Zealand has done wonderfully well and I am sure that if necessary there are still thousands of men to back us up as the occasion requires. I Suppose by this time there will be a lot of returned soldiers back in New Zealand now. It is sad to see so many fine lads minus some limbs. I met a good few when I was in Blighty. I am satisfied the colonial is made of the right stuff—any amount of the bull-dog breed left in him. Although many of the men have lost limbs they keep merry and bright. The British nation still has hearts of oak. I have seen badly wounded Tommies brought down on stretchers smoking cigs and cracking jokes. Some of the passing Tommies remarked : “ Gawd, Blighty ! he’s a lucky dog. Going to Blighty < chum, give a fiver for your wound !” The spirit, of the Army is as good as ever, if hot better, Ail we want are mm t*» bash m up, W§ em

all see the silver lining showing, and soon there will be real peace clouds.