FROM THE TRENCHES.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 22 March 1917, Page 3

FROM THE TRENCHES.

The following extracts are taken from two letters written by Corporal H. T. Elvin of Makarau and now " somewhere in France," to his parents. The first was written on Christmas Day, and the second on December 29th.

" Just a line to let you know how I am spending a few minutes of Christmas Day. The only trouble is that my hands are so cold that I can hardly hold the pencil, but otherwise everything in the garden is looking lovely. We have not had dinner yet, but expect to get a fine big pudding at least. I had five parcels a few days ago, and amongst them jwas the cake in the billy, so I have been having a royal time. The cake was lovely, and there were also two tins of butter, which we find very enjoyable, for although we get tinned butter' sometimes it can't compare with the N.Z. Then, too, I got a tinned pudding from and I'm going to boil that in the billy, so, you see, brains again. I also got the scarf and mittens, and with the clothes I have now, if I can't keep warm its a pity. A few nights ago a party of us went over to visit Fritz, as it was a good while since we had heard from him, but we found him a very poor host and we were evidently very unwelcome visitors. Very few of them would come out of their dig-outs to greet us, so we just threw them a few Xmas presents such as bombs, and left them. Of course we could not come back alone, so we brought a few of hosts back with us to show them that we were more hospitable than they. Oh, well, this is Christmas Day, and there is supposed to be " Peace on Earth," but if you could hear the guns you wouldn't think so. " Vot a game it vos aint it."

I'll just see if I can scrape up enough news to make a short letter, but it is a pretty hard thing to do here. At the present minute I am lying on my stomach in the loft of what we would call a very large barn, joining what must once have been a very prosperous farm. It is a good sized village " somewhere in France," and not many miles from the name on the ring I sent you. Of course as you know, we had one trip, away to have ago at Fritz. In my last I told you we had a bit of risky work on. Well that night we sneaked over to the German's trench, and gave them a bit of an unleasant surprise. Luckily we were not seen till we were climbing over their trench, and then there was some fun. I was in charge of a party of five men, and we got two Fritzes, but our job was not to kill men, so we stopped at that. However, we spent about ten minutes or so in their trenches, and then got the signal to come back, which we did, bringing a few prisoners with us. Of course they turned the machine guns on us coming back, but we had great luck, and got back safely. I have not had my leave for " Blighty " yet, but of course lam the only N.C.O. in the Company who is a Reinforcement, so I will have to take last turn on the N.C.O. list. You mentioned that you people were getting up a patriotic entertainment, and I would just like to give you my opinion of what is the best thing to give such funds to. Of course I don't ■want you to think that we don't get the Patriotic Societies' things, because we do; but some Societies send the money to England, and get tobacco, etc., sent to us, and get a very cheap brand, and nobody will smoke it. Well, that's only good money wastad. But the thing we get the most benefit out of is the V.M.C.A., and any money sent to them is quite safe to be distributed in the best possible way. So if you have anything to give at any time, take my advice and give it to the V.M.C.A. Now the Sergeant wants me to go and draw up the Platoon's rations, so I must close.