WORD FROM A MAIN BODY BOY

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 28 March 1918, Page 2

WORD FROM A MAIN BODY BOY

In a letter received last week, dated January, one of our Main Body boys, who has put in over three years of active service, and is now enjoying a well-earned " change" in Blighty, gives the following information; — We had ten days 1 leave when first landing here, and then went to the base camp at Ewshot.. All those who want to return to N.Z had to put in application for the trip, with reasons, etc., i (needless to say there weren't many who didn't). Well, those with the most urgent private reasons are to go first, a few have gone already, but the majority of us are put on the waiting list. This does not mean that I am sure of getting be.ck. because, you know, they can do anything in the Army, and while we are waiting they might get short of reinforcements and send us out to France again. The food restrictions here are getting greater every day—my ; word, you people inN.Z. are lucky in that way.y Sugar especially is very scarce ;, it is only on very special occasions butter can be had at all, margarine is used nearly everywhere ; the people have to line up in ques for hours to get their share of meat, have to ' take what they can get, and sometimes get only about a-quarter enough. They are always at their wits end for fear of raids. Sometimes the Hun comes over four or five nights in succession, and the people don't half I " get the wind up." The raids are a bit ■ annoying at times, I must admit. As soon as the airy raid signal goes (always at night) all lights have to be put out, i all theatres emptied and closed, also every place where there is a crowd of people. I was at a dance one night when the signal went about half-past eight, and the girls were all gone in two-twos. Everybody makes for .the tubes and cellars and different places of shelter set apart for the purpose all over London. Sometimes there is a certain amount of damage done by bombs, but a3 a general rule not much. It is only a joke to us, but terribly hard for women and children, who cannot and are not meant to put up with dangers of this sort. If we soldiers happen to be out and about we generally finish up with having to help some old —perhaps young —lady, who has fainted, or something of the sort, in the rush. At present I am in a school at Woolwich for a six weeks' course of training. It is only about three-garters of an hour * from London by train, bus, or "tram. We get every night off till 12 o'clock and each week-end, so I'm having a jolly good time. You would be amused to see the dances here, about six ladies to every man in the room. No wonder I felt shy (at first), but they can't come up to the N.Z girls. You ought to see the dances they have too, about three waltzes, a few square sets, about umpteen different kinds of tangos, and all the kinds of two-stepping and hopping you could imagine. '