Soldier's Racy Letter.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 5 January 1918, Page 1

Soldier's Racy Letter.

I — + I.WOUNDED, NOT DOWNHEARTED. An Auckland '■ boy writes from the front to his uncle: "It was on the night of the 20th June, when''Old Fritz sent me and 15 other chaps "sky-high with one shell. Four of the poor chaps were killed outright. We were digging, as usual, at midnight's witching hour, up Messincs way. It was raining in torrents, and the ground was like a stockyard. Hun machine-gun bullets and shells were flying in all directions, and it was altogether very exciting. At last ho 'landed the mustard,' and I was lucky enough to receive a lovely 'Blighty' crack in the left thigh. There being no stretcher bearers, I had to crawl for three miles to the dressing station. It was a at-r—vr».nt with barb-wire everywhere she! hole* half filled with water, and dead Huns— Phew! They shelled us the whole way out, but I only got another piece, through the fleshy part of the left arm. At last I got to the concrete dug-out, and had a dressing put on, also a toddy of "Johnnie Walker." I slept on the floor till daylight. Next we had a joyride along a trolley line for about three miles to an old brewery with the roof blown off by shells. Had a hot drink of tea, then another ride in the motor ambulance. After that we had about two gallons of anti-blackleg or tetanus-serum squirted into our manly bosoms. Geewhizz! That was some stunt. It was not long before I had a chest like a pouter pigeon. From there we were taken to an Australian field hospital, where I was snuffed out on a table, whilst the doctors held an inquest on the smack. Next day, I'm hanged if old Fritz did not start blazing at the ' hospital with his huge guns. Four shells landed just beside the marquee I was in, but fortunately all were "duds." Soon after wo were shifted in the puff puff."