THE BATTLE OF PASCHENDAELE.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 2 March 1918, Page 3

THE BATTLE OF PASCHENDAELE.

. —--— Amongst the young soldiers Willi the iS.Z. x'orces in trance is Uorporal ueomey X'leld, son ox jJir VV. ±i. X'leld, M.P. He is only years ot age, and went away •witli tne 24til xtemforceinents, serving at the battle ot i'assclieir daele.i. The following excerpts from letters to his father will be found of interest: . "Your last ietter told me that you had heard that I had crossed the Channel, and that 1 was somewhere in France." it must have come as a great surprise to you when you learned that, the v4ths were at the front so soon, and no doubt you were somewhat annoved to hear that we were kept "such a short time 111 England; but it appears that eveiy Ileinforcments since the New Brigade was formed lias had the same leng'lii of stay in England, and an equally short time at the Base in France so I would not worry your head much about it. The 24ths tayed only three weeks in England and a fortnight at the Base in France. "You will most likely have noticed that I wrote 110 letteis during October, and no doubt you will have guessed the reason of it. I may tell you that we had a very hot time during the fighting in Flanders, and I consider myself very fortunate in coming through two "stunts" ! without a scratch. I would like to tell you all that happened to me during-- the advance, the counter-attack, and the subsequent days, holding the line and of my impressions while under fire. But I know it would, take too long and I have not suificient space to describe all tliat 1 saw, so will leave it all till I get back.* The plodding forward across the mud, shell and wire, with bursting shells, shrapnel and machine guns, with Huns running about with their hands up shouting "Kamerad" everywhere, seems more like a bad dream to me than anything else, and I am anxious to forget it all. It is a marvel to me that I have come through it all so well. » "I can only give you the view 1 took of things, and my own personal experiences. To me the worst part of the stunt was on the night before we carried out the attack, when we had to lie about in shell holes waiting for the dawn. When morning came and we started to advance it took me some

time to realize that we were actually crossing TSo Man s And on our way to Fritz s lines. To me the air was full of screaming shells that formed our barrage, and there was also a plenti-full-supply of Fritz's which I am iolly certain were not ordeied. The advance formed a, great picture in the early morning, tor m the dim light given by innum" erable flares of all colours, co be seen the dim forms of oiu chaps as wave after wave of in fantry went forward. I suddenly woke up to the fact that there was a battle on, when there a sudden blast of machine poured into us from a -pill boxes" just ahead. We m<m aged |to s^T we had all the Huns with their hands P, aAWWeg 1 the mud to our objective, a ±ew heaps of bricks which were the Sins of a farm There we found a few more Fritzs, and \ set them to work carrying out our wounded. We dug ourselves and waited for the counter-a tack which when it came, was so cut ™ nieces by our artillery that it. turout a complete E then we have had to hold the ground we gained and a 4W* and weary time we have had of it. For three weeks we have been living in holes in the ground covered in mud without a dry stitch of clothing, and existing on biscm s bully beef and cigarettes let, 1 am thankful to-day that I have come safely through the business, and am now well back behind the lines with the Brigade for a "fciit of a rest.