LETTER FROM THE FRONT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1605, 31 August 1916, Page 3

LETTER FROM THE FRONT.

Iu a letter from the front, under dale July 3rd, to Mr T. Henderson, Pte. L. G. Harvey, of the local railway staff, says: “We have been in the trenches nearly live weeks on end now, and don’t know when we are g r oijig out. The usual is 10 days in and 10 days out. We relieved the Eille Brigade when we came in, and have been expecting them to relieve us, but 1 believe they had a big knocking about while they were in here —especially the 3rd Battalion. I came over in a reinforcement for the First, but a lot of us were transferi’ed to the Canterbury and Wellington infantry—l am in the Canterbury. This war is a great business, and one ought to be a prize lighter when one gets homo — ducking am] diving from ’shells all day. The Germans have a brute of an explosive, it is tired from a trench mortal’, nicknamed “Wiilywafer.” 1 believe the farthest it can throw a projectile is 500 yards, so the front; lines get it. 'The explosive is something like a large plum duff weighing anything from HOlbs to 1801bs, and when it lands one would think a mine had been exploded. It lias a large handle attached to it, and if one is in the open it can bo seen coming and dodged, but if it lands on or near a dug-out, well, good bye. 1 saw a sample of its destructive power the other day when it landed on a dugout occupied by two chaps. Hardly a thing was picked up of the two chaps. There is great artillery activity on our side (Fritz doesn’t return much). Nearly every night there is a bombardment and a raid. A fair number of prisoners have been taken, and from them information is obtained. I believe the Germans are more up-10-date than we are —their trenches are lit with electric light, and their dug-outs are built under the surface. With us, if a shell strikes one, well , your hide might be in or out. As 1 am writing this in my dug-out, Fritz is shelling the town about half a mile away. It is a pity to see a large town half in ruins, but it is marvellous the way the people hang to it. The French are great for the buw-

bees, and they arc making fortunes out of the soldiers. Every secon,d place is a small pub. French beer Id per glass, special 2d, champagne 4s 2d per bottle, wines from Is fid per bottle upwards, honey 2s per lb, egg's 3s per doz., sugar 8d per lb. Notepaper and everything else is very dear, and as for tobacco, it is not worth buying. You couldn’t get Derby, Havelock or Juno or any of those kinds here — just French tobacco cabbage leaves, etc. The issue we get is English, in tins, but is too mild, and only fit for cigarettes. Wc get two ounces, and two packets of cigarettes per week. They don’t appear lo observe Sunday over here — every day the same, pubs open and work going on as usual. By tin* time this roaches you there will have been sortie stir, as there is every indication of it now. I hope I’ll be one of the lucky ones to see it through. McDonald is in the same company with me, and is looking well. Haven’t dropped across 'rum While or Tim. Bert Tullett joined us in Egypt, but was a measles contact, but should be in the trenches any day now.” The writer wishes to be remembered to Foxton friends.