OUR LOCAL BOYS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1745, 27 October 1917, Page 3

OUR LOCAL BOYS.

IN THE FIRING LINE.

INTERESTING LETTER FROM PTE. GARNET FRASER,

Writing from somewhere in Belgium, under date 25th August, Pte. Garnet Fraser writes as follows;

“As you sec, I am still going strong, but am heartily sick of it, I can assure you. I have been in France a little over eleven mpnths now, without a spell bar one day in hospital with a touch of dysentery, and I can tell you I feel like a spell now, I lobbed over here in time to catch the bulk of the Somme offensive, thence up to Fleur Baix and Lavantie. From there to Nieppe and Armentiers, and thence to Neuve Eglise, from which place we were engaged in the Messines stunt. Of course, I cannot tell you where I am now, but the good old breeze reminds me of good old Foxton. I was a driver in the Divisional Ammunition Column up till a few months ago, when I transferred to the sth Battery as a gunner, where I still remain at present. We have been having a pretty warm time up here lately, and plenty of gas shells. Jack O’Reilly, who left New Zealand with the 12th Reinforcements with me, is still going strong in the 9th Battery, which battery is in the same F. A. Brigade as the one I am in. He is also a gunner, and I see him almost every day. Like the rest of us t he has had some pretty warm experiences. He has been in practically the same engagements as I have been in, and has not been away from duty at all. To-day I had a letter from Driver Earl Bryant (14th Reinforcements, A.S.C.), and he is still well and going strong. He told me he had seen Con. Burgess, avlio you remember was wounded on the Somme. He is over here again, and is a sergeantin the bombers. He also said he had had a letter from his brother Noel, who was in the machine-gun section, and had been over here about live or six weeks. About three months ago I met Lionel Bullard (12th Reinforcements, Infantry). He was a corporal in the Salvage Corps, and marked p.b. after his severe illness on the Somme. A few weeks later I Avent to sec him, and learnt that he had again gone to hospital, and have not heard any more of him since. I met Bert Tullet (9th Reinforcements), private, and young Tim O’Callaghan (11th Reinforcements, Infantry, private) in the toAvn of Estaircs about seA ? en or eight months ago. Have not seen them since. Tullet had been in hospital for about three Aveeks, sick. Suav Hugh Hughes (3rd Reinforcements, Infantry) about four months ago, and he is noAV a gunner in the 15th lloAvitzcr Battery, and as far as I know is still going strong. He had been in England for about clcal- - months, recovering from sickness on the Peninsula. Suav George Dunn on the Avay out of the Somme. He is also a gunner in the Artillery somoAvhere or other, and as far as I know still going strong. Have seen Arthur Hickson several times. He is a driver in the 3rd Battery. I heard a day or lavo ago that he had been younded in the arm, but don t know whether it is true or not. I used to see Gascoigne (late P. 0.) pretty often (driver, 13th Reinforcements). He is in the Divisional Ammunition Column, and I think is still at it. Met Tom Clingbuig (late N.Z.R.) once or twice. He is a private in the Infantry (15th Reinforcements, X think). I had a letter from him after Messines. He was in hospital recovering from shock and bruises, having been buried by a 5.9 in. that stunt. I have seen Ist Lieut. G. Lyon several times, although not lately. He has been through the lot —Peninsula, Somme, Messines, etc,, and is still going strong as far as I know. He has not been Avounded, or ill even. Alsu saw 2nd Lieut. 6. Davey (late school); he was in the Infantry (10th Reinforcements), and is at "it still, I think. There is another young chap from Foxton ()\. Reid), driver in the 12th Reinforcements; he has been in D.A.C,, but is noAV in 9th Battery as driver, and still going strong. Last Aveck I met young Daniell, son of Mr Percy Daniell, of the “Taniora.” He has just arrived over here, ami is at present a driver in the Brigade Ammunition Column. He came over as a gunner in the 22nd Reinforcements. This Brigade I am in (the 2nd N.Z. F.A. Brigade) is mobile, and at present avo are detached from the rest of the N.Z. Division, and attached to a “Tommy” Division, the Sixty-sixths. So I don’t get a good chance to sec many of the boys out of the other brigades, and other units. Oh, I heard that Pte. William Derrick was over here in the ’Trench Mortar Battery, N.Z.F.A. branch. He came down to the D.A.C. to see me, but I had then left for a battery. I also met Bob BoAve (he Avas in the D.A.C., and later Avent to the Trench Mortars, Avhere he avus killed just before Messines was taken). Harry Gilbert (late J. M. Kelly’s, and a sergeant in the 12th ileinforcemeuts, N.Z.F. A.}, is now a corporal in the 9th Battery, and fought at Somme, Armentieres, Messines. M. O’Reilly (Bth Reinforcements, infantry) is over here, ami I hear from his brother Jack that he is still well. Jack O’Reilly told me that he passed Harry Hoskins, of Avharf fame, up near Messines one day. I think he has only been over here a short Avhile. I passed young Euseoe (son of ganger on N.Z.R.) on the road sotne pjonfhs r.go. |le wjts ip the infantry, and appeared Q.K. There was a chap by the name of Joe Healey, from Foxton, a flax worker, who also came away in the 12th Reinforcements, Infantry. I have

not seen him since Egypt. Young was alright. Percy Clark (late Bank N.Z.) was a Paymaster Sergt.-Major in the 12ths, but have not seen hi msince Egypt. Young Coupples (late G.P.O. Staff, 10th Reinforcements, Medical Corps)— I met him one night a few months ago, and he was quite O.K. J. Neylon, son of Mr P. Neylon, Levin Road; met him in England, and he was well. Don’t know his Reinforcement, but he is in the N.Z. P.A., also. MeHattie (late of Bank N.Z. staff) is a sergeant over here somewhere in the Infantry (11th Reinforcements); also J. Yeller, late G.P.O. staff, private, also 11th Reinforcements. Well, I am afraid I have exhausted my mass of knowledge. Of course, there are many others from Foxton, but I cannot remember their names, nor have I seen them. Oh! “Arf a Mo.” J. Collins, son of Mr James Collins, Bth Reinforcements, private, D. Walls, son of Hugh Walls, also Bth Reinforcements, private, and M. Walls, his brother, who is in the N.Z.F.A., 6th Battery, but I don’t know his reinforcement. I also met Wilkinson, late of the milk-cart, just before Messines stunt. He was in the Infantry, and well,