From The Front.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 225, 28 August 1914, Page 2

From The Front.

IN THE AUCKLAND CAMP. Mr Gordon Hovey, form:rly of j Pukekoha and now in the Epsorr 1 camp, Auckland, with the 3r;l Auckland Mounted Rilles, writes interc3tjil 1 y under date August 2(3 hj, as j follows: "This is the (irst opportunity that [ have h?d to drop you the few ! lines promised a fortnight ago. Wc have been exceedingly busy and early ta bed arid early to rise is the general o-der; apart from o-ders we are too healthily tired to da other than get between the blankets early, but it's a bit of a pull in the morni ing. You have doubtless seen the j infantry continent and they will [ have reported their movements to you. But the mounted contingent claims my attentian. We have from the Pukekohe district Lieut. Haeata, Patumah'e, Sergeant Leighton, Bueklanrf, H. aid J. Eisenhut, of tha Mauku, O'Neills (2). from Pukekohe East, Corporal Halliday, of Kuciman, Hacker, Schofield, Brooke and mvsslf from Pukekohe. Last but not lea-t Captain C. S. Schofield. Iheraare other familiar faces, but I do rot know the names of the owners. We are sleeping ten in a t=nt, and in "our" tent if Leighton, Eisenhut, t-'chf fieH, Bagnall, brother of Miss Bagnsll, Niccl, of the "Herald" ftall', Gray, a Waikato school teactrr, myself and three others, Brown, Wilkinson (not a Jersey man) and Clarke. "The order of the day ii revi-ille at 6 a.m. and an immediate stabie parade. Horses are fedond watered, granmed anl s'ablep cleaned. Part of the squairon indulges in physical training, including goosestep, Swedi-h drills and general exeicises. Meanwhile the tent cook has been getting a rr.ova ori and breakfast has been cooked over a trerch lire The eternal sausaze (New Zealand brand) is very conspicuous in the first course, although porridge is available if th 3 men would only cook it, but th: trcuble of cleaning the dirty pot causes them to jib. Thit tent ccok business is a paitofthe training and we have no regimental cooks. After breakfart various drills take place, including horsa drill, musket'y instruction ard foot drill. This is repeated in the afternoin F>r lurch we have dry rations issued and pcne.ally boil a stew for "evening dinner" and very often the comments are of a niture that would cause me to blush—were I younger. By the time we have finished this meal it ia dark, and some who are lucky to get passrs run down to tiwn whilst others clean uniforms, etc Atrain others indulge in "musical" evenings in the Y.M.C.A. tent. This tent ha 3 bsen loated bv the Association and is in great demand. Close handy is another Y.M.C.A. tent Bp3cla 11 y fitted un ft-r httar writing an;! reading. Unfortunately it has a grumaphonj i i it and it practically adioins the piano tent, and fo whilst trying t) write we suffer from "Evtrybrdy's Doing It" and "Robert E. Lee," whilst the gramaphone S'eetly grinds out "Tell Mothtr I'll be There." "Brockr, Schofield and I arc more than plea!ed with the saddiery orders rcc;ived from Mr F. Dear.e, on behalf of ihe local Patriotic Fund. Wo were equipped, but our stock saddles were condemned as unfit. Mrs Parr was here yesterday and tha men were served out with a "housewife" (inanimate), socks, shirts, a woollen cap, urdervests I and pants. They proved very acceptable to th"8? men who were short of these necessities.

"We are ail very eager to get away, as this waiting business gets on one's nerves somewhat. Everyday the boys look out for orders to mobilise, but it is more than prs sible that we ?ha 11 be here for a fortnight yet. "I have ha.l eo many enquiries from frends that I should ba glad if vou will pass on word that the Pukekohe contingent is well and all are fit, including myself. "I have come to the end of my tether, perhaps h?stoned hy the fact that the piano is duelling with the eramaphone —"Who Were You With L<ut Ni?ht" versus "0, You Grfat H : g Beautiful Doll."