NEW ZEALAND TROOPS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 56, 14 July 1915, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND TROOPS.

Under Deadly Fire. They Laugh and Joke. Sergt. Sch©field's Description. We recently publish u in these columns , extracts from a letter written from Egpyt by Sergeant Schofield, one of the Puktkohe "boys" serving with the forces, in which he gave aome interesting particulars of the camp life uf the Auckland Moun'ed Rifles prior to tneir departure from Egypt for Gallipoli. It mil be remembered that some little time after the landing rf the infantry on Turkish soil the mounted men procerded to tie scene of action, hiving their horse* behind. Sergeant Scroti Jld has now again written, this time fiom Gallipoli order date of A'ay 29tb. He states:-

"We left our camp in Egpyt on May Bth, and embarked the following day, all the "boys'' being keen on having A CHANCE AT LAST. . it was Al on board the transport sleeping in a decent bunk after the old sand, but unfortunately it did not last long and row we are again on Mother Earth. Taking things all through, with the few casualties we have had and considering the fire we were under, I reckon we are having A. BIG PICNIC. The food is of the best and plenty of i r . On landing here we put in the first night in one cf the gullies, and the next morning moved up into the trenches on the extreme hft,' After walking up the hill and seeing it frr oneself thi more one is convinced of the matvellous and almost impossible charge of our infantry. They are all HEROES OF THE FIRST WATER. From the trenches sniping is going on all day and one is apt at first to be caught by keeping ore's head "at loop" to see what damage bis shut do;p, but one scon becomes as cunnkg as tha old bands and gtt* out of its way. Between seven and eight o'clock on onr first right the enemy poured ra the bar) in great style. "The toys" seemed highly amused at being under fire and

JUST LAUGHED AND JOKED about it. Sheila burst all over u", but all hands just duck and laugh and then come out sgain to see who has bejn "landed." On one attack of the enemy we were waiting in the trenches and our lire was held back until the enemy, cr some of them, reached the trenches. Then "What ho," our machine guns and rifles played THE DEUCE WITH THEM-. Although honours lay with us, 1 think, the Australians got a big bag on our right. We had ten days of it in the trenches and were then removed down the hill into Rest Camp. 1 reckon the "boys" have worked more since being hete than over b: fore gapping and roadmakirg. Just before coming down we had a «ood shaking up with shrapnel—one landing at the foot of our troop-leader's dug out, riddling all his gear, but he was nut touched although the shell burst a few feet from him. On Monday, the 24th, a truce was arranged to allow for the burying of the dead, which finished at 4 p.m., and then firing re-commenced. On the Tuesday we saw a sight that none of us want to see agair, namely,

THE SINKING OF A WARSHIP. It seemed awful to see such a thing and not to he able to help. Last right we had another attack, but finished on top, driving the enemy back with loss. On the left our outpost captured a trench with very little trouble. We are having A GREAT I'IME JUST NOW, any amount of shell fire, but just tbe sme thing happens—everybody ducks, then out again laubging and waving a red flag to signal "a miss." We have named their gun

"MEAL TIME LIZZIE," bn-ause she se?ms to give us a run every meal time. Our squadron is more than satisfied with our officers, who are as cool as one could wish."