BEHIND THE FIRING LINE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 199, 11 August 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

BEHIND THE FIRING LINE.

BRITISH ARMY'S REPAIR TOWN. Situated behind the British lines, near th e General Headquai ters of the British Expeditionary Force, is one of the busiest and best organised industrial towns in the world. It consists of over 300 rep-air shops, employing more than 2*, 000 men picked from' the best workers in various trades. These men are under the control of fhe AS. C, and each man is in khaki, whether he be a mechanic, boot-niiiker. or tailor. One of the busiest sections of the repair town are the motor repair shops, where as many as 60 vehicles, ranging from motor-cycles to huge transport automobiles, can be repaired in 24 'hours. Another section of 2000 men is engaged in repairs to aircraft, while thousands more are engaged upon repair work on shoes and uniforms. Every day some half-dozen wagons arrive, bringing thousands of pairs of damaged boots gathered up from wagons at various places near the firing-line and from the lines of communication. Tons of garments which have heen damaged by usage, shrapnel, and bayonet are repaired every in the clothing section and sent out as good, or almost good, as new. The armour/ r.epair shops, of course, are the biggest of all. There are five of th?se. covering four acres, and here are repaired guns of all sorts, from the larg?st to the smallest weapons.