"THE HEAVIES."

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 199, 11 August 1916, Page 3 (Supplement)

"THE HEAVIES."

4 HOWITZER CONCERT. Mr. W. Reach Thomas sends from the British Headquarters m France a picturi of a "howitzer concert" at the lront. In the course of this he writes: The Germans began it. On the lovely Sunday morning, about the churchtime hour, they lobbed the first shells on to our front trendies, and did not stop till they had expended 2500 odd. Nothing like 1 per cent, did any daniuga to life or limb, in spite of the skill of the German gunners and the great accuracy of the guns. But the guns on , the two sides are as precisely antiphonal as the two sidles of a choir. When one sings the other answers, even though the answer is deferred, as in this case, five or six days. I had heard the Sunday chal'enge from thirty miles away, where the church hell was much the more insistent of the two. The response I listened to—though with shut ears and open mcuth from the very bench where "the heavies'' chanted. The whole lore? of the chai rwras used. The trench mortars opened, and then followed trebles, tenors, and basses, concluding with the great contralto note of "lazy Eliza." or grandmother, with the 15 in. threat. THE ESSENCE OF A CONCERT Th's amazing music lasted, according to the exact programme of the conductor, from 10.30 a.m. till 6 p.m., and onlv now and then was the intolerable bellow at your elbow interrupted by the screaming note of an answering shell from the enemy. Mortars, field guns. 60-pounders, 6-in., 8-in., 12m , and 15-inti. howitzers all joined; but it was in essanee a howitzer concert, an entertainment for "the heaves." I am not a musical critic and cannot if I might, give any technical account uf the various parts'played an this more than usually elaborate orchestra. But there is no need to be a musician to oe impressed. What strikes even the engrossed gunner hr'mself is the abruptness of uie contrasts. From the heart of the countrv from any such scented fields as nurse our home vi'lages, comes out or the mouth of some fantastically draped monster a sudden roar and flash of nre that punches your body all over with a palpable blow and blinds your eye. Then follows a perfect hush, in which the willow warbler again starts his song and the scents of May become ogan the prevailing impression. TELEPHONE "GRAND STAND ' The stripped gunners reeal'ed lor a few minutes some picture of an old sea fight, as they swung shells or cleaned the guns. You are trying to believe that it is all real or has some definite rudiment of war m it, when an officer coming up asks .on to come into his telephone box office to hear " the other end." Someone miles away, near where earth is being churned up and all uie wretchedness of mole warfare is in evidence, is about to communicate. The gunner goes to his instrument; a gentle and placid ami's comes over n:s face, and he nods u.s head. He says nothing, but walks out and someone with a band megaphone proclaims aloud for mil to hear, "The major says the last salvo was beautiful." The smile is transferred to every gunner present; and we all have a picture of the major rubbing his hands in that remote O.P " somewhere near the the Bodies" and murmuring, " Beautiful." To keep the major happy another salvo : s fired so quickly that I have no time to get my lands to my ears. 'J his time the major's resopnse is equally happy. "O.K. Carry on," is the exact comrusnt.