IN BILLET AND TRENCH.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 199, 11 August 1916, Page 1 (Supplement)

IN BILLET AND TRENCH.

A TOUR ACROSS U NO MAN'S LAND. HUMAN MOPS~OF MUD AND WATER. SHOWN BY ThTsTAR SHELL'S LIGHT. Writing home from his .billet somewhere in France," under date the King's Birthday a Wanganul non-com." tells of his first experiences in the front line trenches His letter, from which we have been pprmitted to make the following extracts, is interesting as affording'a realistic glimpse of life in billet acd trencn:

Well, since my last leter I've seen ii ie, and had a huge time. On May '3rd. at midnight, we packed up toade- 5 our rifles, and started out for our first stay in the trenches. After marching about a. mile through a suburb of this town, completely wrecked by shell fire, we entered the trenches. You would be surprised at the huge extent of them. After pushing through for quite a mile and a half we reached the sector we had to defend for the next days. Our Journey was made awe-inspiring bj the star shells which both sides were sending up. These completely light up the country—just like day—except that the light is brilliantly white We had to get in very quietly, for should Fritz once get the tip that the troops were changing, shells would eventuate to no limited extent. We filed into the fire trench, those relieved filed out, and it was now our job to hold the fort. course, within a very few minutes every man had fired his first shot at the Hun. We couldn't do much the first night, for everything was so strange. When daylight broke, however, we found that our sector was a good one. We had no dug-out, but a well-built parapet, which goes a very long way. During the day no man dare put his head over that parapet, for Fritz had the supcricrity of snipers, and was cutting the tops of the bags in fine style. Periscopes were soon punctured. By the way. Fritz was only 70 yards away, and on higher ground. He certainly had the advantage. While in the trenches very little sleep can be expected We were up all night eve-v night, what with "Stand-to's" anl "guard." During the day working parties were the vogue, building .«p what Fritz had broken down the day before. The afternoon was easy," however, when all not on guard tried to snatch a sleep On taa second night in Captain - sent for me and'asked me if T would car; to take a patrol Into No-Man's Land —that is, have a close look at the German trench by crawling out to it. T picked two men. and we startel. It was "some" journey, believe me. It was raining hard, and the groim'! was sodden. We were soon over the parapet, and then every move aad to be done In the prone" position. Both fires were going over-us, ami thus, crawling Indian file, we got near the enemy's barbed wire. Wlilln there an attack developed, and we had a huge time. Bullets were h;tting the ground all round us. am several times I felt the air rush past my face. So we lay "doggo"—hugged the ground—until it got a little quieter, when we returned. The "skipper" was pleased with the information we obtained, but was immensely relieved to see us aga.i!. ' Now, that was being really under hit in our second night there, yet my feelings, even when lying "dogge.* were those of excitement. The anr'cipation of the trenches Is realty worse than the realisation. All the boys were in the best of spirits, anl we hid a memorable time fturlrig those days: something like a ride on a verv fast motor cycle. If was great! You can imagine tno state In which we got back —Just mops o" mud and water, yet we had immediately to "stand to" and heli> to ward off the expected attack. 1 dried off at the cook-house next morning, all standing. Four times I was out on patrol, and ju«t revelled in it. Of course the greatest danger attending patrol work is that of meeting enemy patrols, which Is very likely, seeing that the trendies arcbut 70 yards apart. Every time a flare goes it means "doggo," and not a move! The gentlemen opposite gave us t taste of every kind of strare from high explosives downwards: but thev appeared to have a decided partiality for rifle grenades, or whizzbang*, and a tendency to drop these unpleasant things, with quite we 1 - come prodigality, in the vicinity of our cook-hous«. which was in the sector below mine. Just before we canife out thev landed two right In our trfneh. It's just a shame how all d"ck! Our casualties, however. were light. Poor Capt. was among the unfortunates. A whizxbang landed right In front of him. and he got it pretty badly. It was '■•ard luck. (Tho offleer referred to has since been officially reported to have died of wounds.) Just to snow what a scientific war this is: We came cut of the trenches the night before last. Yesterday we were paid. after which w* were taken to a huge bath-house, where we were all put In * dls'nfectant bath, all our dirty clothe.- were taken away, ant' clean ones Issued. We get days', out and then days in . Last night I went to a picture show run by the 1 0 vs—n very good show. While in there one of our big guns was talking nc« Tr.r beMnd us. and shaking the plaster off the roof ail over us. Gn;;t life, isn't it? There is one picture in the trench which would sell by tne hundred were it to be painted: About 2 o'clock in the morning every man is stancling-tc. It is pitch I dark. Pnddenlv Fritz rends up ore i of his flare-! right behind our trench. I Then, in bright relief aeainst the I blackness of the night, rnc sees the I men leanieg on their rin>;. perhaps one or two observing ever the parrnet. maybe one man having a shot. while everv pandbag stands out clearly. Of course. T can't describe it, you can't imagnie it, but it makes a great picture.