THE BALKANS IN WINTER.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 40, 17 February 1916, Page 3

THE BALKANS IN WINTER.

SUFFERINGS OF OUR SOLDIERS. A subaltern writing on November 27 from the Balkans to his father, says of the bitter weather lately experienced there: —Last night in our small trench was the worst night I have ever exjperienced. It stopped ing at midnight, and a strong wind from the north started, blowing sheets of snow up against us. In my platoon alone twelve men had to be Carried back, done up with cold, some having turned quite black. The thermometer must, have registered several degrees below zero.

The weather hag stopped all fighting the Bulgars come in every night and surrender —officers and men. Twenty-seven came in on our right last night, and gave themselves 1 up. They don't come to us so much, because they would be seen too easily from their own lines. One acknowledged that he had been through four wars, and that this was the first in which he had not surrendered within a fortnight. Sleep, of course, is quite impossible at night, and often is in the daytime also, and everyone gets out behind the ■trench and walks up and down all night; but a lot of the men give in and lie down in the snow and go off to sleep. I have to pull them out and drag them up and down till they recover. Many of those who are attached to us spent last winter in Flanders, and they say it was never half as bad as this, and they only had short spells of four days in the fir-

ing line and then went back into billets.

Here Ave will not be in billets even when we go back into reserve after completing a fortnight in the firing line, nor do we get much food, and it is generally cold. We officers, of course, are able to supplement our fcod by parcels, from home and purchases in Salonika.

Our great-coatsi and blankets get frozen stiff, so that they will stand up of their own! However, I am still very fit, though 'I have not washed or shaved for a week. Thanks to your parcels, I was 'able to change all my underclothing three days ago. I have just got a pair of,gum boots through the quartermaster for only 13/6, which will be a great comfort in the snow, though no use for marching.