EAST AFRICAN FIGHTING.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 122, 24 May 1916, Page 3

EAST AFRICAN FIGHTING.

NEW ZEALANDERS TAKE PART. The following extracts from a lettor by Lieut. C. J. Smith, of the Sth Regiment.. South African Infantry, give an interesting view of the conditions under which fighting is being carried on in German East Africa. "Wo are now."' he says. "Jying opposite the boundary and are against the enemv, who, with his mimervus

and highly trained Askaris, provides a very interesting a.nd difficult problem in bush fighting that for the first time includes modern rifles, machine-guns, and artillery on both sides. Our forces are now mustering very rapid-

ly, comprising infantry, mount eels, machine-guns, artillery and air service, Nature is, however, to be reckoned with in the way of trackless country, dense bush, lack of water (at present at least), fevers maybe, and among insects the dreaded tsetse fly, etc. There is nnu'h game right up the social scale

to elephant, giraffe, rhinoceros. hippo aii'l crocodile in the waters leopard, and naturally “Mr Lion." Lp to the present the enemy has certainly had the better of the bargain in this country with its few defenders, who only for the few reinforcements from India would have been in a particularly bad way. This is a weird country with its

necessity for spine protectors against the sun's rays. We have just come off 24 hours of standing to arms. Our. enemy appear to be busy burning tint undergrowth out, probably to improv- i the traversing of his mpchine-guns. of j which they have a liberal supply, even ] out here. One of the distant sights is , Mount Kilimanjaro, wich pushes its 1 mighty'crest through the clouds. Jt is really n most, refreshing view with , its snow-clad peaks. There are two j Xnv Zealand officers in the regiment— Palmer-Owen and Dan Allen, whil‘3 in our brigade are several others, Freeth, two Haseldens (both already wounded), Wilson, and others. Amongst the men are also quite a sprinkling of Maori* landers, all doing their bit here under the scorching sun. We are -ill impa-

tiently waiting the order to mavo .forward to root the enemy out of their* beaßt?.y trenches, instead of these monotonous reconnoitring brushes, sniping, etc. Th ey ore particularly cunning at , 'heir work, the Askaris being decked out in grass, hidden in the giant baobat trees, and ant, heaps. Even machine guns have been placed by them in trees and heaps and such spots. “How gloriously. ” he continues, , “have our boys displayed themselves on the rough ridges of Ealliprdi It seems a pity that more was not accomplished in that quarter, but as the padre said in a short delightful service in the lines this evening, 'the

lives offered in the groat general sacrifice wore not in vain.’ We all tore

have the greatest contempt for the waster, who should, could, and won 'r There are many of them walking about South Africa and the’re not Dutch either. I hope and know our old Empire must emerge stronger and better from this ‘trial of fire’ if she to herself be wise, and there is no kid glove business.”

Lieutenant Smith had already booked in the Saxon for England to get into khaki in any capacity when the District Staff Officer, Capetown, practically ordered him into the 'Officers’ Training Corps, Potchefstrom, out of wick he passed after'about six weeks ’ very strenuous work, in the tins! out of 100, with an additional ••'star' - ’ which very few even of the 36 obtained.