FROM THE FIRING LINE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 7 November 1916, Page 4

FROM THE FIRING LINE.

w LETTER PROM A TAIHAPE L'Al)_ The following letter has been received from Sapper Bert Williams, a well-known Taihape boy, who is doing, duty with the Field Post where in France: — Somewhere in France, 12th September, 1916Since my last letter we Irt.ve been shifted about a good deal"from one place to another, but we are now on the battlefield, right in the thick of it. It is a grand sight, especially at night, when the countless guns are firing, the sky appearing as one big glare. It is splendid to hear the shells screeching as they go over your head in tho direction of the enemy, and to wonder how many Huns are going to take their “final count” when they strike tho enemy ’s trenches. Aeroplanes are also numerous, and it is a treat to see them flying over the trenches. Fritz is evidently afraid of them, as only one of his machines has ventured to come over here, but it soon retired, as our machines were on to it like a cat ott to a bird. To-day two Taubes were brought down in our lines,- one falling 1 in flames. It is wonderful to see the amount of transport going to and fro during the day, and it is a marvel to me why Fritz does not shell them. I think the roads must be busier than the streets of London, as the column ia often two miles long—lorries going up one side of the road and down the other* It is impossible to cross the roads at times, and there are also police to control the traffic to avoid accidents. I have been all through what up till a month ago used to be the German’s first line of trenches, but now ours, and many more besides. It is a startling fact how the British must have shelled Fritz before they advanced, as th 6 ground is simply peppered with shellholes. The Huns did some great engineering work, their trenches being perfect, electric light right through. The dug-outs are fully 40 feet down, and in one of them a dead German officer lay with a bayonet right through hig heart. I am afraid New Zealand folks will get a sad shock when the casualty lists arrive, as although the New Zealanders have done their work nobly they have had to pay the price in a mournful number of killed and wounded. 1 ■ September 15th. No doubt you in New Zealand will have heard where the Maorilanders are now-. They have been in ; tho warmest part of the line, and everyone speaks in glowing terms of the way fought during the,last few days, They have sustained many casualties, but they did all they had to do, and did it well. There were some very pitiful sights, and also some very amusing ones, to see our hoys returning from the fight wearing German helmets and smoking German cigars. It would open your eyes to sec how the ground has been cut up with shells. One may say that almost every inch of it has been shelled, and it is hard to imagine how the Germans lived through it all. The Huns attempted to reply to our shelling, but for every one he sent over we returned six; so he got a .good taste of John Bull’s new explosives. It was quite exhilirating to see the German prisoners coming in, and as they passeci quite close to me I was able to have a good look at them. They seemed verj pleased to be in the hands of the Bri tish, and worked very hard carrying it our wounded. Among the prisoners were two German doctors, who seemec as if they could not do enough attend ing to our wounded men. I received the cake and little comforts sent ovei here, and enjoyed them very much There seems to be some doubt in deal old Netv Zealand about the boys at th( front getting the parcels sent to them but the kind senders need have no mis givings on that score, as I think I an quite safe in saying that 99 per cent of the parcels sent reach their destina tion, and if they could see the gratefu looks, and hear the heartfelt thank: expressed by the soldiers to their kins men across the sea’ ’ they w’ould fee amply rewarded.