THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 15 January 1917, Page 2

THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

THEIR EIGHT MOVES. CRIMINAL-LOOKING HUNS. SOME HIDEOUS SCENES. "I have seen seme hundreds of Hun prisoners, and am struck, not that I'm undluy prejudiced, with the conditions and looks of the great majority. To me they appeared the most criminallooking and underfed creatures." This is one of the extracts from the letter of a New Zealand officer at the front to a friend in England. Since I last wrota you we've been tracking about nil over the district. Eight moves since August 31. This spot we are now in is the most wonderfully and weirdly interesting it is possible to imagine. I find it out of my power to describe the vastness of the happenings, and some of the sights I've seen are too awful to describe. I expect you can easily guess where we are when I tell you that there isn't a single moment of the day or night which doesn't contain an explosion of greater or lesser degree. As I write Vru on the pillow of my bed in my tent and only a few thousand yards from the line, there is one incessant thunder of artillery, punctuated here and there by the deafening blast ot the nearer guns. Since we came into this sector a fortnight or so ago we've had plenty to do. As an instance, in 15 hours we handled hundreds of tons of shell for ■ cur artillery. It rather gives an idea of the immenseness of the operations when one comes to think that there ar:> perhaps a dozen other columns cluing the same thing in this vicinity. During the opening of this second offensive, for three nights I never harr my clothes off, and the longest rest I had was five hours. I am in charge of 25 men (10 for day and 15 for night shift), and, by Jove, they work like Trojans. One evening last week Ave had a convoy of lorries with shell on board to unload; each man had to handle 15 tons, and in as short a time as possible. One cannot imagine, until one sees the prodigious amount of traffic that goes up and down the country day anc! night. To-day we traversed a main road, and there was one unending stream of vehicles of every description except the private or civilian brand; simply made one's eyes ache to watch them. Until we left this main artery of traffic, which extended for five or six miles, there was one endless line of motor and horse-drawn vehicles, all intent on some errand, and all puffiing and snorting mostly towards the line. I went up to near the rear of the line about a week ago. and the scenes of desolation and destruction simply baffle description, and as the wily Hun was plastering the neighbouring country with shell, it wasn't a particularly healthy spot to linger in. At least I saw some of the awfuiness of the results of these tremendous bombardments, which go on without cessation, and what T did see would not bear description here. I! was ghastly and too hideous for words. After the attack the other day I saw some of the wound ed passing through a dressing station near by. They were torn and shattered and bloody, but still smiling and hanging on like grim death to their souvenirs of the fight. What strikes one out here under all circumstances is the cheerfulness of the troops; they are always whistling and singing and cracking jokes. I get a vast amount of quiet amusement out. of those I have under me and come in contact with.