WITH THE ENGINEERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 240, 19 March 1915, Page 6

WITH THE ENGINEERS.

XHjUT FIGHTING. A RAIX OF FIRR AXI) WAT Fit. The London Times publishes the following letter from a member of the lioyal Engineers:— After a brief spell of day work we are ome more upon night duty; each cu'.uig after dark (and it is dark now, there being no moon), sees us movo oil from our billet into the inky blackness of the country lanes, and inarch the three />r four miles to the scenes of our labors. That three or four men will take us anything from one hour and a-lialf to two hours to accomplish, owing to the very frequent halts. One cannot see one's hand in front of one's face, and so it is a comparative!}; easy task to lose touch with those in front. Kven the sounds of the footsteps feeni .lost in the night, and there is only the dull rumble of the tool carts following in the rear. The column is halted occasionally, and an oflicer walks from front to rear to see that all is correct, or_ rather, he asks ii that is so. When I say the column is halted,-I mean that the word to halt is passed down from front to rear to do so. But, generally speaking, the first indication one gets that the column is halting, is by violently bumping into the stationary figure in front of one. Then, again, one seldom accomplishes the journey up to the front without encountering similar bodies of troops returning from the firing line. This encounter always means delay, as in spite of the warning, "Keep to the right of the road," the troops get somewhat mixed up. In the pitchy dark the road ditches have a knack of ma.si|uerading as solid surface; in

I sorrow and anger one finds that it is |an illusion. Hut out of chaos the troops eventually sort themselves out, and proceed on their way. At numerous points, too, the road is seamed with "Jack Johnson" holes—grim reminders of former si rile. These holes readily adapt themselves to hold all the rain water, in some ca-rj they have been filled up with old bricks—that is, they have been filled up too much or not insufficiently, so that one performs the operation known as "stepping on the stair that is not there." In the long run. after having had to haul the tool carts ami waggons out of the various ditches that r'hc horses M-eni partial to. v.e arrive at_ some point just in the rear of the firing line —in our case it is a ruined village. It is in this desolate snot that (he bullet.- that miss „nr trenches, find (heir rcsfing -places with the peculiar moaning sound (hat these spent missiles 1 have. In contrast to these there is the ' short "pop" of the sniper's bullet that ; sings uncomfortably close to your ear. tb-1-e is piobably securely hidden away ill some adjacent farm, and is not easily found, a-: lie, of cnurse, \-,;]l md; fire by day. and thus give his position away. 'f'is cunning devil by day carefully notes the range of exposed parts ol the road, and although he cannot see any object on it at night, he fires at "'•""•I*, and. if (here j; a at tiie shadows.

Now comes the "nervy" ~f ji,,. "oil;. The party, having drawn the ncc-e-ar.v tools, split up into groups ami pi - , ,ce,',ls t,, the requisite spot to work ! H V"' (:, ' rl " a ii and the Eii*;'nil lines; barbed wire is to be erected, „r it may be a breastwork that requires the carrying to and. fro of hurdles. vay ll is done in tile open and out of e Km.lh shelter afforded 1»V <! tren.-li This Class Of work requires the common kind of courage. One is ire<|iicnl!y working apart from one's rades, and there is "uncertainty as to our position," suspense and loneli,,,- ; (" battle wit I!. In ~ f-reneli one has a certain sense of security i„ beiimground level, and there is the coile -lbe courage, due to the knowledge that one has companions. r„ milting up barbed

wire, one is vrorkin? |H.rlmps fl'i.i- or •' liundrcd yards in front of (I'p'-iVn ImiclMN. aml fortunate in,loo,] Y< 'ho working party if 11,,. oiromv s lir ,t " f ti.f pk-icot. i„.in S drivon into tin- pi-ouml. ami r, on fir,- 0 r "iwriwps a f!av W ji| ' tin own 11]) 1)V nnn of tlicni to Hoc -.vl'iif. -.vo nro nl. Thru ovoryono ha, tl, r , ln- , iioiiwolv.'-i ]!.>' the ;;fouii(T an I In- ' ,lkri n "imßftiil wirrwl