TWO LETTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 282, 7 May 1915, Page 2

TWO LETTERS.

" SJ'jNT LIKE SIIEEL' TO iSi.AUGH.TIiK." Tin;' Kignro pnlilishrs two letters scut by (iormun .soldiers to their families at the- beginning of February. In the first one tlie writer says:r~ "i am ([iiite shuttered and e;ui hardly .carry my pack. If I die it will lie a miserable, death, for no "lie here cares what li:i]i]ii'iis to inc. The situation here is worse than in 'Russia, and what,the: newspapers say is untrue. We arc.-treated! like, dogs i and are sent like sheep to the slaughter. "The I'mich guns speak so that the very earth trembles, while our artillery handy iires a few shells and we are-for-bidden to fire our rifles. "Wherever one looks one sees only dead, and wounded. The post, ihey tell me, forwards nothing, so that 110 information should leak out. The man who gets out of this alive will he lucky, and will have something to thank <iod for. This is fight to a finish, and it is impossible to tell you all I sec." The second letter runs as follows: — "'The first line companies every day have six or eight men killed and twenty to thirty wounded. The enemy has orwaxd.Jfifc-aapa, miwliicH heiSas ilaced mines to blow up our treiU-.hes. I!Y,.nd grenades and bomb throwers- '.itch are the terrible weapons to which recourse is made. •'The bottom of the trenches is covered witlii a-, layer.-of. mud live inches or six inches thick, in which lie the bodies of those killed during-the preceding days. Here and there one sees an arm or a leg stick out. A horrible stench pervades the trenches. In the rear corpses lie piled up. ■ "Halto, made- by,' shells- are of every imaginable size. Some are so big that a carriage could stand in them. ] should never have believed 1 could endure ail this, but one, gets accustomed-to everything."

DYIXG OFFICER'S' CUV. "COME OX, THU. KING'S!" Xorth Fraiiee. March 2(1. An officer of the Kjhg'sS Liverpool Regiment; \WlifcMC: — • ''' I am writing to tell you what I can gather of the action! of the 10th. The'brigade was ordered to assault the German trenches, following a severe bombardment bv the. artillery. A and B companies of the- regiment were detailed for the assault. The word, being given, these two companies charged, but, unfortunately, thewire in front of' tile German trenches ; had not been eut by the artillery pre- i piunati'oit, consequently the men got j hung-up on it and the Germans had time j to bring their maxims into action. The. ! assault therefor© failed, and we lost': ! hea-vilV. I

Alt eye-witnesses, agree, in saying the men behaved in a most magnificent way.. I saw the artillery observing ollicer this morning. He said that they lutely splendid. Company-Sergeaiifc-Major .Tones actually staved five' minutes under the German wire trying' to eut it. He got back "without being-hit. Lieutenant Millor also got up to the wire, and, jumping into a side trench, tut off the enemy for a considerable time. He was wounded in the leg-. Colonel Carter himself is universally said to have behaved with wonderful gailantrv, for, though wounded through the shoulder, lie refused to come out of the fight and continued, in command (luring the day. Poor Feneran was, killed leading his men —a very sad loss; indeed, to us, hut a gallant end. Snatt was shot through the leg, but managed to crawl back. But Madden? Webb, O'Uonoglnie and Young were killed during- the assault, the latter being hit actually 011 the enemy's wire entanglements.

Poor little M ebb was heard shouting,"Come on, the King's!" as l»j lay dying. He will not be forgotten by the old regiment. Haves-Newington and seven men wero killed. One of these was a-, son of a former officer of" the King's. We lost 219 all told, of whom 119 arewounded.