IN THE FIRING LINE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 287, 13 May 1915, Page 6

IN THE FIRING LINE.

"A TERRIFIC (BATTLE.? BIG GL'NS AT WORK. A bombardier of the Royal Murine Artillery wrote the following letter during the bombardment of Neuve Chapello whi'e ob.erving shell lire. The following army order is the one to which the writer refers: —■ ''The. attack which we are about to undertake is of the first importance to the Allied cause. The army and tile nation are watching the result, and Sir John French is confident that every individual in the Fourth Corps will do his duty and inilict a crushing defeat on the German Seventh Corps, which is opposed to us. —11. Bawlinson, Lieut.-General."

This is very much active service now. 1 am writing this letter in a quaint little French town during a terrific battle. I am stuck up here with an ollicer and we are observing for our heavy gun. We arrived overnight. Even now, as I write, tlie shells are bursting perilously near. Well, as I told you, our troops are advancing, and this promises to be one of the biggest engagements of the war. Our general, Sir John French, sent us all a message of encouragement last night—which 1 enclose, and which please keep for me. It is rather misty at present, and we can't see the results of our shots very clearly. 1 must knock oil for a minute, as they are just about to fire again. Now we can see better, and the last shot has set lire to the railway .-station in the town we are bombarding. Just receivid news that our infantry has captured their first line of trenches. Next shot coming. The guns are making a terrible noise now, and it is a wonderful sight. We hear now that Neuve Chapelie has bom captured by our troops, and from here we can see our shells bursting in tlie enemy's lines. We seem fairly immune now—no shell:, have come over for a long time. There is now a large cloud of smoke in the direction our big shells have liecn dropping, and we must have set lire to another large building. The town will soon be untenable for the Germans. It ' is sad to think of the number of innocent people that must be killed and injured, but it cannot be helped—it is tile | fortune of war. | We liave the Canadians and the Tndian ' troops working at our point of the line. Fine fellows they are, and very eager to I get at close quarters with the "Huns." j We hear terrible tales of the enemy's j doings when they were in possession of . this town a few months ago. What they couldn't take with them they destroyed, and the wanton damage they did is enormous. I expect you will hear full particulars of this engagement before I shall, but probably it will last some days. Anyhow, we are about to fire again, so I will close.