LIFE IN FRANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 July 1916, Page 3

LIFE IN FRANCE.

£XP]'HI ••■NCI'S OF the NEW ZUALANDEKS. Bom: VIVID PICTURES. Mr. W. Hill, son of Mr. Samuel Hill ««d nephew of ih: James E. Hill, of -\cw Plymouth, and later connected with the Wellington and Auckland press, writes a very chatty letter to his people from the trenches in France, where lie is along with the other New Zealand boys. He says:— The Trenches, Flanders, May Hi, lfllfj. I'ood is plentiful and as' Fritz so far has proved himself a poor shot there is no cause for complaint. Conditions hero are vastly different from those niling on the Peninsula, but as the same old "wizz, bang, hang, pop," goes on I don't think I am likely to be lonely. Fritz has fur too much artillery for that, and, by the same token, it'is as well to mention the fact that he is a waster of his weapon. Shells of all calibre fly above all day, and we are not given a respite even at night. As a matter of fact the nights are always more lively than the hours of daylight, machine guns, mortars, rifle-fire'and sometimes big howitzers, doing their best to keep the nerves of all combatants on edge. GAS ALARMS. Tiy way of a change we had three »*s alarms last night, but happily with no ill effect, although a dozen or so women m (he big town in the rear were gassed. We promptly donned our gas helmets and 'Slood to." Across the way (about 200 yards), the Germans set their machine gnns in action, and a few seconds later big howitzers commenced to rain shells on our "supports." In our stuffy helmets, which make us resemble'teddy bears, we prepared for the attack, but, after ;< brief strafe of guns of all calibre, Fri(z. donned his night, shirt and got back to bed. We followed suit, or to be exact, the few on duty lid. Hut two hours later on went the helmets again in response to a warning, which could be heard coming right along our lines. Again Fritz indulged in a "strafe" and again he did go no further. About 1 a.m. on went helmets again and this time it looked like the real thin" j but once more the artillery and machine I guns had all the fun. We, who had almost been suffocated in our helmets, were, as you can imagine, in no enviable Irani? of mind, when the order "Stand Down" came, and as a balm to wounded feelings I lined the parapet with my section arid gave Fritz a few volleys'to <*o on with. Still I was glad that'gas did not turn up because it is terrible stuff, two sniff's being enough to finish a man off. | ACTIVITY OF THE PLANES. Additional variety is lent to affairs by Hie Allies and German planes, which are always cruising about. They hover over our trenches, and wherever thev are the shells from anti-aircraft guns' are always following, so you can realise to some extent that always there is something doing. Yesterday I saw a Fokker chase one of our planes, and a little later one of ours hunted a German backover her own lines blazing away merrily the whole while with his machine gun. This is the life, no doubt (for rats and filings that can ereep down holes), but, ail the same, I think I prefer sunny "Akarana" and excitement only in the shape of football or a game of 'bridge. GUNS "STRAFING." As I write, one of our guns is '•'strafing" the German trenches in front of us, and as it is always a case of tit-for-tat here, we will be getting our little lot in return directly. It's no use running away because one never knows where the sheil will fall. We just have to sit down and (rust to luck. Then one never knows when a mine is going to be sprung, or a Zepp. will turn up and drop a few presents, but it's foolish policy to allovy one's imagination to run riot,'so no more. LIFE IN THE.TRENCHES. Yesterday I had my first wash for four days, but I haven't had my clothes or boots off for seven days. 'Managed to get my shirt oil* yesterday to jettison a few "erowlies," but will liave to wait until we go out for a spell before I can get everything oil'. As a matter of fact I've only got what I stand up in, all other gear having been left in the city, which we arc to visit on Monday for it few days' spell. We have a few 'days in and a few days out, and I can assure yon I am looking forward to the "out" period. The trenches are not at all comfortable, being wet and muddy. I only wish the bosses of the war would get going, because trench life isn't pleasant. In some places I believe the trenches are comfortable, but ours are not. and we get wet and muddy, and don't know what is happening outside because we are too far away for papers to reach us regularly. ENTERPRISE Of'tHE RODENTS. Rats infest every nook and cranny at night. When on duly I spend a lot of time trying to bayonet (hem as they run past. Some are almost as big as rabbits, and they appear to have little fear of us. Lie down and go to sleep, and they run over your face, and even creep up and eat the rations in our haversacks. Last night, I used my haversack for a pillow in the trench, and an old rat had the cheek to come right up close to mv car and commenced to gnaw his way through my bag to my biscuits. J was dozing at the time, and was awakened by Ihe "crunch, crunch." The next minute | the rat was flying through the air from a blow from my hand. Ah, well, all these little experiences will come in handy during the years to come. Guess T have enough "talk" stored up inside to last me all my life, if only old Frit? keeps on missing me. 1 THE HUNS' DESTRUCTIVENESS. Have seen several of the towns that I have been bombarded by the Germans, I and they are in a mess. One big place about the size of Auckland, is smashed to atoms, and right in our rear, another big city is daily "'strafed' by the big shells. Wc are going there f'cfr a spell next week, and will be able to see the extent of the damage, which, I believe, is considerable. A German "whizzbang" is raining shrapnel on our support trenches 200 yards in the rear, so I think I bad better shift my quarters before it changes direction and "strafes" us. Don't like these shells a little bit, especially "whizz-bangs" which give us the warning. H is just a case of "whizz, bang," and then stretcher bearers. Some shells give warning of their coming, but not those confounded quick-firers, which are, however, not as quick as the French 75's, the most deadly weapon in use here. Have to take my turn at patrolling this week, and also at erecting wire in front of our trenches. These jobs are carried out at night and are ticklish jobs indeed when yon consider wc are only 200 yards from the Huns, who are always oil the alert. On patrol we have to get through the wire entanglements and creep up as far as possible to the German trenches, a ticklish business, when flares which turn night into day are sent up every three or four minutes. However, what's 'the. use of worrying J