WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 October 1916, Page 6

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

THE JOURNEY OF THE WOUNDED. Private W. R. Laurence, eldest son of Mr. W. Laurence, of Tariki, who was wounded on August 8, 1015, at Gallipoli, and who received his second wound on August 11 last in France, writes to his aunt (Mrs. J. B. Simpson) from the Second New Zealand General Hospital, Walton-on-Thames, as follows: I was hit on August 11, at 8 pm., while getting water in the front trendies up the Loathian Avenue, No. 1 Locality, at Chappelle, Arrneinticres. Now you know something. At 10 p.m. I was in a car for Armeintieres, where I was dressed again, and sent to Baillieull, arriving there about 11.30 p.m. I stayed there overnight and then boarded a hospital train for Boulogne, getting at that town at 10 p.m. on the 12th. .An ambulance ear took' me to the Se6ond Australian General Hospital, where we stayed until the. loth, receiving the best of attention. Then I was put on a beat, and after two hours' journey arrived at Dover, and then shoved on another train or this place. One has plentj of time for recreation here. We get leave fiom 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 0.30 p.m. till 8 p.m. each day. There are lozens of boats available for us. so we have an occasional row on the Thames. Walton, the town itself, is by no means a big place; but, nevertheless, it gives suflieient scope for cripples. Some of my mates who were wounded in August, liUS, are still in hospital, and won't be well for some time. All the sisters and doctors here are New Zealanders, and one feels quite at home. Shrapnel hits awfully hard, but wlien you overhaul yourself and see what damage has been done you immediately think of ai trip to England. I have had people writing to me for a long time, so Tain not short of friends this time.

It is a grand sight to see an aeroplane come down. I have seen several. One night some of out planes flew over the enemy lines and 'dropped some liquid stuff on five of the Hun halloons, and they 'were completely 'burnt' up. The balloon observers escape in a parachute, if they can. I have seen four men come down in this manner. We have all sorts of names for the Hun shells, such as whizz-bangs, Minniewerfers, and pineapples. The aerial torpedo is ». terrible {bina 1 . One can see it coming, but it wobbles about so much that you don't know which way to run. Our trenches are mostly built on top of the giound with sandbags, as it is too wet to dig underneath. It does not take many shells to undo all our good work.