IN CHARGE OF A MACHINE GUN.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 December 1916, Page 5

IN CHARGE OF A MACHINE GUN.

RAHOTU MAX'S EXPERIENCE ■ Rifleman H. Baker, a well-lenowSL ' coastal rifle shot, who left for the front, j with Lord Liverpool's Own, in the course of mi interesting letter to his parent* at Kaliutu from somewhere in France, ( gives a very interesting 1 account of righting, out of whicn be hod 'not <uw pected to come with a whole akin. =*■! says:—' The plan* from which I wrH4 is oii our way hack to a part ol th«! . district for a short rest, after which, I expect wo shall take up a position! of the front that will probably he nfon( v quiet. On the day of our advance the ; New Zealandera did romarkably welh The unit on our right failed on. uccount of the strength of the defence to keep our right flank open. We were ordered ; to retire a short distance to a stronger v position, dig in and hold on. This we •' did, and knocked out the Huns'-counter-attack. They will not. come to close ■ ' quarters with the New Zealandera, j When we get up near them they throw . up their anils and surrender. While » retiring I lost all my gun team, five men, all wounded from' rifle and machine {<im fire and shell shoA. Oho man, hearing me call for an ammunition-carrier, , . came to my assistance, and remained 7 with me at a strong post until we w.are relieved 30 hours after. We wet. 1 well - off for food and drink. The* Hun? left behind #. large quantity of mineral water, which came in handy, for our wounded and ourselves. While marching over taken trenches I had the great 1 S satisfaction of seeing dead. Bosiohe* green s in the t"ace ; the results of poison gaa fiom shells. They are being paid hack in every department, even liquid , fire, which makes them yelp. You should certainly get a butter account of the scrap from, the papers and Jong before ■ ■ receiving this. It is wonderful how on* ' over gets through those bombardments i and constant shelling and machipe-gun fire. One Bosche that we captured who could speak English said we dl-.l not know what it was to be under a bom-. , bardment. He said: 'You should be » Hinder a British bombardment, aud you would know how terrible it i»."' Rifleman Baker mentions several local boys whom he had seen. He »aw the explosion of the shell that wntlnded Gordon McGregor, who is suffering from 1 , shell shock, but is gtttipp on fine. "On the day we advanced," continues Rifleman Baker, "I was hit once slightly <m ;; the left arm, just cutting through the eoat, and lifting the skin. I was stf '' eral times smothered with earth front shell explosions. On one occasion I had to re-dig portion of our strong poll) ? trench. Three times that day I 'had to - clean the machine-gun on account of •' the sheliing. None of us are sorry to have a spell from those trenches. Fritß '* is not digging so many trenchc* now, M \ lie has not the time, and when we, • 1 hunt him out of them he affords coyw. ' for us. I have several souvenir* from captured Huns. When wo get prisoner* v.e rush in to get something oft ii they will consent." 's3