FATHER AND SON MEET IN FRANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 March 1917, Page 2

FATHER AND SON MEET IN FRANCE.

A HAPPY INCIDENT. Private K. H. Austin, late of Leie.lifield street, Christehurch, when but fifteen and a-half years of age*, felt the call of King and Country so strong upon him that he enlisted forthwith,' departing from this country with the Fourteenth Reinforcements. He celebrated his sixteenth birthday in the trenches in l-rance. His father was wounded in tho Somme ba'ttle, and when on his way back to the firing line met his son. The circumstances arc; described in the following letter from the parent, Rifleman 1. M. 'W. Austin. He says:— I wanted to see Son, and being out | of the trenches was my opportunity for | doing so. .Sunday was Christmas Eve, "I,i f expected to see him then, but he did not turn up, so I thought, perhaps ,ie ,vou 'd come on Christmas Day, but "e did not. Boxing Day (yesterday) I made up my mind that I would see him, went to my major and asked for perinisison to go to see my boy. liand a comrade got permission to visit the Second Brigade, and, after walking seven miles, or thereabouts, we got to where my son was biHotted, to discover that he was not there, having been sent out to the trendies with a fatigue party. Wo learned that he would be back at halfpast three (this was twelve o'clock). I went back at four o'clock, and there was our boy talking to some of his mates. I went up to him and said, '"TIow are you. iSon?" You should have seen how his eves shone! He caught hold of mv hand and I thought he would never leave it go. He told rne that he had been doun here looking for me, and the} had told him that I was over looking for him. The little devil went out to the trenches and sneaked off to come over to me. I am proud of him, imd lie IS ot his "old man." Yesterday was the nippiest day I have had since I left von. .1 am going to get lijni in with me. * He ■mid he would like it, ami it will be lovely for the both of us to be together, fie is looking well, "although he'litis had a bad cold; but nearly everybody has a cold here.