ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 August 1917, Page 4

ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

SCENES AND , INCIDENTS IN a QUIET time.'

(From MaJcolm 'Ross, Correspondent Field) V ealantl forces in the

t„ «, i. June 8, tho f m6 i? m t!le ™nny lands of the far south eveii the late, haltimr «pmg of 1917 was, a , great Mslt. After weeks and months of grey ffloom ana frost and snow and slush tli'e cl«ar sun, slowly increasing his warmth, seeded to uiako new.men of Us all, but more especially of the Australians and the Aew /eaianders. The fields quickly became emerald, the fr,uit trees a riot of gay blossom, and the delicate tracery of tender green that ran with the straight unending roads of Xorthern FVanee aftd Belgium roads -built, some of tliem, oHgmaliv, by the a-delight to the eye. The bird., had 'Some almost before the late spring.. On a very cold day, on the edge of Plciegsteert Wood X saw the first swallow gervtjigly flutter-\ ing near some latteries that 'were beat-. lng the air with the sound waves of their methodical shelling. He seemed strangely out of place. Overhead the droning 'planes came and wont, and the big balloons, with their- strange pig-like lugs, their hanging ropes, and llieir dot of « etyje, rode, with a slightly nwaySng motion, against the blue at intervals behind our bending line. 'Brigades of infantry and artiltecy came out of the line in turn, and perfected • themselves by furthqr training.. J n robust health, the .perfection of physical fitness, with swinging stride they marched back along the roads again—lfeck Into the region of shot and shell, arid, liard, unending .labor. One always felt tad that such fine men were coining baok, ts be killed and wounded. , f: But it was not all work and death ftttd Wounds, There time for ft little |)Uy as well. In the winter there were football matches, and with'tie warm sutamer .weather and the hastening ground cricket came in. The Kew Zealand Pierrots. with an excellent orchestra-; and more than average talent, -had practised assiduously, and drew crowded houses, much applause, and a considerable suw of money for the canteen hinds—thai wonderful Pandora's box, which dots ski much for the armies in the field. . 'JO* regimental bands, a'lso, : relieved* th« tedium of trench 'warfare, and cheered the men. One of the canteens neaf th« front came under shell fire meant foi some batteries, and had ©tie eiid MMni in. The officer in control—-formerly an Auckland wholesale grocer reporting the occurrence next 'day to thj,Q Branch added laconically: "iusitiesa ae usua] to-day at the other end 1"