LETTERS FROM THE FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1917, Page 2

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT.

TARANAKI XOKT-COM.'S EXPERIENCE. Writing from a camp in England to his father, a Taranaki infantry sergeant states:—lt will soon he three years since I said good-bye to you on the wharf at Wellington, and I think I have seen a bit of the world since then. I had a good spell in England this time; in fact, it is just about eight months since I was wounded at the Soiimic, but, of course, about live months of thai, time was in the hospital. 1 got my right arm rather badly shattered, but, thanks to the help of the electric treatment I received, il is just about all right now. 1 now belong to a new battalion of the Wellington Infantry Regiment, a unit which has just been formed. New Zealand has done rather well in this war. , There ale in all something like 3I>,HUI) men I actually in ilie field, and there are about j i.'iOOO men ill reserve ready to reinforce, the units in the Held. I am a platoon sergeant, and am practically the second ,in command of a platoon of 54 men. A ! platoon is commanded by a lieutenant, j with A senior sergeant as second in com- ; mand. The Hist two sections are purely j common or garden infantry men, except j the second section, who are bombers or

' grenadiers, while the fourth section are united >\itli a Lcivis machine-gun, so you see a platoon sergeant has to know a bit of everything. The people ot this country arc very out of date with their methods of farming. In fact, there are hundreds of acres ol unfarmed country heie, which, considering the scarcity of loodsUil's, is a regular scamlal. Twiiie of the ground here is very good, although, on the whoie, J. do not think it is as good as in Erance. We had a pretty good opportunity of seeing •what Erance was like right from south to north when we travelled in the train, tt took us in all three days and two nights. Scotland" is : a very line country, and tile Scotch ace ; very line people; indeed, they are liebest people i have come across hi this country. When i was up in -Scotland this time 1 went right up to Wick, which ■is on the north coast. After you pass through the Highlands and get further north you come to Hat country again. I was nearly taking a commission in a Highland, regiment, only the -New Zealand military authorities Mould not

agree to my transfer. J am rather glad now that 1 did not get. it, as the pay is not too good, although promotion in the New Zealand forces is very slow on account of them making so many officers in New Zealand, and 1 have missed promotion three times now through a casualty. Still, 1 suppose I ought not to growl, because I have done fairly well, j have seen a good bit of the world at the Government's expense, and have saved something over £2OO a= 'Well, which cannot be growled at for about 2'.; years' work. 1 have no idea, how long my brigade is likely to be in England, but 1 do not think there is any likelihood of our going over to France yet awhile.