LETTERS FROM PALESTINE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 October 1918, Page 6

LETTERS FROM PALESTINE.

J FROM A TAfIASAKI BOYj Trooper Tapp O'Neill, writing to liis mother under dates of July 18th and 24th, the former date from "down in Jordan Valley" and the latter from somewhere "near Samaritan Inn" says: This last week we have had a lively time of it, as Jacko made Ms long expected attack on our sector, his main reason being that he wanted to get possession of a small river that we hold as he has to travel six to eight miles for water. * He attacked at daylight on the 14th, a division of Germans making the main attack. After six hours' fighting we knocked them back a treat, they leaving hundreds of Germans dead and wounded in front of our barb wire entanglements. The Aussies and we had great shooting from 200 to (iOO yards. The day turned out over 100 in the shade and dozens of enemy bounded died from thirst. Each German had from two to three water bottles apiece, whilst the Turks had one bottle to two men. We took over 500 prisoners, of which practically three fourths were Germans. These men are still of the opinion that they are winning the fight. They also state that the Turks let them down badly, as Jacko was supposed to attack our left flank, but I guess our machine guns made him think too hard. The Turks and Germans are not friends by any means.

The day prior to the above attack one shell got among our troops, the 2nd squadron, killing two men and ten horses, and womiding eight other men, among them being Ted Avery, of New Plymouth—wounded in three places of the fleshy part of the hip. Alexander, of Tikorangi, got a backshee in the left arm muscle above the elbow; "Ted Kirkwood, of Stratford, got it in the back of the neck below the ear, and also in the arm below the elbow. The one in the neck just missed the juglar vein, so he was lucky. The other boys you do not know. I was the lucky one indeed, as the shell burst only 20 yards from me, and I was on horseback. % The two ''Teds" and Era Rok were calling out to me to stop, as the shells were bursting in front of me some distance— I could see them—and it was expected they would land in our lines. While Ted was calling out to me this one caught him and the others. Poor old Ted said that instead of looking out after himself and getting into the dugout he was looking after me, and got the crack. The s'liell also wounded some ten of the horses. It was bad luck all round.

Tilings are quieter now. We move out of the line to-night, and go to our rest camp near Jerusalem for a month. We do a month in the lines and a month's spell. At the end of the month I hope to get ten dsys' leave in Egypt, and will have ray holiday in Cairo and Alexandria. Hear from Cliff Tate that he is doing OK. at the cadet school.