"A HELL OF A GAME."

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 68, 20 March 1915, Page 6

"A HELL OF A GAME."

SURGEON'S STORY. THROUGH MARXE. AISXE, AND LA BASSEE. In a letter received by Dr. McNab, M.P., from Dr. A. A. Martin, of Palmereton Xorth, now at the front, the latter says:—"l am here with the 13th Field Ambulance, attached to the 15th Brigade under the command of General Count Gleichen, and we belong to the famous sth Division. I was, with the army during the last two days of the famous retreat, was through the Marnc and. the Akne, at La Bassee, and latterly was at Ypree, where I witnessed the charge of th e Prussian Guards. Then I was in those bloody trenches for three days and three nights, and was glad to crawl out; was frozen half dead and could not feel my feet. It is a hell of a game. It is certainly exciting. I have had a considerable lot of major surgery. We had about 7,000 wounded British through our hands at one town in 'France during 21 days. The fighting at La Bassee was of an amazing stubbornness, was pitiless, and most sanguinary. At one point I was up night and day operating, and had to keep myself going with coffee and brandy. Occasionally I snatched a quarter of an hour's sleep; rolled up my coat for a pillow and lay on the floor. Ueed to drop off and sleep like a pig. I was never so done up before. We have a lot" of German wounded at this time. I had to operate on a lot of them. The wounded have no nationality with the medical service; they are to us simply poor fellows in need of skilled help, and we give them all of our best. Ther are all so very jrrateful, be they wounded French; Belgian, German or British, to the doctor who stands by them in their hour of great trouble. I am glad I came out. . I will feel in years to come that I have done my bit. I never imagined when a youth that I would serve in two ware— South Africa ami the war of the nations —but there it is. . . I am still going strong, but th e hard life is telling on mc a bit. Mercifully T have escaped so far, but twice I thought that my hour had come. It was so that I got my notebook and several letters, re-tied them up and had them addressed to my wife, but Ie bon Dieu caw n> through. . . (The letter is dated 7th January, and a portion had been cut out by the censor.)