LIFE AT THE FRONT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 180, 29 July 1916, Page 6

LIFE AT THE FRONT.

EXPERIENCE IN THE FIRING LINE. UNIVERSAL SERVICE IN FRANCE. We make the following interesting extracts from the letters of soldiers to friends in Auckland. A young soldier of the 16th Waikatoe, writing to his mother, says: — "Dear Mother,—Don't you worry about mc at all. 1 am as right as pic. We have football matches sometimes, and we have bathing parade three times a week—salt water too. The Germans make it prety hot sometimes, but we are getting used to that. At night we go out in front of the trenches to put up wire entanglements. That's the time to see us duck, but not too much laughing then. I have been on tbe gas picket. It is not so bad, as we have the gas helmets. We've had to put them on once or twice, but there was nothing doing, as the wind was blowing across tne trenches and back to their own lines, so it was a failure. Two or three of the tioys are going into town now to get some odds and ends, so I must close. We arc being well treated by our own and the French people."

A member of one of the Auckland city companies now in France writes to this father as follows: —

"June I.—l am still located at the base depot, but expect to go forward at any time now. Some of those belonging to the earlier reinforcements who were , located here when our draft made its J appearance have gone on to the "firing line. Most of the Eleventh boys who ' were left behind when the draft, which included mc, left Egypt, have arrived j here, so we are all together again, even | if it is only for a short while. The first ! arrivals are almost sure to go on ahead, as they will finish the training we get here first. Most of the work we get is j very different to thai given us in New ] Zealand, and all of it is eminently practical, as the instructors all have experience in actual warfare to guide them in their teaching. I have had leave once to visit the little village which adjoins the camp. I say "little" village, but in New Zealand the place would rank as a town, and have a place on the map. It is a very old-fashioned place, with narrow, irregular streets, which are, however, in pretty good order, if a bit dirty in the side roads. Triere is a fairly large church there —as big, or bigger, than St. Benedict's —with a good sprinkling of memorial tablets let into the walls—that is outside, as I hadn't time to venture a look within. We only get about four hours' to go there and back in. Like all French towns, it has its sprinkling of wine shops, but they are all orderly and properly conducted. One place I saw combined the businesses of wine-seller and cobbler. The man who keeps it is lame through wounds received in the war.

I daresay you seldom see an able-bodied ' Frenchman of military age outside of a uniform. This man lives with hfis brother, who is blind. Both have wives and families. The blind man has a little girl, who can hardly be more than six or seven, and she can read very well, as I heard her rcadig the " Matin " to her dad. I suppose she learnt rapidly that way. In France, the tradespeople are very different from the business people , of Egypt. They never try to overreach: you, and always give you the proper change, even in cases where it would be easy to cheat one. In the canteen here the pound sterling (sovereign) is worth 27 francs and notes and silver 28.55fr5. This sounds paradoxical .doesn't it? But such; is tbe case. In the village I thought 27frs., which is the bank rate ■ for the sovereign, would obtain; but when I made a purchase and stipulated 27frs. as the basis of exchange for my sovereign, the shopkeeper said 28frs. was the value of a pound in gold. So far I have bad not letters posted since I left New Zealand. 1 have no idea wfien 1 shall get any. Mails only come when it is convenient to fetch them. All our I.lth officers came here with th» second draft. We receive cigarettes about once a week, and the seductive weed can be purchased cheap in the canteen. It is very silly for people in New Zealand to buy cigarettes to post to men in France. They might just as well pay £1 1/ a bottle for champacmc and post it here, where six francs will buy a quart bottle. A couple of days ago I saw an airship. It was net an enemy one. Aeroplanes nrc an everyday sight. Yesterday I saw si\ of them flvintr together. They were allied machines. We can buy the London " dailies " in camp here, but they contain very little news. You get quite as much in the New Zealand papers as we do here. In fact, I think more. We are having splendid weather just now: and the country around the camp is like a larsrc garden, with its crops and lands awaiting sowing. All the roads about here are delightful walks, with trees and hedsres all in leaf or flower. Those who left New Zealand prior to August, 1015. may get leave to England. so I suppose tlrat after a spell in the trenches, those who are lucky enough to win through may »et leave, so it is as well I took those English addresses."

In opposition to the opinion expressed in the foregoing letter, that "it is very sily for people in New Zealand to buy cigarettes to post to men in France," because they can be purchased so cheaply there, another soldier writes to an Auckland friend stating: "We still receive a small issue of cigarettes and tobacco each week, but not nearly sufficient. This is gift stuff from England. What is New Zealand doing in tho matter! Surely they could rake up enough to send us a. ' small parcel of cigarettes each mail. Personally I have not been short yet, but the money 1 brought from New Zealand is now finished, so I have to live on my army pay now alone, but 99 per cent, of the boys are Iwoke,' and it's a shame to sec them craving for cigarettes. If it were not for the people in England I don't suppose we would get any tobacco. Believe mc, if there is anything a fellow appreciates more in the trenches than a letter (especially when it is wet and cold and one is tired) it is a cigarette. I am not complaining—indeed, I am happy and enjoying the life, and would not miss it for anything; but I do make an appeal for '6_okes,' not only for myself, but j for us all."

Probably the 'best means of supplying cigarettes and other comforts to soldiers would be to send money for their purchase in France. The Bank of New Zealand remits money to members of the Expeditionary Force by cable free of charge, and the generosity of this institution has been taken advantage of extensively since our soldiers have beeu fighting in France. Men invalided to England, who are unable to draw back pay—why they are unable to do so is somewhat of a mystery—are able to obtain through the Bank of New Zealand in London, without the least delay, any money sent through this channel by Tela-tr*Bfr-^.4ria*dß,