THE BOYS AT THE FRONT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 210, 3 September 1917, Page 2

THE BOYS AT THE FRONT.

THEIR KEENNESS FOB SPORT. FOOTBALL AND HOCKEY. WHEN NOT nGHTTNG. Lieutenant E. E. Madden, the wellknown interprovincial hockey referee, who is attached to the Rifle Brigade, writes from No. 1 Stationary Hospital in France:—

Landed at the above address all| through taking too big a dose of gas. during the recent stunt at Messines. 1; got through that bout without coming into contact with a piece of metal, but never had any worry about that. The only thing that troubled was the gas,' and, of course, I "stopped it." The stuff may not leave any effect for some time after, and is likely to come on again, and that was my fate, but I was not nearly 60 bad as some of the other victims. After spending three days at a Field Ambulance Station was transferred to Second Anzac Officers' Rest House. It is a fine big chateau in charming grounds, and surrounded by forest and farms; quite an ideal place for the purpose. After a week's sojourn there; the old feeling reappeared, and accom-, plished the "knock out," so was sent on to the No. 1 Stationary Hospital, France, for several weeks. However I am making splendid progress, and will not be surprised to be able to rejoin my unit at an earlier date than was anticipated. You have seen full particulars of the Messines affair, and know more about the casualty list than we do here. A FOOTBALL MATCH. When at the base a football competition was inaugurated, and as a try out for the Permanent Staff team the officers played them and suffered defeat by 16 to 6. It was not a bad showing for our fifteen, especially when it was composed principally of "has beens." The ground was very hard, without a blade of grass, and quite unsuitable for football. Anything for a bit of sport, and that is what the majority are very keen about. Whether out of the hospital or the trenches, no matter what are the conditions a game of any description has a wonderful attraction, despite the condition of the turf, and a man does not mind such minor trifles when he realises that he gets many a harder crack in the other "big" gahe than on the football field. HOCKEY P_A"__RS. The country is overwhelmed with sports, and among the many hockeyites I have seen Viv Kavanagh (of the Auckland Hockey Club), whom I left behind at the -base after a bout of trench fever, which is a combination of influenza and rheumatic fever. (Since the above was written news came through that LanceSergeant V. C. I_ivanagb. was killed in action). At the reinforcement camp E. G. Whitley (Auckland) had just joined the Machine Gun Company, and was going off to a school of instruction. His brother "Dot" (since -wounded) is here attached to the Third Brigade. I last saw bim. in a Hun dugout, during the "stunt." Clive Johns (Mt. Eden), since reported killed but later only wounded, is at the base. H^ Richards (Areta) was dashing over the country TH— held so long the morning of the big attack. We only had word, as things were too mc «_. ior more. Merv. Alison, Ponsonby (o.nce wounded, and returned by last boat, and is now in the Annex Hospital) has also joined the Machine Gun Company. His club mate Osborne is in the Field Hospital at District Headquarters. Cyril Snedden (Ponsonby), Osborne informed mc, was in England. Hulbert, of Canterbury fame, was wounded when an old chum, Lieut. Johnston (with mc in the 10th) was killed. I saw "Teddy" Hulbert just before daylight, very fit, then pushing on in the big advance towards his objective. Lieut. Brown Davy (Hamilton) was at the base, but joined up later with another battalion. Another surprise packet was meeting Lieut. Olsen, who was secretary of the Poverty Bay Association when they played Waikato for the Norden Cup at Hamilton, in which I refereed. REMINISCENCES. One afternoon while at the Sth Australian Field Ambulance, I was awakened suddenly, when the talk of "hockey" came to my ears. The talk of shield! matches and Wellington hockey made: mc very interested, - and imagine the sur-1 prise when my identity was madci known. There was Con Strack (Wellington)-, who is with the YJVI.CA., and aeap._.n of the Gisborne reps., and Lieut.' Harrison (Taranaki). You can easily guess what the conversation was all about, and Strack related how Canterbury had told them all about MaddeD the Auckland referee, with his 34 free hits in a spell. (The story of the thirtyfour free hits originated in the first match between Auckland and Wairarapa in 1906, when Auckland was penalised Iby the local referee, and an onlooker chalked up the free hits.) It was an interesting chat, amongst a hotbed of hockeyites, and guess my feelings while in bed watching a lot of hockey beggars wielding hockey sticks on an adjoining ground. Quite a number of English hockey players are here, and they are all keen on visiting New Zealand, after being so disappointed when arrangements were almost completed for the trip two or three years ago.

I Two well-known Auckland medicos are here, viz., Dr. Robei'ton and Dr. -Hardie I Neil. The latter kept goal for Auckland i in the first representative match against [Canterbury on the Domain Cricket ground in 1903. I saw Drs. Murray j Goldstein and Grant. The latter was in .- c Auckland Hospital, and played cricket for Grafton, an<j, was a keen horseman. Capt. Geo. Holland, M.C. j (Rotorua Hockey Club), looked very fit and well just before the Messines stunt, and had a great chat. Fred Cooper j (chemist) is dispenser here, while Roily Benjamin (Auckland Hockey Club) is in another part of the hospital. It is a case of wherever one turns somebody familiar is met. Heard the other day that Sub-Lieut. Endean and a couple of shipmates from the H.M.s. were having breakfast when an air raid wa. on. The room, which was full, immediately emptied when the guns began to fire, but W. E. finished a good plate of porridge, but there was nothing else available on account of the excitement and fear, so thought that he would wander out and have a look round. He saw about twenty waitresses, trembling or howling. He sang them a comic song, "Do not go home to the workhouse, mother, mother, dear, and we'll all go home together." That dried their tears and calmed their fears and produced smiles. | One of the finest University forwards has been killed in action —Platoon-Sergt. Jim Mahoney. He was in the company, and making good progress. He went into a "stunt" in charge of a platoon. A shell landed in *his trench, killing him and a Sergt. McLean, besides wounding several others. The spot is quite fami■liar where he sleeps his long sleep. He

♦ met his fate in much the same way as his club-mate, Capt. H. W. King. ' It ia astonishing what can be done with the spade, and I will show you a few short cuts. It is a treat to see the boys dig, and the manner in which we dug in when we reached our objective at Messines. It was an eye-opener. The Hun prisoners are really funny at times. One half-dozen bailed up a few days ago laughed at us, and it required a sixshooter pushed into a surly individual's face to prevent defiance. It quickly changed his tone, while others howled like children. There is a feeling that the whole lot should be polished off; however, we stow them safely in shell holes and put a sentry over them until it is convenient to take them to camps. The supports who followed us obtained all the souvenirs. We had no time to waste in that direction.

You perhaps wonder how it feels in an advance. For my own part, there was no such thing as feeling; with the dead and wounded about life becomps a different thing. Yes; a hard old life.

It was a great display at zero when the mines went up. The earth did rock, and Fritz and Co. gave a wonderful display of .fireworks with his many-coloured flares. It was a sight worth seeing,grand beyond description, despite the awfulness of it all. The way all went forward in the advance after months in the trenches, and the chance to get to grips with the enemy, would have stirred his Satanic Majesty, and I feel proud of the boys with mc. " Last night the Huns made another raid, but did no damage.