WINTERING IN FRANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 40, 15 February 1918, Page 5

WINTERING IN FRANCE.

AUSTRALIANS FEELING FIT. STRENUOUS WORK IN LINE. LONDON, February 4. In every way the Australians in France are infinitely better off this winter than they were during the last cold season. The policy of catering for recreation, such as football and athletics, and the eliminating of needless drills and parades, has produced contentment hitherto unknown. A veteran Sydney officer states that he has never seen the boys look fitter. They have made a marvellous recuperation after the trials of Paeechendaele. Medical officers have had all their estimates of winter wastage upset. Surgeon-General Howse says that figures prove that there is less danger of sickness and. getting hurt in France than at Salisbury during the winter months. One division evacuated only 30 men during a month in the line, whilst one battalion went through without a single casualty from sickness, the only man leaving the unit being a private who got a bullet through bis hand whilst cleaning a rifle. Even he rejoined the battalion before the unit left for the front line. PREPARING THE DEFENCES'. Like the rest of the armies, the Australians are used to the full in the operations of preparing elaborate sohemes of defence to perfect the machine-gun fire and heavy barrages which arc sufficient to annihilate attackers. Though it is recognised that the Germans are able to take any position at great cost, supreme confidence permeates the force. The system of using shell-holes for outposts ahead of the trenches has proved effective, though it taxes the men's endurance. "We live like sewer rats," says a famous sergeant-patroller. "The shallowness of the shell-holes compels us to sit all day long and night long on a ledge of water-logged earth -with our feet in mud and water. A warm meal is sent to tbe men nightly, otherwise they have dry rations. The Germans usually are a nundred yards distant, and I the raising of a head results in firing. The men speak in whispers, and cardplaying is impossible. AT THE LISTENING POST. "We knoAV that if we arc discovered the enemy will be able to destroy us when it gets dark. We take turns patrolling, creep to the German wire, and listen for sounds or indications of movements. Occasionally we locate nests of machine-guns and report to the artillery''Recently the Australians took a piH-box located in No Alan's Land near the German lines which -was being used as an enemy outpost. A picked party oi men crept on their sides under the muzzles of the machine-guns, which'were protruding from slits and threw -bombs. No Man's Land suddenly awoke, with firing on each side."