GENERAL'S ROUNDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 41, 16 February 1918, Page 13

GENERAL'S ROUNDS.

AMONG OUR BOYS IN FRANCE

(By A NEW ZEALAND DOCTOR.) "Would I care to go the round with you? Rather; only too delighted, sir."' "Jump into the car, then." "Hello! What is this?" "Well, quite worth seeing;, we are rather proud of it, in fact. A sort of a rest station—we do not know exactly what to call it. It is the place where men who are not bad enough to be sent down to the base hospital are retained for a week or ten days, and then returned to the firing line. We do not keep any serious cases here."

"Queer surroundings."

"Yes; rather. After all, for what better purpose could a church be used than for the cure of the human body ?"

"Mud! Why, it's everywhere. Still, the duckwalks prevent a great deal of it from becoming annoying."

We jump into the car again, and away we go. Everything visible breathes intense interest. The sound of the booming guns was coming nearer.

'"Very remarkable sight—that toppling statue."

"Yes; the French peasants say that when it falls the war will come to an end.' We all feel that the statue, .which is an exceedingly big one, overhanging the steeple of the fine old church, and depicting the infant Jesus in the arms of the Virgin, may fall at any moment. As a matter of fact, the Germans tried to hit it last week. They threw a 12-inch shell into the town, and nearly demolished the whole square."

There is desolation everywhere. However, very few people are about. Only by special permission are any of the former inhabitants allowed to remain. It is very odd, seeing the lads billeted in the houses, which in some cases are perforated very freely with shell holes. HISTORIC SPOTS. "What do you think of this wood? Although desolation abounds, it is, unfortunately, full of history. The fighting here was tremendous last year. It began by the churchyard. You observe the former British trenches? These were originally German trenches. Graves only too numerous. Remarkable that in the whole of this wood there seems to be hardly a square foot of country unchurned by shells."

"What a whopper of a shell hole! It seems large enough to hold a horse and cart."

Trees have practically disappeared, nearly all having been torn off above tho roots. Only one stood to the height of about 10 feet. Such is the devastating effect of modern artillery.

"Yes; this is one of the howitzers which helped in the big attack. Remained behind for some reason."

"The ground to the right will appeal to you. In that direction the New Zealanders made their first big fight on French soil, and a great account they gave of themselves, too. No lads could have fought better, and well may the Dominion feel proud of her gallant boys. Only too many of them, unfortunately, have found a last resting-place on the field-of battled" ....... .1..

;TJbe-ground over which our lads had gone to 'the attack seemed to us absolutely sacred. Imagination steps in and portrays them thinking of their dear ones in the Homeland at the moment before they sallied-forth to do or die. Around the camp fires throughout the backwoods of New Zealand the tale will oft be told of heroic deeds done by those who are, alae! now lying in this neglected and war-worn region, with the sound of the guns still mighty. A fitting restingplace for our gallant warrior-dead. But, though dead, they will never be forgotten. "BOYS" OF ALL AGES. Passing us on the right is a body of men returning from the trenches. Happy, singing, whistling, though nearly covered with mud. Further on we met men on their way to the trenches—serious and determined. I

"Here we alight." "Extraordinary. What a number of shells! Seems as though the earth itself had commenced to grow them."

■ "Yes; and the Germans know the place all right. Hit it last night. Not much damage. Here is the shell-hole. They are always after this vicinity. The lads ? They do not care. Ever happy, as long as they are busy; and they are always busy."

One man who appeared older than the rest I singled out and asked his age. This he at first refused to give, and then stated 40. I suggested somewhere nearer 60. His.an6wer was: "Sixty-two; but don't tell the General." Another, a boyish-looking lad, at first protested that he was 22. However, he owned that his real age was 16, as long as I would not tell the General. In this case we have the two extremes of men desirous of doing their bit in a perfect hell, and proud to feel that they have the privilege of being there, and most desirous that nothing should come in the way to prevent their continuing in this ghellblown place, the work of dealing with such destructive weapons that if perchance some of them were accidentally dropped a short cut would be taken to '"Kingdom Come." RAILWAYS AND ENGINES. Puffing along in the distance comes a big engine. Attached to it is an ambulance train. The appointments are excellent, considering the nearness to the , firing line. The sick and wounded are well cared for, even prior to being admitted to the casualty clearing stations; some to be soon returned to the firing line, and others, badly hit, to be sent on to the base hospitals, and later to England. A few look quiet and pathetic, betring grievous wounds with that fortitude so typical of the British soldier. Coming along in the other direction is a railway, apparently a toy, but still it is doing highly important work, and ite small engine drags a great weight, saving great labour to those who handle stores and ammunition. The ingenuity of man seems to know no bounds, and everything of scientific use is brought to bear" in its full weight during this the most terrible of all wars.

The happiness of the men is extraordinary. They love to be here, and one would imagine that they had never been anywhere else in their lives.

"Do they tire of it?" "Perhaps a little at times." "Do they want to be removed?" "Certainly not. They are beyond dispute happy in the knowledge that they are doing their bit for their King and country." SCENES OF DEVASTATION. We stop to observe the one remaining step of what was once the entrance to a famous French chateau. It is the place where the German Guards made such a stubborn stand, and thousands of them paid the supreme penalty from the cold steel meted out to them by the ovei-

whelming British bayonets. A Freneii villa- once 6tood here, and must have looked majestic in the midst of 6uch woods, but nothing now remains except the cellars. Built out from these were caverns, which the Germans designed for their own protection, and the storing of deadly bombs. When the British took this hill German dead lav in hundreds in all directions. What a glorious effort on the British part, to have fought under such adverse circumstances, and penetrating the barrier of German defence, finally smashing through and overwhelming the enemy, gaining the long-contemplated summit—the stronghold of the German Guard. "All right, Sir, I'm coming along. Tired? Not a bit. What a difference in the country!" TREASURE TROVE. "Ah! let mc ccc. This is where Captain. Smith dwells, as far as I can remember. I wonder if he is about. I must see him." At that moment there was a whizzbang. Heads turned suddenly round—no damage done. At the mouth of the dugout stands Captain Smith. "Rails? Yes, Sir; great shortage of them. However, we can't grumble, as we had a piece of luck this morning. Wβ had cause to dig over there, and came across a great nest of enemy bodies, in what must have former!}' been a cavern used by the Germans as a great dugout. A spade struck something hard, and the hoped-for happened. A nest of rails presented itself—all in splendid preservation, and just the thing we wanted!"

I put a question to the general.

"Yes, we fought over this area, too; in fact, the taking of yonder hill was one of the turning points in this great offensive. Here were we on this side of the valley, the Germans fighting desperately to maintain the upland opposite us. A' tremendous ball of fire—a great mass moving forward —shouting—noise—■cold steel, and the hill is ours."

We turn homeward to headquarters, the booming of the guns becoming less and less. We had hardly seen a bird the whole day. They seem to withhold their presence from thie human hell. The only semblance to the bird-like seen on the horizon was our aeroplanes doing their usual scouting. Leaving the trenches in the distance, it is pleasant to note thegradual reappearance of bird life. Hs seems like coming back from a dead world to a living one. END OF A MEMORABLE DAY. ~? The car gives a sudden lurch to one side and is nearly upset, an off-side wheel having hit a great boulder of stone that formed part of a former village through which we were passing. Yet, where iwae the village? The only suggestive thing visible was a single row of 'broken bricks a few inches above the ground. Former peasants cannot even trace their homes. Yee; German destructiveness is indeed heartless and thorough.

The car ploughs its way through the seemingly interminable mud, the tyres often discovering ruts of two to three feet in depth. A great bump is given to the car. The occupants are shot up into the air, and I suppose they should feel lucky that they came down eafely., it indeed sorely tried.

Headquarters at last!

"Many thanks, Sir; I have had a most! enjoyable and memorable day." \ Dinner—good fellows—and 60, to bed. J

My bedroom was formerly a byre, 8* \ I am told. I quite believe it. The 'booming of the guns becomes less and lese noticeable* save for an occasional appar« i ent thunder-clap. Sleep, that great men* \ tal and physical soother, makes one obli- { vious to surroundings.

Put the soldiers, where are they? ! SoTie, like myself, in the land of Nod;i others, as ever, alert and ready at theis • posts in the trenches. *