LIFE IN A DUG-OUT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2510, 10 July 1915, Page 13

LIFE IN A DUG-OUT

A WELLINGTON DOCTOR'S EXPERIENCES

NICE BIRTHDAY PRESENT

> Among tho New.Zealand' doctors who are serving at the front in ..Northern France is Dr. Frederick Richards, of Wellington, who left here a few years ago to complete his studies at Home, and who was ttill a student walking Guy's whea tho "war broke out. He qualified- shortly afterwards, and was stationed at Sheerness (in the Thames), whero plenty, of the wounded from France were landed and distributed, and where medical men-found work for 20 hours out of the round of tho clock. But six months of the war had not progressed before he found • himself at the front doing his duty as an officer of the Medical Service Corps, and having the experience of a lifetime Crowded into a few months.

Writing to his relatives in Wellington, Dr. Richards says:— "I am writing this on my birthday from the advanced dug-outs, where 100 bearers and two medical'officers form a connecting link between the regiments in the firing line and the ambulance _ station further back. This is a capacious, and as far as dug-outs go. a comfortable one, cut in the side of a railway embankment. For the localityit is fairly, safe. However, it has its limitations ; as I had- a birthday present this morning about. 2 o'clock' in the form of a. German shell "that managed to get through the roof and bury itself in the wall. Unfortunately some mud found its way into the preserved milk in consequence, and' in these parts preserved milk is an article to be preserved and not wasted. My colleague and I were sleeping in another corner of the dug-out and were unharmed. He was not even awakened. It .was a glorious day as seen through the email door of the dug-out—ra day to enjoy in the open if there were no war. As .it is we have to sit tight and show ourselves as little as possible. . I have said there are two of us, but there aro really six, and tho other four, though they take up little rcom, make much noise.- You will be surprised to learn that these four mates are canaries in a cage. Who brought them here I do not know. They were probably'found in- a deserted house by a 'Tommy,' and left outside tho first big dug-out. They are very acceptable company. I cleaned out the cage this morning, and mado them a liath- out of a tobacco 'tin, and they have been washing themselves ever since. They are the cheeriest refugees I have seen. . . . Wo havo not had many wounded in to-day, _as the firing—and there is plenty of it—is a little to our left. A number of the enemy .aeroplanes are over us just now, so'the men got cover as soon as possible. One .of the 'planes ■has just dropped a" smoke bomb as a range-finder, so there will probably bo a shower soon. ... Last year at this time I was in Oxfordshire, in country in many ways similar to this, with green hedges and much May flowering. There, however, I had never seen a more peaceful spot, whilst for six months now this place has not oeased to reverberate, with tho discharge of cannons and the bursting of Bhells.

"There seems to be v-ery fierce fighting in the Dardanelles. I trust that the expedition may be short and conclusive, so that all energies may !bo directed towards this part of tho campaign.. I think the war win 1 come to an end suddenly when it does come/-I hope by Germany realising that the .task is too great for her. Certainly she has'put up a wonderful fight. I think the use of these devilish gases is a sign that she finds the usual methods hopeless. Fortunately the wind to-day is too brisk to make the -use of gas a success. We like a good stiff hreezo for that reason.

; Under date May 19 Dr. Richards adds:—"Saturday was a quiet, pleasant day, and was appreciated all the more because I was alile to stretch my legs after the enforced inactivity of the dugout by taking a walk along countr.vfiold paths. Oil Sunday I was orderly officer,-and had-just finished,a rather full day, and wqs waiting for dinner, when along came a message from the A.D.M.S. of the Division ordering me to proceed as medical officer, of the Ist Devon Regiment, in place of. tho M.D. who was, coming down sick; I had to cut down my luggage, and owing to a breakdown in .the motor ,service I had to Ko forawrd by horse ambulance to ail advanced dressing-station. . Here a field ambulance ran me as near as pos- ■ sible to tho Regimental Aid Post. Luckily there was not much shelling oftho roads, and it was all tho'more fortunate that the night was of iriky darkness, and took all the care of our driver to avoid running. into the Ypres moat. I These, drivers are brave fellows. After leaving him I had to press ' forward alono, carrying my own kit along the sheltered side of the canal bank, and then branch off to find a barn in which the medical aid post is established. , Bullets ■ were fairly numerous thereabouts, but I arrived safe and sound at half-past one. Here on the straw I unrolled my sleeping-bag, and went to sleon..' Two hours later I was wakened by the M.O. of tho Manchester Rgimeijt, whose aid' post is in the same barn, to come and help him .with a bad abdominal case. I gave an anaesthetic for about an hour and a hajf, and, we succeeded in making the poor inan more comfortable, though he finally, died some thirty-sis hours later."-