THE CHURCH WRECKERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2861, 28 August 1916, Page 6

THE CHURCH WRECKERS

WHAT A NEW ZEALANDER SAW AT ARMENTIERES. "Things have been humming round these parts," writes Quartermaster-Ser-geant William Juriss (formerly deputysuperintendent of the Christchurch Fire Brigade), writing from Armentieres on July 7. "Some very big strafes have taken place on both sides. These German fellows are a no-good lot. They have knocked this town we are in about something awful, and during the last few days have deliberately swelled and knocked over two beautiful churches, one being burnt to the ground and everything inside gone up in smoke. From the window of my billet I watched tho other church being shelled only 200 yards away. They sent big shell after shell into this fine old building, putting holes through it all round. One of the shells cut the steeple clean in half, cutting through 2-inch bars of iron as easy as though they were candles. _ Pieces of the Bursting shell hit my billet, which warned me to get my head away from the window. The other evening a big bombardment started on both sides, shells flying all over the place; several of the big ones burst near my billet, which rocked about aB though in a big earthquake. It was a ding-dong go.

"It is fine watching our aeroplanes looking for business. Fancy seeing 24 of them flying about as though on parade. It would have done your eyes good to see this lot being shelled. 'At times you could not see- them for the smoke of bursting shells, but they all came home, serene and stately, without losing a feather. There's no doubt' about these airmen, they are brave fellows. I saw one of the enemy's war balloons go up in smoko the other day, and thought what an awful way it was to fall. . . . There are still plenty of French people in private life about here. Women and children go about their business as if there Were no war on, and lots of them get killed through the enemy's shells bursting iuto their homes. They do a big business with the troops, and make lots of money —prenared to risk their lives to do so. . . . I received a letter from the High Commissioner saying that Max was a prisoner in Germany, and also that he had been awarded the Military Cross." A third member of the Juriss family (Charles) went into camp at Trentham on Wednesday last.