"STRAFING "THE ENEMY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 18, 22 January 1916, Page 2

"STRAFING "THE ENEMY

BRITISH SUPERIORITY IN

ARTILLERY

NEW ZEALAND OFFICER'S RACY

'EPISTLES.

Two breezy letters, written in the trenches in France, have just been received in Wellington by Mr. David Collins, from Lieut. Cecil - Humphreys, D.C.M., of Christchurch, who has several times distinguished himself by his bravery in the firing line. Lieut. Humphreys was badly wounded- in the thigh, but, ignoring his injuries, he continued to fight for twelve hours afterwards, and was eventually invalided to England. Ho has now returned to the front. In one of his letters, dated 24th November, he says:—"Here I am again ' still merry and bright, in what Tommy calls the 'queer place,' but, oh, how so different. In place of getting huge 'strafings' by .the Boches' artillery, we have ■ the pleasure of sitting in our trench and hearing the result of Lloyd George's great munitions campaign. . "What I. noticed most when coming back to the front, as I said before, was the complete mastery of our-artillery, and the huge amount of ammunition at our disposal Our aeroplanes, as usual, are our guiding angles, and they earn V.C.'s-'every hour of the •ky 'by their daring in observing the enemies' movements,' when quite within anti-aircraft and machine-gun distances. The mud is simply awful, and some of the trenches after the last fall of snow are in a horrible mess. The organisation of everything is well-nigh complete, even to the doctor in 'the trenches, arid, as usual, clothing of the very best, and the Government try to. supply everything possible to give a little comfort .to these poor Tommies who are doing their little bit, and keep the dear old flag flying. AH the officers of this battalion* I knew before I came out, and they gave ma a right hearty welcome on arrival. I have a good set of boys, real Glasgow lads, hard as iron and always willing to go on with the game. Well, the rotters have just been 'strafing' us again with a few bombs, so will have to arrange a little reprisal—l think that is the proper way of _ putting it, but in reality I am just going to see if we can send some more of the fiuris to join the 'aerial scouts.' "

In another letter-written the i following day, and headed " Somewhere in France, In the Trenches," Lieut. Humphreys says : " I am alone in my dugout, with a brazier giving out a cheery plow, a candle, and thoughts of New Zealand, with, its peaceful surroundings' and sunshine, while here it is white with snow, bleak, cold, and miserable, with nothing but ruins and desolation surrounding us, and now and again the not altogether pleasant smell of dead Huns. Since. I was last' in France the position has changed, and instead of sitting in a trench, and getting ' strafed,' we have turned the tables on our friends across the way. We had a rather exciting fight* between a Taube and one of our aeroplanes this afternoon. They went at it hammer, and tongs, and when our chap put him out of mess there was a cheer right along the trenches from the lads in khaki, who had been most interested spectators. The organisation of everything is simply wonderful now, and although John Bull often sleeps, he is right awake now. We have the. regi-. mental bands to play us out of the trenches.. They come just out of danger,: and we march home with the bands play-, ing. Even if you are wet through and .mud all over, it does lift, your spirits up, and the boys' sing ' Keep the Home Fire Burning,' ' Who Were You With Last Night?' and 'When the Beer is on the. Table We'll be There.' . . . • ' "

"An orderly"has just arrived, and re-_ ported that the enomy have put three ' pip squeaks' into the trench on icy right. We were lucky—nobody' hurt,: only the sand bags out of place a good, deal, but will not take long to remedy that.. i have just telephoned the artillery and told them about the 'whizz bangs ' and 'pip squeaks ' coming across, and to have a little reprisal. My. order was 'Two batteries;' we'll have a thirty ; minutes' frightfulness at 4 p.m. So 1 gness the poor old Hun will hear plenty about munitions before long. It's really funny now, as if we have any trouble with our friends and give fhe artillery the target we simply ' strafe' them, so with th© superiority in artillery we are naturally having a much easier time of it. I suppose you have heard of ' weeping shells' or. 'tear shells.' Well, it's .quite, true.. It makes your eyes water so that: it is impossible to see to take a sight on a rifle. The remedy was' not long in coming, and a pair of glasses, something-like pince-nez, and a'little, vaseline round the eyee and nose exclude the gases. You can- imagine what we look like in all the strange gear. It's a strange world, that all this - kind of thing is necessary." "