WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 41, 17 August 1916, Page 7

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS

CANTEENS IN THE TRENCHES, AQUATIC SPORTS AND A HOUSE SHOW. (Special from the New Zealand Official Wni1 Correspondent.) 16tb. AUGUST. • Probably there is no army better supplied than the British, and no division therein is better cared for than the New Zealand. We have eleven canteens, three of "which are in the subsidiary trenches, as wall as a cinema and other entertainments going daily, at times, actually under German shell-tire. Recently a shell hit one., canteen. Fortunately the men had just left it, and there were no casualties. The canteen was promptly re-opened. To two of these canteens, goods can only be conveyed under cover of darkness. Recently we held a successful horse

[The cable news [n this issue accredited to "The Times" lias appeared in that journal, hut •nly where expressly stated is such ni""» tho

show, which would have been creditable even in peace time, the men taking great interest and pains to turn out their teams to the best advantage. Yesterday we held aquatic sports, almost under the noses of the Germans. There were over a thousand entries, so a special order had to be issued to units to greatly reduce the number. Exciting contests ensued, and the ringing cheers with which Auckland's narrow victory over Wellington, in the relay race was greeted might almost have been heard in the enemy front line. Two well-known Anzac generals attended, and the Otago Band .played during the afternoon.

By way of rounding off the day, we bombarded and brilliantly raided the German front line, killing several Germans and capturing prisoners and machine-gun.

Infonmaition from recentl,y-captured prisoners entirely confirms the statements from the Somme Tegarding the heavy enemy losses 'there. Opposite us are regiments all of which got a severe handling, and had to be relieved. In these regiments are many Hanoverians, leading to the conclusion that the enemy has had difficulty in keeping these Silesian regiments up to strength. Prisoners assert that their losses are up to^-50 per cent, and over- Other information indicates that the German organisation has considerably deteriorated as the result of the recent pressure all round.