MESOPOTAMIA.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 2971, 20 June 1916, Page 4

MESOPOTAMIA.

WANGANIU BOY'S EXPERIENCES. AIRMAN "JACK" TENNENT ON THE TIOHIS. (Passed for Publication by N.Z. Commandant.) Privato d. TennoJif, sou of Mr. J). C Tcn.nent, of Mathiesoii-streef, was one of ihoso who went away with the Main Body of the N.Z. Expeditionary Force. He was, however, transferred to the Indian Expeditionary Force, and is now serving as a First Air Mechanic with the Royal Flying Corps in Mesopotamia. Writing from Ihe camp at Basra, near the head of . the Persian. Gulf, about the. middle of March last, .Private Tonttont gives the following interesting account of Ins experiences:— ■,-,,- Since I last wrote I have had a trip about 400 miles up the Tigris. I bad been having rather an easy time here and was very glad wJien I got orders lo go up-river with a party. We had fitted out a workshop on a barge, and it was going up to the advance depot, just behind the firing line. Our party (three of us, under our mechanical officer) had three new engines to overhaul and get ready for their machines. Wo didn't leave just when we expected, so were able, to put two ashore before we left and they wore put into their machines. These machines Hew up doing the journey in 2 hours 20 minutes (a record), assisted by a good wind. We were left with ono engine to finish on tho trip. Wo 1011, Basra on the Ist of March (Wednesday) at (5 p.hTi, and travelled all .night* We wero lowed up by a river boat, our barge being on one sidoand a big maliala (native boat), full of stores, on the other side. On Thursday morning about 7 o'clock, we reached the fork of tin; rivers Euphial.es and Tigris. It is here that tho site of the Garden of Eden is supposed to be. There was not much to see but palm frees and a small village called Giirnah or Kuina. Passing there we left behind the palm trees and entered a country devoid of any tree life whatever. There is good feed along the fiver banks for the. native sheep, goats, donkeys and horses, of which there' Mere large numbers always -in sight. Except for a strip about halfa mile, wide (varying, of course) along the river bank, the country seems to be all swamp. 'The river winds about and makes the actual travelling upcountry very slow. The natives came out from their villages and ran along the banks, olfering eggs, fowls and ducks for sale. When the current was strong they only had to walk slowly lo keep alongside, and as we often went within a foot or two of the bank we Mere able to buy some. The native, women carried the eggs in little baskets with a dozen in them, and it was very amusing to Match the proceedings. The basket of eggs would be tied on to a string held by the buyer on the boat, and when he threw the money ashore tho eggs Mould be dropped, in the general scramble for it ou the ground. We Mere lucky when wo got half of the eggs on board. The fowls had a similar fate and had generally to bo dragged through the water before arriving on board. Some of the, native women at this particular point lire quite good-looking, but they" seem to lose it aft&r the age of 22 or 23. We arrived at Or mar aon the 3rd (Saturday) at about 7 a.m. 1 forgot to say that on Friday afternoon we passed Esra's tomb, a group of buildings surmounted by a dome built of blue glazed tiles, with a certain amount of mosaic work round the eves. I got a photo of it, though the l:ght was bad. At Armara wo got ashore for an hour and wont through the bazaar and got some eggs at 8 amas (8d) per dozen. They are a very welcome addition to our rations. We left there at 1 p.m., passing through a bridge of boats which was opened for our passage. There was not very much fighting here in the advance. Travelling all day Sunday. Most of the native villages showed signs of the war. In fact," most of the natives are living in recently-erected huts built of bamboo and reeds. On Monday we passed Ali Gbarbi, where there was severe fighting, and later, Sheiks Shad, where there was further heavy fighting. Orah (our destination) was reached at 12 noon on Tuesday, March 7. There is a tremendous camp there, and for me everything was interesting. We were in touch with the fighting, and in all the bustle and hurry which is part and parcel of tho advance base of an army. The Navy is taking an active part in this campaign and have some splendid river monitors, which have done very good work. Three or four hours after we got there they began a bombardment of the Turkish lines, and the noise was terrific. On 'Wednesday, our artillery were very active, and there was some very heavy fighting (an account of that I shall have to leave till I reach home). On Thursday eventing a big ambulance train came in with wounded, and some of us went out with tea and water and all the bread and biscuits we could muster, and divided it round as far as wo could. It was a,n hour, or Im'o which I shall never forget. The gratitude with which they accepted even a drink of water m;is pitiful. It ! made- us realise more fully than I have ! done yet, just what war means. Our I machines are doing very good work j under very trying conditions. I have .go! a very good, opinion of the British Tommy. It's wonderful how the bulk of them can make a joke out of the most frying conditions. I. had work to do all the time I was there, so did not see as much a& I should otherwise have done. We left again on Sunday the 12th. and arrived here on Tuesday at noon, having only taken 48 hours on the trip—2B hours actual travelling.