THE SOLDIER'S LIFE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 20 May 1915, Page 8

THE SOLDIER'S LIFE.

We are back in billets again after my first spell in the trenches. Wo go in, of course, at nightfall or just before dusk—or, indeed, at any time when it is dark enough to be safe. Ihe first tiling I noticed, naturally was the wet state of things. One has to wade through mud all the way trom the road to the trenches, and in these subterranean places themselves one has to be very careful to keep from going knee-deep in thin watery slime, we settled down pretty well in our dug-out—a place about eight feet square and three feet high, just boarded over the top (rain proof, but not bomb proof). Little niches are cut in the mud walls to hold the candles; on on« side there is a box for a table and a pierced bucket blazes—or, rather " glows, blazes being dangerous at night' just at the mouth of this cave dwelling. - It is a good sight when our artillery shell their line or just behind their me by day or by night. Shrapnel bursting at night is particularly fine The otnei day a farm just behind their lines straight in front of us was shellu n t wa«. cheerful to see the first shell burst just under the eaves and send the thatch roof careering in the air burning. The next shot shook the foundations of the place fairly severeT 11 Another day their trenches were shelled, and I can swear that I heard a mixture of groans and yells just after one neatly placed shell had burst on some Bosches—poor devils! Often lat night one has to be knocking about not under cover Then along comes " 4.10 I eir searc«lights or star shells in the .hope of catching somebody out oi the trenches. The only thing to do on these occasions is to tiop down flat into the mud. There are many new sensations one has when first going into the bowels ot the earth. As far as the firin^ is concerned, the late experiences I have had in butts helped me a lot, for it is identically the same sort of thing. The two things one has to combat most now are sniping and the obnoxious weatner bo long as one is careful, snipers can be avoided if one takes the risk of curvature of the spine, but nothing seems to be very effective against the nun and mud. The officers can make themselves fairly comfortable, but the poor men have to stick a lot. Nothing that is or can be said will ever convey how well the men stand the inclement weather. The wetter they are tl)9 deeper they are coated in mud, the more they sing. Few officers or- men get any sleep at night, and yet after a long, wet, dreary night they will raise a cheer m the morning at the issue of rum-a cheer that might convey of « 1 e P G fe« ma? s I ?n^ hl' ng from the news fJV S a l veird sigllt at ni Zht when the enemy turn on one of their numerous searchlights or send up a star shell It reminds one of Guy Fawkes' celt ?n ati OIW ol\ H l6 °vaI > a native festive m the. market, or fireworks in the harboi—anything but "common or garden warfare They light up the scene, of course, m the hope of catching somel body out of the trenches. Means, however are adopted for frustrating their efforts, and on any firework displays 3iSJ body i? lls at once S 1 ™ ' msual y £ few inelies deep—lndian officer m France.