TARANAKI BOYS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, 21 October 1916, Page 8

TARANAKI BOYS.

A very interesting letter has been received by Mrs Rieketts, of Kapuni, ~ from her son,. Corporal L. Rieketts. who at the time of writing was an inmate of the Second; London General Hospital. He was suffering from the effects of no less, than five shrapnel wounds. All the pieces of shrapnel had been removed except one in his side, but this was to be removed later. In the course of the letter h© says that he had had to lie very quiet, so as to give the healing a chaiice, but,' he adds: "I do not want to be laid up longer than I can help, as there ia something else for me to do. It seems mighty hard that I had to leave my mates when there was heavy work to be done, but we havje to takV things as they come." He concludes with the following paragraph, specially interesting to Manaia. people:—''l • don't know whether it was Arthur Gilmour, of Alanaia, or somebody , .else of the. same s name in the Otago Battalion, but one of the men told me that he carried in nine men. The man who' told me about it, does not know where his home is, but . knew he was at the: Otag^o University. He reckoned that every time he got in he would ask if anybody had seen any more out there, and then out again he would go. There was iio officer there to recommend him." . It may be added that according to last letters received, Arthur Gilniour, whose death in action was chronicled a few days ago, had been offered a transfer to a dental corps. Evidently the transfer had not taken place when* he fell. .'." : "-."••'

Later news from one of the officers of his company, an old chum is to the ef- - feet that he was also offered a com-

mission, which had been before two

generals for approval. Unfortunately lie did not live to (receive the promo-, tion, wbiich, quite 'evidently, lie so justly ear,ne<L :