LETTERS FROM THE FRONT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16870, 31 May 1915, Page 10

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT.

ON THE EVE OF DEPARTURE.

Letters are being received in all parts of the country by relatives and friends of our gallant officers and soldiers at the front. Much of the correspondence contains matters, of public interest, and such communications the “ Lyttelton Timo3 ” would be glad to publish, wholly or in part. All letters of the kind received at this office will be carefully preserved, will be returned in due course to ihe senders, and whatever is published will be paid for at our usual rates.

LETTER FROM THE LATE CORPORAL HAWKE. The hit© Corporal E. Hawke, in a letter to his son from Zeitnn, dated April 4, says:— “ AVe will be under General lan Homiltou at the Dardanelles, and are. aware that we shall get a warm reception, as we shall land under fire, but protected by the warships. To-day we litre been busy drafting lots of reinforcements. Some of the f- frst aud Second Reinforcements have replaced D'en in the main body, and the remainder will fill vacancies caused by casualties. Since I was promoted to the position of corporal I hare been in No. 3 platoon. The commander is Lieutenant Ffiteh, a very capable and very popular officer. The section coinn tinders are: No. 9, Bergen lit f oster; No. 10, Corporal Irvine: No. 11, myself; No. 12, Sergeant H'ardey; platoon sergeant, Sergeant Rodgers. The boys under my charge are: —LanceCorporal Pearce, Privates Turner, A. H. Mather, Fitchert, Lindsay, Hunt. Rowe, Lc-.-gbliu, Rodgers, .Ayres, Greaves (from Snrincston) and Buckley. *• The better class of Egyptians are very sorry that we are leaving here, as the New Zealanders became very popular. To-day we had a mobilisntion parade, and to-morrow our first parade is for the purpose of allotting the men their berths in the ships. You carrot imagine how disappointed themen are who have t > remain at tho Vu.se. One chap. Norman Payne, a senior Linwood footballer, was so broken im that I saw the officer on his behalf, but it was to good. 1 feel sure, however, that it will he only a few days and he will get as much ns is wanted. Ho is a decent lad, and I wish he wa s in uiy root'on. “ You should be with us now. My tent is crowded with tlm boys. Two Otago lads are champions on the mandolin and tin whistle and about ten of the boys are budding Harry Lauders. “ Our mail is just in, and 1 was pleased to receive letters, from home. The boys make a great fuss over papers. If people could only see the look of disnpwvntment on the faces of those who fail to get, letters they would not ho so dilatory in writing.”