HOROWHENUA NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9621, 29 March 1917, Page 2

HOROWHENUA NOTES

From Our Own Corrspondent. OTAKI, Wednesday. Corporal J. J. Davidson, of Otaki, writing from France on January 6th last, says:— ■'With us it was hard to realise that it was actually Christmas. Every day isj alike to us and it is only when w© commence to write letters that we know the date. On December 21st B Company, celebrated Christmas by having an ox- 1 cellent dinner at the Y.M.C.A. It seems almost incredible that such a meal could be procured so close to the firing line — we wanted for nothing. Whilst sitting at dinner shells were flying overhead, but that did not frighten 200 hungry soldiers, who at that time were having the time of their lives. We spent Christmas and New Year's Day in the trenches. On. the ev© of the former day our artillery gave Fritz to understand that there was going to be no armistice this year, The”’ put th© shells over hot and strong, and continued:*)? do so throughout Christmas. Day)-' New' Year's Day was the liveliest experienced. We were in the 1 frdiit' linie, and shortly! after lunch Fritz started to heavily bombard our trenches. But he did not have it all his own way. Our artillery, and trench mortars also opened up, and for several hours things hummed merrily. Shells were bursting all along our line, with shrapnel flying everywhere. The noise was deafening. I am auite certain that our artillery is now superior to Fritz’s. “At present we are opt of the lines again for another rest, if it can be called such. We have just received an issue of three packets of cigarettes per man, sent by th© people of New Zealand.”