SOLDIER'S LETTER.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLII, Issue 12823, 15 April 1916, Page 5

SOLDIER'S LETTER.

Rifleman E. M. Carthy, of A Company New Zealand Itifle Battalion, formerly of Hakataramca, writes from Alexandria: —

"We have been shifted back from Matruli to Alexandria. I wasn't altogether sorry, as wo have had some hard marching at Matruh, especially the last fight wonad with the Arabs. We left the camp one afternoon and marched about 19 miles. We reached some wells at about 10 p.m. and camped for the night. My luck must have been out that night,, as I struck outpost dutv and had to put in two hours as scntrv. We moved off next morning about G o'clock, and marched ten or twelve miles before wc met tho cnemv. The first shots were fired by the ariillcrv about 10 o'clock, and the firing was kcot up prettv solidly for five or six hours. The Sikhs were the first to eo into it, and they lost a good many men. The South Africans also lost fairly heavily, hut wc got off very lightly, especially my company, which had only; One man wounded. ■ "We spent a very miserable uicrht. as the transport couldn't come up. with our coats and blankets, and wc had to put in the night .without anything to cover us. It was.worse for the wounded. We had drunk all our water bv oinner time and couldn't get any more until next dav. That is the worst of tho deserts There is only water every thirty miles. ,•,-,. "Next morning it rained at davJijnit, and we were soon all soaked'. We started hack for our camp at about R o'clock, as the niggers had cleared and it:was no nse to follow them. They had lost very heavily, and "took very litfc'" time in gefctinst away. '•"Wo had an awful time getting tack to the wolls. Tlie mud was nearly up to our-knoesj- and wc had to push through'' it after many motor ambuHlfices. In nlices it was -so thick that the wounded had to be taken out ami parried. Wp got back about 5 o'clock and camped there again that night. Next day-we made camn, .and were oil about, done when we cot there. . "We have been in Alexandria, a weeK. and tb"v go to Lsmailia. Hoo°, we do. TheTe are some of my chums there." ~ >