LETTER FROM ENGLAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16916, 31 January 1917, Page 5

LETTER FROM ENGLAND

FROM MEMBER OF THE SEVENTEENTH. Writing from Peel House, London, "The King and Queen's Ulub for Overseas Forces " a Dunedin man who left with the Seventeenth Reinforcements, says: " Fortunately no submarines were encountered and Land's End was sighted on the afternoon of the 17th .November. We anchored outside -— all night, and the next morning, exactly eight weeks to the day that wo left Dunedin, we pulled into the wharf, disembarking about 11 a.m. The weather was bitterly cold, and after the tropics it was especially noticeable. The country through which we passed on our way to camp was partially covered with snow. We arrived at Bulford, Salisbury Plains, about 8 in the evening in the midst of a, snowstorm, and found the whole camp under a heavy fall. We were quartered at ■ lD § C . atn P> which is the New. Zealand base in England. The work is a good deal different from that in New Zealand, especially m the matter of ' hustle.' Practically the whole of our time is taken up, we have very little time even for meals. "This club is a splendid one, and much cheaper than hotels. 'Many of the latter, like some of the shopkeepers, are simply out to 'rook' the soldiers right and left, so this is where these clubs, like the Y.M C A are a real boon. The New JSealanders are doing splendidly, and though they suffered severely on the Sommc, our major, who was wounded there, told us that they had accomplished what some oj the crack Home regiments had failed to do.

We will be leaving for Franco this week so will probably spend a very cold Christmas in the trenches. Before going into the firing lino we shall spend a week or two at the base some miles behind. There is a great need for infantry, and they are being sent over as fast as possible. If the people in New Zealand were only able to see the men coming over on furlough, it would bring war home to them in a very forcible manner. When a soldier comes over for a spell, he brings his ' all' with him, just as ho is in the trenches—his gun, his pack, and very often his steel helmet, to say nothing of the mud. To see men walking through the main streets of London like that makes one realise that there is a war going on." JOTTINGS. Robert M. M'lntosh, of Chatto Creek who was drawn in the last ballot, died in Trentham Military Hospital on August 25 Mr "Tom" Sullivan, the well-known oarsman, and one of the New Zealand prisoners iri tho internment camp at Ruhleben, will (the Dominion reports) be amongst those to be released under the agreement regarding the exchange of civilian prisoners in Germany and England. Mr Sullivan's son is also in the camp, but as ho is below the prescribed ago ho will be kept a prisoner until the end of the war. Captain Eric N. Webb, son of Mr S. Webb, of Papanui, who has been awarded a military cross for his services during the Somme battle, is attached to tho Engineers in tho Australian Imperial Forces, and left Australia in November. 1915. Prior to his joining the forces ho was on Dr Mawson's staff as ma-gnetio observer.

Mr C. F. Minnitt. inspector to tho New Zealand Insurance Company, is going to England for the purpose of placing his services at the disposal of the Imperial authorities, to be used by them in any capacity. Mr Minnitt has been a member o[ the company's staff for 50 years. The company's board has granted him leave of absence for the duration of the war.