THE INFANTRYMAN'S FRIEND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3335, 13 February 1918, Page 55

THE INFANTRYMAN'S FRIEND.

MALIGN EFFECT OF A STRIKE By "A. A. M."

The battalion—what was left of it—was marching out. For three weeks it had been in the thick of the .fighting—three weeks during which neither officers nor men had washed or taken oft their clothes ■ —three weeks under incessant shell fire, with a casualty list growing every hour. They were out of the trenches and marching across that horrible wilderness of shell holes which had once been German. The enemy was on the other side of the hill. He could not see them ; but did ho know? Had he guessed in some way, had he intei-cepted a message which told him that they were being relieved that afternoon?" Three more miles and they were in safety—an hour and a-half, eay. But it was the worst 90 minutes of the three weeks. When so many had been killed, to have come'through those three weeks unharmed, and then at the very last moment, almost within reach of safety, to be hit—how could they all help thinking of that? They all felt, from the newly-joined subaltern, whoso whole experience of war was crowded into thoso three weeks, to the colonel, who had been out for two years. When they had been through so touch, to be killed coming out! What appalling luck! If only they could go more quickly! Why didn't the platoon

in front hurry up?—to get out quickly before the Germans knew ! The colonel looked up suddenly. Coming across from the German lines, right over them, was a German aeroplane. . . . No good asking themselves now if the Germans would know. At any moment the shells would begin to drop—and only another hour to safety! The colonel lit a cifirnrcttc. " Damnl" he said to himself. " I knew I should be killed going out."

I wonder if people at homo realise what the aeroplane means to the infantryman. They know vaguely—those of thorn who think about it at all—that the aeroplane helps to win the war. They feel perhaps that if they were Sir Douglas Haig they would like to have a lot of aeroplanes; it would enable them to know what was going on " over the other side of the hill, ' as Wellington put it. "We must have aeroplanes," they tell each other, just as they say "We must have guns" or "We must have more men." Aeroplanes, they quite understand, are necessary for good strategy, good tactics, and it is these which will bring us victor}'. Besides, one dav we must " bomb Berlin." All very true; but I wonder if people realise what the aeroplane means to the individual infantryman? I speak for the infantry. I am one of them. We do the dirtv work. We are there to be shot at. You Avho read this have a brother or a son or a husband in the infantry—anyhow a friend? Of course you have; we all have. Do you realise what the aeroplane means to that son of yours, that friend? I don't mean just to the victory of the army which he ,is in, but to him personally, to his safety ? He is in an old trench line, in support. His trench, not much of a one at the best, its being shelled to the devil. Why? Because a German aeroplane has spotted troops in that trench, and has turned on the German guns. The shells—and he thanks Heaven for \t— are dropping too far over . . . and now they're a bit short. . . . Ah, but now'they are right in the middle of them! Why ? Because the German aeroplane is still there, directing the fire. Why was that German aeroplane ever allowed to come there? Why is it allowed to stay? Because we haven't enough aeroplanes to look after that part of the line. Why not? Oh, well, there's a bit of a strike on.