AT THE FRONT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 88, 12 July 1918, Page 2

AT THE FRONT.

JOTTINGS FROM STRATFORD MEN’S LETTERS. Air AV. A. Hewitt, manager of the Stratford branch of the N.Z. L. am> AI.A. Co.,Ltd ~ received hy last mail two letters from former employees of tne linn. In the course of a long, chatty letter, 1 AY. S.'S,vino (Artillery) says:— Yesterday some new men came in, among them being Joe A\ nde and one of the l Linn’s from Toko. They have gone to the batteries. . . ■ t’P to the time I 'came over here 1 had put on a lot of weight—in fact, 1 was over two stone heavier than when I went into camp—but France and Belgium have taken a good deal oil me. . . .

Wo have been on the move a great deal lately. I shan’t forget the day we jynt shelled out of our lines. It was about 10 a.in. when the fun started. Shells came over thickly, and the word was passed to take the horses and nudes and get out. For two hours after that Fritz kept us dodging over the countryside, as be was sending shells all ways. . . 'i hese mules are queer devils. When it comes to the real thing they are grand. I’ve had mine not live yards behind the guns of a battery, going at top, and they stood there ftfl eool as you please. €1 un-fire, doesn't trouble them a hit. But they can try your temper in other ways. Lying down in the mud and rolling after you have- groomed them carefuly is a pet trick of theirs. Also they can, and do, eat anything—ropes, covers, posts, leather—it’s all one to them. There are two of the sinners here who never get cover: ;ow. for whenever these were put on them the brutes would set to worn methodically to eat them off each other’s backs.

P. C. Mcßarron, 2nd Auckland Battalion. writes, inter alia: I am still nestled in the firing line, where 1 am spending most of my time nowadays, Fritz makes it a hit sultry oeeasionally. hut,l think onr guns make things rather -tropical for him very often. .. . The weather has improved with ns lately, and the ground is drying, so this will tend to make our lot more cheerful—perhaps. . 1 have not run into any of the other Taranaki boys as yet—it is more by accident you strike anyone here. We have Fred, Baker, -lack Brannigan, Shanahan (Lowgarth), Jacobsen (Tututawa), Ford fMakahu), Ben re (Douglas'! and several New Plymouth boys. Most of the Taranaki boys are in other Auckland companies.