TRENCH BUILDERS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 473, 16 August 1915, Page 2

TRENCH BUILDERS.

SOME AMATEUR SOLDIERING. A HALF-DAY PARADE.

"The tram is full of soldiers," cried an observant small boy who noticed the 2.30 St. Martins car draw out of the Square on Saturday afternoon. That was "us"—men of the "C" Company of the Ist (Canterbury) Regiment, and a number of those recently posted from the cadets. We were going for a jaunt for the whole afternoon under Captain Hawkins, and not at the expense of the Government, either. It cost us 3d each way—6d in all—and" it will be refunded —perhaps. Private , from Dunedin, mentioned that down there they could go as far as they pleased for Id. Christchurch trams would collapse if such a thing was suggested. They have to pay their way. We got to the terminus and picked up some more territorials and raw recruits, and had the roll called. Most of us weren't there, but the muster was nevertheless over .100 strong. Then we were quietly introduced to a pick and shovel each in a shed near by, and realised that there would be something doing. With pick in right hand and shovel in the left we processed on low gear up a hill till, we came to Messrs Bowron Bros, property. Here we were introduced to some trenches in the making on the side of a hill. They had been commenced the previous week, and, When finished, will be from 18ft to 2ft -tffide 4ft deep, with a parapet, which increases the depth, as it were, and gives protection. The trenches are/ what are known as "short-traverse"—the-lat-est thing in trenches, constructed to withstand shell fires However, there we were, lined up, and six volunteers Were asked for axe .and saw work. I sprang forward,-or thought I did, but my springing apparatus must have been out of order. The six who sprang first were marched off and were soon attacking a fullgrown pine tree which had been already felled—cutting it into 7ft lengths. They had only axes, as saws were not, so progress was slow, and axe heads flew almost as fast as chips. The axes were bad. Moreover, so were the shovels; they had an edge which you could see. The picks were passable, except that the heads at times slid down the handle and nearly caused an accident, in a manner which no self-respecting pick would countenance. In a short time, When coats and vests were off, all were hard tat work, for a major and a colonel

were watching operations—Major Murphy (officer commanding the regiment) and Colonel G. J. Smith, not forgetting our own captain and many lesser luminaries. But we soon found we were dealing with clay. Now, there is clay and clay; This species must he unique, for it refused to render to a shovel, and a pick could only induce a very litt|e to render at a time. Slilf, with so many on the ,joh some impressioh was bound to be made, and though

the principal business was to rest in turns and yet make a good" impression, the trenches grew in grace the shapeliness, and much clay was shifted.

We had wondered if the powers would "turn it on" and they did—tea and biscuits, water biscuits. A sergeant went .the round of the trenches and gave us due warning. We would be taken up 15 at a time under Corporal - . We weren't to fill the mugs' full lest there would not be enough tea to go round. The men next to lis were told in turn that Corporal would be calling for them to take them to tea—if the other fellows left any. He was a funny man that sergeant. When the tea had been vanquished by the , various, 15's we again returned to the trenches and operations continued. Full of twists and turns those trenches were. They doubled in all <■ directions, and after a time some inventive soul discovered that by throwing lumps of clay the nearest approach to being in action was obtained. The only "kills" authenticated were of a bald-headed sergeaift who was nominally out of the firing line, and must have been hit in malice aforethought, and a full blown lieutenant who was hard at work " and deserved a better fate. Then a captain noticed a particularly like-ly-looking piece of shrapnekin the air and gave the order to.cease fire. V So the day closed for C Company and shortly after 5 o'clock we were marched down the hill again to the tram. For*the next three months the trenches are to receive attention once weekly. They will be extended, roofed in, and an underground hospital is to be established. May the rains descend and soften the clay before C Company is again called in.