BATHS BEFORE BATTLE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 566, 2 December 1915, Page 12

BATHS BEFORE BATTLE.

TUB PARADE PRECEDES ATTACK.

The "Petit Parisien" publishes a letter from a correspondent written near Lens just a few hours before the recent big fighting began. He describes scenes behind the French and English lines. He says:— The offensive has been decided upon. The great news was received with joy by the English and French troops, whcHive shoulder to shoulder during the hours of rest in the midst of the Black Country. Everywhere arc to be seen smiling faces under the blue kepi and the khaki cap. Our men are jubilant. The English are, as usual, cool and collected, but their smiles come easily, which is a good sign. In the courtyard of a factory there are two companies of infantry—one English, the other French. In a corner the English have put their knapsacks in a heap near their rilles and grouped ! themselves near a large building whence our soldiers come out in great numbers. It is not the military operations which interest so much these brave English, although to-morrow, perhaps, they will be plunged into the hurricane; what they want to know is what our men think of the bath N they have just had. The brick building is at used as a washhouse for the men fighting near by. There are many small canvas partitions vtfhere the tired and dusty men can have the comforting bath which will make them fit again. When the last of our infantrymen has come out, two English officers, who have been parading up and down just as if they were relieving the guard at Buckingham Palace, blow a short sharp whistle. Their men, towel under arm, enter the building. They soon disappear behind the, canvas partitions and the ; water begins to run quickly. • A song is heard inside the building, and gradually all the men join in. After a short pause the famous "Tipperary" is discerned, much to the joy of our infantrymen, who are getting ready to leave the factory. : On arriving at the camp they hastily prepare their packs, for the same evening our soldiers are to make an attack in conjunction with our allies in the direction of Lens. The new steel helmets have met with the unanimous approval of the soldiers. All who are to take part in the attack are provided with them. A man explained its advantages to me: "One of my comrades was hit by a a big shell. The blow fell on the steel cap, and .he fell. When he was picked up it was seen that' he was merely stunned, but the splinter had! only dented the cap without touching his head. Without the. cap lie would have been killed. Since we have had the helmets there have been 50 per cent, fewer wounds on the head. We are using our regular caps as shaving cups or washing basins."