Dug out in France
2/2/17
Dear Everybody.
By the above you will understand that this is being written in the trenches. Some trenches I can assure, you & particularly so at this period of the year. The ground has been white for over a month now, & on top of the snow we have had about 8 or 10 consecutive frosts, real proper frosts at that. It is no exaggeration to say that the ground is now frozen hard to a depth of 18 inches to two feet. We have good reason to know the depth the frost has penetrated for we have to fill sand bags every day, & consequently realize some difficulty in getting down
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to workable clay. We are not in the same old sector this time, but not many miles from the old spot. The last move we had was a record one for the Batt since leaving N.Z., not for the Batt alone as a matter of fact, but for the whole Bde. We were supposed to be resting for some considerable period, & had just been a couple of days in our rest billets when along came a whirlwind of an order & out we had to get. At 12.30 midday we got, “The Batt. will be ready to move into the line tonight.” At 2.30 along came the following, the Batt will fall in on such & such a road facing in a certain direction, at once. Ye Gods!
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we had to move at the double on receipt of that message. We were still in the dark as to what had happened & where we were going, all we were aware of was the fact that we had to get our kits on our backs & march somewhere. Anyhow at 3.30 we moved out just 3 hours after receipt of the first message. By this time we had gathered from H.Q. a vague idea as to where we were going, & also the definite word that we were going right into the trenches, also that we had several hours march in front of us. All along the road we were speculating as to what could have been the reason for such an order.
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Needless to say many reasons & conclusions were arrived at & many of us saw in the distance some dirty work doing at the cross roads. However, much to our surprise, when we arrived at our journeys end we found we were only carrying out an orderly relief, not retreat. It was fearfully cold & despite the fact that we were marching with full packs up, we were nearly frozen. The sector is not a bad one & the accommodation, that is the dugouts, are pretty comfortable as dugouts go. On the other hand the enemy artillery is a little more active, & we
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have been subjected to some shelling. Here again we have been pretty fortunate in so much that the bulk of the shells were landing on either flank of us. Fritz gave us his usual birthday greetings, to which out artillery replied in earnest. Since coming here too, the Bosche have attempted a couple of raids on some neighbour units, but was unsuccessful in both of them, & we hope of course that these will serve as a lesson to him & that he will not attempt the same on us.
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Since coming into the line it has been possible for me to catch up with a little of my correspondence. The last 6 weeks it has had to take a back seat properly. Oh! my report from the 2nd Army School came to hand a couple of days ago, & I am pleased to say was rather a good one. The Col. is rather pleased with it, & congratulated me quite heartily, so I suppose I ought to be quite satisfied. I had a letter from Charl. a few days ago, & as I had anticipated he was on his way out to take part in that last flutter in Egypt. However I guess you know as well as I how far he got.
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At time of writing me he said he had fully recovered, & really seemed to be in the best of good form. I have not had any N.Z. mail for about a fortnight now, so am expecting some to come to hand any day now. As a matter of fact today’s mail has not arrived yet so it is just possible that it may come to hand tonight. The last letters I think were dated 28/11/16, & all seemed to be going very well. I have not managed to see Hugh Crawford yet but so far as I know he is getting on very well. Bert Foster & Percy Instone
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have arrived in France but I have not seen them yet. I was going through the trenches the other day having a good look round the sector & I ran across Charl Hamilton doing Gas sentry duty on one of the communication sentries. It is very funny where you meet people isn’t it. It was a bitterly cold morn, but Charl. never–the–less seemed to be bearing it very well. I think somehow he will go a good deal further than Jack he certainly has a tougher row to hoe. We had a glance tonight at the names of the first ballot taken in Southland, & without,
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they seem to have rounded in a few. I noticed that Fred Weir’s name was amongst the number, & I think that is about the limit. If any man did not deserve that I think Fred is he. Jack Hewitt is here with me as 2nd in command of the Coy. and his brother’s name is also there, the invalided one I mean. I think according to that, that there must be something wrong with the system somewhere or that sort of thing should not occur. I had a note from Kate the other day, & as usual she seems to be
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getting along very well. She had something to say about the stripes that were flying around & that she was wondering if she was going to hold hers. She is also expecting me over on leave, & as they are all getting 10 days off, is hanging off in the hope that I may get over while she is having hers. So far, I can not see it coming off, nobody has ever mentioned it to me here, & I do not think I will ask for it. However things happen so suddenly here that one may land in Blighty before he knows where is he.
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Personally I am quite prepared for it when ever it comes my way. As to active operations commencing, we have nothing definite. There are thousands of vague rumours running around & according to them we ought to be in the thick of it in a couple of months? How are all the children getting on, as sure as I ask that question I will receive a letter from some of them, so now that I have done it there may be one in the next mail.
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I noticed in one of the N.Z. Chronicles the other day that Frank Bath was on his way back. Therein I should think he is a lucky beggar. I do not know what is wrong with him but the mere fact of getting back to N.Z. is worth a good deal. As the night gets older so it grows colder & I think I had better get under the blankets. Please convey kindest regards to Mr Diack, & I will write him first opportunity. Au Rêvoir for the present & I trust it finds all in as good health & form as it leaves me. Affect Brother
E.S. McI
