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I ¡j ¡- }S !a ?he C?? of BatUe. | I "'Tn r f'- — FR 'TCl' I STEIKtXC LETTER FROM FRANCE. ?- 1. Dr> l t. )  (By Sapper Llow Bas.sett.) ) Wviiin^; from a part of the British Front, where the fighting is intense just- now, I will try ancl give you an impres- sion how things are in general here. I am in a sector of the battle front where British soldiers, if they happen to read c — t w-- t tiieoc c, C:1 T to he." etc., will knew the very spot. It is a famous l.atlc field, and thousands of h.r.i: troops have <- h e; T Brit''?' ,:d c.?- C'k7il trcnps have 1',1 their blood here, in the fight for freedom. Great e- lu; >•<.• occur red in this part lately. O ir gallant and determined Tom- mios have worked a lever on the Germans They have driven the Huns from positions which they boasted were impregnable, and they have shown how valuable these them, by counter-at tacking times without number. They have put heavy barrages on our new positions. They have sent mustard gas in great quantities over. They have straffed I our communications. They have trained guns on our cross road s behind our lines. They han shdlcd our batteries. They have come over during the moonlight nights we have just had on bombing raids. They have used all that has lain within their power to hamper and hinder our advance. Although the Germans have met with some success in making our task difficult, they have not stopped our movements in the least. Preparations. One cannot realize- what preparations are necessary for an advance, unless one has been actually in the coils of battle. Long before the lads go over the top new guns have to be placed in position. New roads and tracks have to be made. Thousands of troops have to be brought to the scene of operations. Ammunition galore has to be taken to our batteries. Narrow gauge railways have to be laid to carry material of war and carry shells to our "heavies." The reads leading to I ?Ll -S III- to the front- iiiio arc packed with traffic. Motor lorries, troops, limbers, wagons, and all kinds of transports line the route. Hundreds of pack mules and horses move along the roads and tracks, carrying am- munition to our advanced guns. There are no roads so heavy with traffic as these that lead to the -cat of war. The traffic is so great that it becomes congested, forcing the line of moving trar.spo: t to stop. It- makes one fed very uneasy to be near the blockage, as a German plane may spec it. "With all this activity be- hind the lines, it is natural that the Ger- mans spot our movements. Fritz is far from being blind ar.d knows there is something coming off with us. When a Taube is hovering over cur lines, the ob- server cannot fail to see our movements. The Taube is chased back by our anti-air- craft guns, and the observer doubtless conveys to the German batteries what he .has Dangers in Preparation. .c, l.;t ,d .¡ 1IL;¡"1I ..1",1- T "m 1 h' Transport is very difficult in this pnrt of the country. The land is marshy and very swampy. The roads where the traffic l heaviest are laid with deal- planks, b d nearer to the line, there are only tracks made over shell holes. Ileavy transports is impossible here, and pack trails,,)! -? 6-s ,s I mules and horses have to he used to carry ammunition and stores. Motor lorries drive up as far as the roads are good, and I may say the drivers of these lorries i rough time. Dozens cf these transports are laying in ditches; along the road, blown up by shells. All that is left of fhom is the iron-work. One would consider it safe where motor lorries go up the line. It is so in some parts of the line, but net here. The Germans have all the roads dated. They shell them at all tira.es. Pa:sir,g some of the cross roads one sees names as 'Hp"Î1 fire corner, "Shrapnel "Wiz bang corner," j and ctV-r nam s that are a warning to. pass them at a double. All kinds of "r!, h. irg cn each side cf the road, blown -ap by shelh. Leaving the main road- m l going on to the newly 1 tn.1r, +1,1 :')11. mads track the helling is worse. „ Wiiuernoss ot I S?i?c ui? l??it.? h?.'? been ousted irom ¡ thei. strongholds, they have put heavy buiv.g* s, a: all o iroin our front line to our commui-xcut tons. Men, animals, and whatever there is alive, is under shell fire here. The kind has the appear- anCQ of a sieve, Utc shell holes represent- ing the ho!"s in the riddle. Across country like this tracks have to be made. After I)a?'t oi "Lhe I shell comes over and ploughs it up again. Not a blade of grass is seen. Where once I was a L h?i? is nothing lefL of it, but r. part oi a 3?1.?tcrcd trunk here and J L r o.w-,J. V 1.4. !JJ t -I. J._ the?. 1? is a w.kLerness of ruin and desolation, ia i»;s no seen in this wilder- I .L.f.l. 1') .o. '),(_ n 'l.. ness come %o -v: • a tank !uv> a • short life here. Cp to the front line the scene i* inde a i .;da. Shells burst in j all directions. Ie doing nothing but j dodging "iron foundries" all the time. Through a 11 th e ngers the work of preparation tec's on. New guns are put in th< <r implaeeinoius, new tracks are mr\, aii.ia-mition taken up to feed tl :'■> hung! oaltics are fivfi.w-ru, j ao-r.nz Inoe and some of cur s' t;»OT* I T'ift part pi v r.b animals. s .a; 'ay dead along the I I I traf I pas.sed ore- horse vvn.c-i u-ivi | been struck by a shell splinter in the l 1..1, l. I. \l 1 .LJ..J.o. t. I neck. Blood was oozing from the wound. | Its head was raised, and with open and pitiful eyes gazing towards the sky. AMien lieKt I passed the poor animal its head was glued with its blood to the earth. An- other horse not far from it was lying in a -diell hole. It had not been hit, but it j seemed to have the "wiud up" and was j taking cover. The driver could not with i all his entreaties in his Army language, coax the brute from its cover. A mule was also hit not far from here. A splin- ter had struck him, inakng an ugly wound in its leg. It was standing all alone, and oblivious to all the shells that were bursting near iL. 1 here it flapping its ears and twisting its tail. It re- mained there for some time until two Anzaes, touched with pity for the poor thing, led the wounded, limping animal away with them. I saw another mule that had broken away from its driver Roaming about our front line, a shell would burst near it ,then he would bolt away in another direction, only to get it- self near another bursting shell. This particular mule was unfortunate in get- I ting into a German barrage. These dumb animals have paid a heavy toll in I this war. Their mutilated carcases are strewn along the roads and tracks. They II impress on the mind the part played by \f these innocent and dumb animals in this great war. I Troops arrive. I Rumour goes about that another "do" I is coming off. Everything points to it. The soldiers talk amongst themselves about it, listening to all kinds of rumours about objectives that are to he taken. jfThe time and the day of the attack and ail the rest of it. How lit Lie they do know. All they do know is that they ¡' are brought up here as part of the war j machine to do according to how the "heads" have worked their plans. The different divisions arrive. Some units in lorries and some marching. They are billeted behind the lines for a little rest before the "do" begins. I was passing one battalion which was marching, led by I a drum and fife band. They were playing I the Long trail," a very appropriate tune under the circumstances, and how true. It is a long trail to the front line, and I many of the lads would end "life's trail" there. Events are moving rapidly for the attack. The General Staff are work- ing day and night, organizing the task to make the preparations complete. (To be continued).

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