''It was something awful when we went over the parapet at 6.20 in the morning to see your mates alongside of you blown up by a whole shell, and you could take no notice - just keep going on, as we had about 1000 yards to go, over open country, to reach their first line. And, my word, didn't those Germans run when we got to close quarters; they just dropped everything and went for their lives. We got a big ''smacking up'' to get there, and only 28 of us in our company, out of 200, were there for roll call; but we did everything that was asked of us.''
The writer adds that only six men in his platoon survived, and only himself and one other got into the German trenches.
''Now,'' he goes on, ''we're both wounded, so there won't be one of our mob left.''
He has no wish to see the Somme again.
•A curious combination of habits was adduced by a petitioner in a divorce case, heard at Christchurch, in support of an application for a breach of the marriage tie.
The petitioner stated that her husband was addicted to card-playing and to spiritualism. As desertion and neglect accompanied the card-playing and the communion with the Spirit Land, petitioner was granted a decree nisi.
•At the annual meeting of the Methodist Synod the Rev. C. Eaton moved - ''That the Synod views with grave concern the ominous signs of moral laxity, especially amongst the young people in the dominion, and believes that wise instruction on sex matters in our public schools and the employment of women police, together with a general tightening of the reins of parental control are urgently necessary.''
Mr Eaton said that, unfortunately, there was a deplorable laxity of morals among the young people of the dominion.
He mentioned moonlight motor parties, week-end excursions, and other dangerous practices indulged in by the young men and women of this city. Other members spoke strongly of these and other evils, and the motion was carried.
•The Department of Lands and Survey (says the Gisborne Times) sets an example of frankness to land salesmen when it is putting land upon the market.
Here is the department's description of the means of access to a block of endowment land in the Tutamoe district:- ''Full width dray road to Arowhana Station; remaining eight miles by road up bed of Wairangiora Stream for one mile (at present in very bad state) and by eight-foot track for seven miles, on which there is now a number of slips.''
The building on another block is described as ''the remains of an old seven-roomed house''.
•A woman was recently ordained to the ministry in Denmark. She took the theological course at the University of Copenhagen, and her special work for the present is to be in the female prisons of Copenhagen.
One of the Danish papers believes that her ordination may be a precedent which will open the work of the general ministry to women.
•An eel drive at Temuka, on Friday, organised by Messrs W. Blyth and J. Leckie, for the Red Cross, proved very successful. Over 360 eels were caught. One caught by Mr W. Oldfield's party, which consisted of returned soldiers, weighed 15½lb.
- ODT, 23.11.1916.
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