NEWS OF "THE SIXTH"

SHRAPHEL DOESN'T INTEREST HIM NOW.

GREEN SNIPERS

We have received the following letter from Pte. C. Grange, 4238, "A" Company 6th Essex Regiment, British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, dated August 30th:-

Dear Sir, Am sure all our friends and relatives will welcome news from us out here. As you will already have heard, we recieved our baptism of lyddite immedialely on landing, and since then we have had a high old time. It's a curious sort of feeling when one first goes under fire. just imagine that someone is trying to smash you to atoms, and succeeds in killing a pal beside you. well, that is really what happens, so I expect and hope that I shall be forgiven if I say I trembled, and felt like a kid for about four hours. However, the feeling soon wears off, and now shrapnel, etc., doesn't interest me at all, and my comrades cook their meals and chatter just as they did at camp when they were only "Saturday night soldiers." That slur is surely wiped out by the heroism out here. Operations out here are far different, I should imagine, from those in France. The country is every yard a veritable death=trap of ravines and rock. Of course the latter affords spendid cover, and , needless to say, it is where we spend most of our time - and enemy snippers, too. those snippers paint themselves green, pack up enough grub for a month, and prowl round at night and finish up for good about two two days later, through the efforts of some venturesome Australian. The Australians are fine specimens of men. When they shake hands with us we feel as a suckling infant compaired with 'em. they roam aimlessly round the firing line with a rifle slung round their backs. wearing knickers and a slouch hat, fearing nobody, and , strange to say, they seldom get hurt, or anyhow, round our neighbourhood. Well I'm afraid this is getting a bit too much for the censor. Please let our friends in stratford know that we are keeping up the traditions of a fine regiment, though we have suffered somewhat heavily. If anybody at home feels a bit generous, they will greatky aid us by sending the "Stratford Express," or any local news by letter. Acid tablets and cigarettes are as good as machine guns here, so powerful are the results. Well, good luck to all at home, wishing you all luck and success is the sincere wish of yours faithfully,

CON. GRANGE

N.B. - If anyone at home cares to write to me, i shall only be too pleased to correspond if they enclose writing material for a reply.

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Sergt. J. Brady, "A" Company 1-6th Essex, writing from the British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, says:-

I have much pleasure in informing you that I am still alive, and hope to return to dear old England some day. I shall never forget the first day we went into action. What a sight! Of course we lost some, but thank God not so many as we might have done. We are resting to-day (September 1st), and expect to be in the thick of it again tomorrow, and hope we shall do as well as we did before. We find it differcult to rest during the day on account of the flies, which are a perfect nuisance here, and in the evening we are troubled with snippers, bombs, etc., but are getting quite used to this sort of thing now, but shall be more than pleased when the war is ended, and we return to our wives or parents. God only knows when that will be, but some of us will be spared to tell the tale. I begin to feel a bit seedy now after 24-years service, but must stick it now at any price. all the "boys" (like myself) wish you well, and hope to meet you again. How are Stratford and Forest Gate looking? Good old England. . . We don't have any concerts out here except the mules, which give way to their feelings during the night.