Dear Ma,
I miss you so much. I barely have time to write this. It’s so hectic here. There’s screaming and the sound of gunshots everywhere. The journey by boat over here was the longest, yet peaceful moment in all of the two months since I arrived. Luckily I managed to make it to our trenches in the mountain, however the rest of my regiment wasn’t so fortunate. Luckily there’s about 50 other NZ and Australian soldiers here so I’m not alone.
I tried to smell the biscuits you sent me to feel a bit like I was home, but all I could smell was the gun powder and blood on my clothes. It’s not even safe for new soldiers to come the same way we did because of all of the enemy battle ships and gun fire. Even if they tried, they’d probably get shot. We had to dig trenches with our bare hands to survive through the night or we’d get spotted and shot by the enemies. I have to go now, but I want you to know I love you so much and I’m doing everything I can to make it home safely home to you, pa, Aroha and Ariki.
By Leilani