DODGING DEATH IN THE JUNGLE
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Maitland Boy's Letter Home

    Writing to his parents, who reside in West Maitland, Pte. T. Lethbridge, describing some of his air raid experiences, points out that he is an "old hand at the game now" and quite used to it. At the time he despatched the letter Pte. Lethbridge was in Malaya.
    "I had a narrow escape about a week ago," he recounts. "We were moving to another position by motor truck and were sighted by enemy planes - three of them. We jumped out and made for the jungle. Needless to say I never stopped until I started to puff and blow, and by that time the planes had circled around and were giving us hell with bombs and machine guns, but no one was hurt. Since then we have to rush for cover every day."
    Reading Pte. Lethbridge's letter it is not difficult to understand why the position of the Allies is now so desperate in the East. All his talk is of planes - all belonging to the enemy.
    "We are at present just behind the front line looking after the wounded," he wrote on January 22. "There are plenty of enemy planes about, and it is nothing for us to rush for cover a dozen times a day. The Japs are supposed to be respecting the Red Cross, but we do not take any risks, and there are some German pilots here also. Some of them have been shot down. There are also some German officers supposed to be leading the Jap. infantry."
    Pte. Lethbridge's next letter, dated February 1, is written from Singapore. "No doubt since we were last on the island we have been pushed about from place to place." he states. "Now that we are once more back on the island of Singapore we feel more contented.".
    "There were times in Malaya when it looked as if we were going to be cut off, but we always seemed to get out ok. The only danger we are in now is from enemy bombers, which are plentiful at times."
    "The day before yesterday a formation of 53 Jap. bombers flew over. It was quite exciting for a while. Some of our planes went up after them and gave them hell - brought two down and damaged some others and with the help of our anti-aircraft guns they were driven away."
    "That has gone on every day since December 8. God knows when it will stop. Now that we are here we are looking forward to a bit of leave. We have not had any for about two months. It will help to cheer us up a bit if we can get a day off now and then. So until word comes through we will just have to wait and hope."