Correspondence between Herbert Vincent Reynolds and his family, 1914-1915 - Part 9

June 23^rd 1915
Dear Mother
I am sorry that these are the first few
lines that I have been able to send you, but the
cards will let you know that things are all right
with me. You must have heard about poor Will
Elliot and Ellis by now, I was surprised at not
seeing either you or his mother mention about
them in your last letters. Your letters are coming
along all right now also your papers, leave the
1^st Reinfs out the address. Pete is still in Egypt
as far as I know would not mind changing him
places for a while. Let Mab & the others know
that I cannot answer their letters for a
while, but that need not stop them from
writing. Drop a few lines to Ellises people and
let them know that I will write as soon as
possible and that I send along my deepest
sympathy. I wrote to Ellis about a week ago
but it is only a chance wether the few lines
reached him or not as it was only a makeshift
like this one. We cannot get writing paper or
envelopes for love or money here, I lost the
few that I brought ashore with me soon after
landing. I heard that Jack is thinking about
enlisting but Mab said nothing about him
in her last letter. Remember me to Grannie
& the rest hoping this reaches you all right
Yours truly
Bert
[*Give Siss my right address
her letters reach me allright
but are delayed, and thank
her for me for the papers.*]

in Mental. I do not know the rest
of the results. Sebas played Mount
Pleasant and Sebas won the game
by 13 goals 1 behind
Sebas 17 goals 2 behinds
Mount Pleasant 4 goals 1 ".
Sebas has played four games and
won four. This is all
Your loving
brother
Stan.

Mrs H Reynolds
Albert St
Sebastopol
Ballarat
Victoria
Australia

No 6522 Prv R Reynolds
1st Reinforcement
1st Field Ambulance
A.A.M.C.
Egypt 
[[JS?]]

July 7^th 1915
Galipolli
Dear Mother
I hope you received my last letter allright
have had no mail here since your letter of May 18^th reached
me about a fortnight ago. I have not heard from Ellis yet, I
wrote to him about a month ago, & am expecting a few lines
from him by the next mail which ought to be here at the
end of this week. I expect you are all waiting for news
of what is going on here, but I cannot say much in the
letters, we are getting on fine & things are very quiet here
now, but further down they are kept going, most of us are
in good health although there is enough sickness to keep the
hospitals going, John Allen went away a few days ago
with pneumonia. The weather is pretty warm here now but
we are close to the sea & there is always a cool breeze blowing
besides we are in swimming after dark they stopped us
going in during the day as it drew the enemys fire on the
beach. We get pretty good tucker our allowance is ½, lb
jam, cheese & bacon a few potitoes & onions, every 3 days
lately we have been getting bread 1lb per man. we
got 3 eggs between two not long ago would not mind

if we got a few more, our pay is ammounting up
now & now that we have a few bob we cannot get
anything with it, my mate & I got 3 tins of
condenced milk for 1/- each wish we could get some
more ^even for double the price. I have been receiving the
papers that you have been sending along & they are very welcome
a Sporting world came along last mail I dont know who it
was from, with the photo we had taken in Egypt in it. I have
not heard from Pete suppose he is still in Egypt. We
lost another one of our chaps last monday week. I will
not be sorry when we get a spell for a few days, not that
we have much work to do but dodging about here among
the shells gets on ones nerves, after all the sweetest place
is home & a good few seem to know it, we have a big
job ahead & numbers ^will count ^here & there is a good number
able to come away who are sitting back at home inxx
comfort while their comrades here are roughing it & living
like hermits. Australia has not done bad in the number
of men she has sent but she can do far more than she
has, this is about all I can write today hoping you are
all well & that Grannie is better I remain truly
Remember me to all at home in Vic  Bert

[[ [*Br? Kay*]]]
Mrs H Reynolds
Albert St
Sebastopol
Ballarat
Victoria
Australia
July 7^th 1915

[[ [*Br? Kay*]]]
Galipolli
15th July 1915
Dear Mother
I received your letter of the 2^nd June
also one from Siss of the 1^st and one from Ted dated
26/4/15 which had the Sebas post mark of the 18^th May
on it, that shows where it was delayed, in the letter
he wrote about sending a paper to me, & that reached
me 3 weeks ago, your papers are reaching me allrigh
I have not heard from Ellis yet. You spoke in your
letter about wondering if we landed the first day,
well our unit landed about 5 or 6 hours after the
covering parties landed a little before dawn, we
escaped the rifle & machine gun fire, but the shrapnel
gave us a lively time. The boat we came from Egypt
on was the City of Benares & she stood about 3 mls
off, we then got aboard a destroyer, which brought
us in pretty close to the shore, we then got into
row boats which were in tow along the side of
the destroyer, a pinace came along & towed us
in as far as posible, then the oars were got to
work until the boat grounded, we had then to

get out and wade ashore in water up to
the waist, it was rather exciting with a
few shells dropping into the water around us
& shrapnell overhead. About the worst experience
I have had was a bomb from a plane I was in
a shelter at the one of our dressing stations our
squad being on duty at the time when a hostile
plane flew over, all of a sudden we could hear
a peculiar noise above us & looking up a
round black spot could be seen falling, well
we all knew what was coming & the following
30 seconds I think was the most nerve racking
few moments that I can remember, what a
releif when the crash came & we found ourselves
intact. Considering the number of men
around the vicinity the damage done was very
small it landed about 25 yds from our station
& killed one chap, the hole it made was about
3 ft round & a couple of ft deep, there was a rush
made for the fragments, I have got a piece of it
as this is all the space left. I must ring off hoping
you are all well I remain yours truly Bert.

On Active Service
Mrs H Reynolds
Albert St
Sebastopol
Ballarat
Victoria
Australia.
15 July 1915