Correspondence between Herbert Vincent Reynolds and his family, 1917 - Part 12

say about the parcels, the one you sent on Sept 5^th
has not turned up yet, neither has the one Ciss sent,
but they will turn up sooner or later I hope. I'm
looking forward to getting the cake & chocolates, to say
nothing of the butter.
I am very sorry to hear that Pete was
having such a bad time, after he went to France again, &
that it was while a patient at the 11^th CCS that he was
killed, such an action as bombing hospitals etc is nothing new
out there, it is about the most inhuman action possible, but
it seems to be a favourite one of the huns.
Things are not improving in this place
at all, its pay day for me tomorrow & I'm looking forward
to getting a few more shillings, to invest in the YMCA
canteen, what we get for tea sometimes would not keep a
rat alive, & we buy a much larger quantity of stuff for our
tea, or other to finish off or tea, than we get issued
rations, in a way I'll be mighty pleased when I get back to
France again, there is always plenty to eat out there.
I might tell you all the visions I had of
getting a trip back to Ausie have gone up in smoke worse
luck, how the wound got in such a place, & done so little
permanent damage is rather a mystery, I can hear very
little yet with the left ear but it will eventually get properly
 

right, the wound is still open, but healing gradually
with proper treatment it would have been healed up long
ago, how it has healed without having any thing done
to it, after some of the bone was removed is a bit of a
problem, any how it is pretty well right again now.
I heard from the Bank about the money
being available for me there, so wrote & advised them

to ^have it transferred to the Chief Paymaster for credit of my pay book
There don't appear to be much chance
of me getting any leave at Xmas, though I'm going
to try very hard to get at least, a couple of days, to
take a run down to Bournemouth.
There is very little news so I must
say au-revoir — trusting you are all quite well at home.
Yours sincerely
Bert
Tuesday 18^th
Just a few more lines before I close the
letter up. I've got the dressing off my head at last
the wound has healed marvelously quick this last week
or so, it is practically allright now I had my
classification altered today from B.1.b to B.1.A.1 which
is a step towards France again.
I am marvelously lucky to of be fit again
the knock I received would have settled me had it
been slightly to the right, & even now I am extremely
lucky to have no serious effects from the knock.
the ear has healed together very well & looks fairly
decent though it is slightly out of shape & sits right
in against the head, but I don't mind that in the least
(Bert.)
 

Mrs Reynolds

Albert St
Sebastopol
Ballarat
Australia
[*Dec 13^th 1917*]
 

No 3 Command Depôt
Camp 7 Hurdcott
England
Dec 28^th 1917
Dear Flo
Well I don't know what you
will be thinking, because I've not
written to you lately, but you will
not mind I hope.
I was very pleased to get
a few lines from you this morning, when
I got back from Bournemouth where
I've spent the Xmas, there was a letter
from you, one from Ciss, a parcel from
Mother, & a pocket writing case from some
friends in London ("Mrs Herring) waiting
for me. Thanks very much for the
bonza socks & the sweets, it was a real
decent parcel.
Well I managed to get four days
leave to slip down to the friends place
at Parkstone, I had a very good P.T.O.
 

time though things were exceptionally
quiet, but I preffered that to
chasing about like we did a couple of
years ago.
Mrs Hunt's eldest boy is going
out to India with the motor machine
guns very shortly, he has just turned
21, just a month after me.
We have not received any
of the Xmas mail from Home yet
& are patiently waiting for it.
I'm jolly pleased to hear
that you have had some visitors
to see you lately.
Well I must say Au revoir
for the present, so all the best
of wishes
from your loving
Brother
 

Miss F Reynolds
Albert St
Sebastopol
Ballarat
Victoria
Australia
[*28 Dec 1917*]
 

No 3 Command Depôt        

Camp 7 Hurdcott
England
Dec 30^th 1917
Dear Mother
I've let the Xmas season
slip by without writing to you, but
you have been in my thoughts nevertheless.
Well - I have enjoyed myself
this Xmas, but have had an extremely
quiet time, which pleased me to a certain
extent, as I did not feel at all like
spending a really jolly Xmas.
I'm afraid my friends found me
rather too quiet on it, but they treated
me splendidly, & made me feel quite
at home. I really cannot thank them
enough. I managed to get four days
leave to spend the Xmas with the
friends at Parkstone, their eldest son
spent his final leave with them P.T.O.
 

the previous week, & they naturally
kept the Xmas festivities up for
the occasion, he is on draft for India
as far as they know at present, &
expects to leave very soon, with his
unit a motor machine gun section.
he has just turned 21, his birthday
being about a month later than mine
I was delighted to get your
bonza parcel, which you sent on
Sept 5^th, it was an ideal parcel,
just the articals that we mostly
aprieciate from home. I consider
myself fortunate, to get my
parcels so regular, as many of my
mates are wondering where their's
can be, they have not got them
though they are many weeks
over due, & ought to have arrived long ago.
I must finish off now, till tomorrow,
as its almost lights out, so I'll
have to get my bed made. Good-night
 

 Mrs Reynolds
Albert St
Sebastopol
Ballarat
Victoria
Australia
[*Dec 30^th 1917*]