Correspondence between Herbert Vincent Reynolds and his family, 1916 - Part 7

4
second rate vessels can engage the enemys
high seas fleet & inflict loss equal to that
which was ours, before going down. Our
naval supremacy is as sound today as it
ever was, the loss of the vessels even though
they were of so great a value can be stood
by us far easier than the enemy can the
loss of his vessells, although, ^perhaps they were not of
as late a type as ours.
We are still at this rest station, & there
is very little doing, things get rather
monotonous here, & occasionally a concert is
arranged for of evening, which the mess
hut makes a fine place for a concert. & holds
over two hundred, our boys are having a
fine concert tonight which promises to
outshine all previous ones they have been going
to some trouble over it. for a week past.
Well Mother trusting you are all well I will
close so Au revoir
yours ever very truly
Bert 

France
June 11^th 1916
Dear Mother
Well your letter of Apr 17^th
came along today with one from Flo & Stan.
I am pleased to see you received my letter
from Gizeh allright.
I wish I were in Wallie Ramo's shoes & was back
in Vic once again, well I suppose I will get
back in good time if I am lucky.
There is one thing we are not near as likely
to get knocked over here as we were at Galipolli
things are much quieter here than we expected
to find them.
I am patiently awaiting some news from
you; that is the regiment Herb is in & also
wether Pete is still with the same unit
I cannot write to them as I have not got
their address. 

Well there is very little to write it is
hard to find anything to fill up a
decent letter.
Our concert turned out an absolute success
& was the best we have had so far.
I think your letters etc will always
reach me safely now they have began to
come along pretty regular.
I think I shall have to wish you
Au revoir.
yours very truly
Bert 

June 12^th 1916
Dear Mother
Very pleased to say that I received
a letter from you today, dated April 24^th also
one from Flo & two from Ciss, the papers you
mentioned did not come along, but they are more
likely to come with the remains of the mail,
that generally comes along a few days later
than the letters, the letters are coming along
splendidly lately but there is only you
& Ciss that seem to be writing any.
I was rather surprised to receive a letter from
the Commonwealth Bank requesting me
to inform them, if I wanted the 5£ x that
has been placed at my disposal, sent on
to me. I think the best thing I can do
is to write to Mr Key & ask him if he would
kindly oblige me by looking after the money
till I get my leave which very probably will
be after next Xmas at the rate leave is 

2

being given out to our unit. I had a
letter from him a week or so ago, very
kindly informing me to imagine his home as
a tempory one for me while in England.
He also asked me to try & get my leave about
the begining of August, he could then
accompany me to Tydd, the place where
Granny spent her youthfull days, & where
her sister still resides.
I do not have to look around for places to
go, for I received a letter from Miss Hunt
at Bournemouth wanting me to spend a
few days with them if I get a chance.
I do not think that I shall be able to
oblige th all that are so thoughtfull about
me, as I promised people in London that
if ever I returned to England to I would pay them
a visit.
I must thank you for sending on the
cash I will be able to get along fine now 

June 12^th

(3)
as the money in England will do to fall
back on, while what I am drawing will
carry me along nicely over here.
I hope you do not think that I am asking
too much of you, when I ask you to send
along to me, some small gift typically
Australian that would suit a girl like
Flo. I would like to send Miss Hunt
some small gift & although I could get
it over here, it struck me that something
from overseas would be much more appreciated
as a token of my appreciation of the splendid
way in which they treated me & made my 
holiday with them last Xmas one of the
most pleasant that I can remember.
Thank Ciss for here letters, I will write
to her next mail.
Sorry to hear that Stan did not do too well
at his exams, better luck next time, tell
him to buck up & get through I will write
him a few lines. 

(4)
I am sorry that my letters have been worrying
you, it is very disappointing when there is
no letters from you but I do not want you to
worry, although we are so far away things
go on just as well without worrying over
it I will get back in good time, safely,
if providence wills, & get back just as
much a credit to those who I belong to,
as I was before I left home, the reason why
I am writing this is from what I seen in an
Aust paper it was a warning to people to
beware of the returned men, it was a thing
that is a disgrace to whoever wrote &
published it I might say it is nothing to
take any notice of some people do though. &
that is where the trouble comes in.
Remember me to W Madden when you see him also
Ted Raine suppose he thinks I am a nice one
for not writing. How is Jack getting on suppose 
he thinks the same but I have not forgotten
them all. 

(5)
I do not know if this way of writing
is satisfactory to you, but I cannot send
any more news even if I write every week.
so I hope you do not think that I have
cut down my correspondence with you at all.
We are having a bit of a wet spell here now
but nothing to what we will get I suppose.
Well Mum I have run out of news so trusting
you are enjoying the best of health
I am very truly yours
Bert 

June 12^th
Dear Stan
Well Bon-jour, How is your Francais
getting on? Not very bon judging by your
exam, well better luck next time, buck
in & make sure of success in your next
exam I hope to see you at the top of the
tree when I get home; that is Aprės la guerre.
Comprė?
I see you still go out to hunt the rabits

of a Sat afternoon I only wish I were

able to accompany you. 
Well Stan I think you will have
to (excuser moi) for not writing more
this time I will wish you Au-revoir
yours ever very truly
Bert 

ON ACTIVE SERVICE.

11 & 12 JUNE

8 June 1916
Mrs Reynolds
Albert St

Sebastopol Ballt

Victoria

Australia
Signature}

H V Reynolds