Correspondence between Herbert Vincent Reynolds and his family, 1918-1919 - Part 5

Mrs Reynolds
Albert St
Sebastop
Ballarat
Victoria
Australia
[*Mch 6 1918*]

No 11 Sandhill Camp
Long bridge Deverell
Wilts England
Mar 22^nd 1918
Dear Mother
It is about time I
thought about writing again, really there
seems to be nothing at all interesting to write
about, & to make things worse I'm getting worse
& worse as far as letter writing goes, lately
I cannot write a decent letter to save my life.
Last Sund I received a few papers
& five letters from Mr Key he sent them on
to me in one parcel & paid postage, which was
sixpence on them. You want to put my unit
on the address, below the name, & leave a little
room if possible for the alteration of the
address, any how, when you get this letter
it will be about time to address them to my
unit direct as I will then be back most likely
There were two letters from you No's 86 & 87

(2)
There was also one from Eva, Ciss & Ted Raine,
the papers are the first ones that have
reached me for quite a while & I was very
pleased to get them.
Since I wrote last I have been
shifted out of the nice little post office job,
a "C class" chap was put in my place, & as
I was supposed to only be kept in this camp
for a fortnight they intended puting me on
draft for our training depôt & shifted me
for that purpose, but they slipped, because
I'm still here, & will remain, if possible,
till after Easter, you see there is a big
chance of me getting four days leave at Easter
from this camp, &, then there is a sure four
days leave for me from the next camp, so
I'm going my hardest to work a double
leave before I leave old England, the only
trouble is that I'm short of money but will
do my best to get through with a couple of
£ I've got.
At present I am working in one
of the mess huts, the job is not a bit of
good to me, & only for being able to hang out
here till after Easter on it, I would toss it in 

(3)
& go out & do parades of a day time, there
is a chance of me being shifted from here
next Friday but if possible I'm ducking that
stunt, to get Easter leave from this place.
Last Wed we had Xmas parcels
given to us on a muster parade, it was
sickening the fuss & messing around the heads
went to, over the affair, Gen McKay & his wife
& some other women who wanted a day out,
handed the parcels out, there was a moving
picture machine at work also.
I got a parcel from Mr Barrett
of Ringwood Victoria there was a photo of
himself & his little boy, along with a few lines
wishing the receiver of the box a Merry Xmas
& a safe return from a Miss Hobbs, so I
must write & thank them for the gift.

A letter from the Ken^nedys came along
yesterday, they were all well, & wanted
to know if I was coming to see them
again.
There is very little news of any
importance to send you so I will
ring off for the present, trusting you
are perfectly well
yours very sincerely
Bert

[*Mch 22 1918*]
Mrs Reynolds
Albert St
Sebastopol
Ballarat
Victoria
Australia 

No 2 Parkhouse
Tidworth
Wilts England
Mar 29^th 1918
[*PS Am sending some
postcard views hope you
get them & like them

alright.*]
Dear Mother
Well,- The news I send this time will
probably not please you, but it will make things extremely
much easier for me if you will not let it trouble you.
I know what you have to put up with, & am
really proud of your part in this unfortunate war, what we
fellows have to stand, is nothing compared to the constant
anxiety you women at Home have, for our welfare, & have
to stand & so bravely face.
My movements during the past few days
have been, & will, be during the coming few weeks, be very
sudden, it is extremely unfortunate for me, as all my
chances of obtaining that much looked for leave to see
the friends at Macclesfield again before going back to
France, are quite out of the question I'm afraid; how ever
tomorrow I am going to approach the Colonel & endeavour
to get at least 48 hours leave to slip up & see them.
I was drafted from the OTB to this
camp yesterday & am now on over-seas draft from here, so
it will only be a matter of a few days before I'm back in France.
Will you look at my return to the front 

not as though I'm doing more than my share, but
as just doing my duty, it is very hard to think of
having to return, while thousands of others are shirking
the job we are doing our utmost to carry through to
a successful conclusion without their assistance, while
the lack of that assistance is making the struggle, one
of life or death for the nation.
What we think of the state of affairs
at home, is very difficult to answer for we do not
know what to think other than, ^that the sooner the Government
take up the reins ^the better & run the military situation, as
it must be run; that is, by equalising the burden
of national defence upon the whole man power of the
country, & keeping a really efficient force well reinforced
on the western front as it is Austalias duty to do.
There seems to be a feeling every where
that a great number of us have done our bit, also
that Aust has done enough, but let me state, if
Aust has done her share in the war, then victory
is not ours, it is time enough to think of such things
when we have won, & ended the struggle, but to do so
at present, is nothing but deserting & leaving the
splendid force at present engaged with the enemy at
the mercy of over whelming odds.
How would all these so called Australian men, 

(3)
(the shirkers) feel, if through the refusal of their assistance
the lads defending their homes were over powered
by the enemy hordes, that would have been otherwise
kept in check, had they done their share & assisted, to
defend Australia on the battle field in France.
I'm letting my feelings run away with
me I'm afraid, so had better pull in a little, you
will hear quite enough these days about the war, so
will not be anxious to have me bring it to light
again, & write a lot of uninteresting & any thing but
cheering impressions of mine about it. Only don't
think things are going badly with us, as far as that
goes, I think we are doing very well under the
circumstances, & really think the huns are lashing
out to try & obtain a great bluff victory, but it
will not work they will get more than they expect.
Kennedys are expecting me today no doubt,
Ada wrote & told me they would expect me & sent a
very handy letter for me to get leave with, but you see
I'm greatly disappointed & they are bound to be through
this unfortunate draft buisness coming in the way,
how ever, it cannot be helped so have got to make the
best of it.
There is very little news to send you, Im perfectly well
& quite fit again, though the strain of the job might tell.
Trusting you are quite well I remain ever truly Bert. 

[*Mch 29 1918*]
Mrs Reynolds
Albert St
Sebastopol
Ballarat
Victoria
Australia