Letters from Kenneth Jack Young to his family, 1917 - Part 8

Looking a grand. Yet near - very near -there they are fighting away
Great Guns Banging away- Which shakes all the windows
&c- there is Hardly a Window to the seen that is not Broken
every thing just ruined - This YMCA where I am writing this
is in a Part of a Big Building - which was I believe a
Kind of School of Mines &c: it is so nice-but like other
grand buildings  Here is smashed up. Last Night there
was a very Heavy Bombardment which lasted for some
time - it Did make a noise-our Rifle was the cause of it - rather
I wonder how much longer this business is going to Last?
You would like to Have seen the air fights Today,
of course they are at it Nearly every day, our anti-Air
Guns DiD not catch him This Monday though- we could
see Fritze's Machine & our shots - the smoke of - landing - aLL
round him - some must have been very near, but I did Not
see them get him - think he got -away -he was of course flying
over our lines - they are tray Bon for finding out positions
No doubt Fritz see some of my old units men here-but just
Now they are on the job - pray old boys they are doing their
bit & doing it well too.
Well - I will say Au Revoir once again
Hope you are both getting on A1  with you short hand [*shorthand*]

[*shorthand*]
Much Love To You all -

Yours Sincerely
Ken
 

ON ACTIVE SERVICE
Miss May Young
Princes Street
Alberton

Adelaide

South Australia

 

 

Rear of envelop ~ see original
6th Ap
(54)
 

Some- Where in Belgium
14/4/17
My Dear Dad & Mum
Just a line or two to go by this next
mail which is supposed to leave in a Day or 
two- Well everything is going A1 with Nothing
much happening (to me) anyway, Last Thursday
three or four of us were sent to a Salvage
Dump on the Belgium side-of course that
is not far from where It was before- 3 miles
I suppose. Nearer the trenches too - Shells
lob very Near our biLLet which is in a
Half Broken Down House - however in spite
of it  village being shelled &c - I am quite comfortable
 - we will Have To go into the
trenches now and then of course - but
 

it will not be so Hard as the infantry.
Yesterday when out after Salvage -
some of the - Battalion boys were
passing along- Noticed Roy Tibrook
Harold Steele-& that "Duchie" Miller
all looked A1- The Battalion is out
just Now- so may be I'll go and Have
a Look at them tomorrow -if Possible
They are aLL Doing A1- & I'm glad:
Heard Geo Lakie was weLL & doing A1.
Lots of the olD Sgts are officers Now.
Things Have changed a good deal.
Gordon is away- believe He went Home,
he was no man To be in that position

Last night a party  soldiers we hit
Near our Billet the shell must have

Hit right  where they were - one was
Killed - & others wounded poor chaps

Did suffer too - it was Horrible - The
shell made a great Hole in the ground.
I think The Hun 'Planes spotted their
men - as there were several about at
 

the time - they then signal to the Hun
Gunners - & there she goes -I made sure
they would hit our BiLLet as they came
pretty close at Times - but they always
seem Nearer than they really are.
I am almost sure to see - Clair he must
be Dodging about Here somewhere.
I am feeling much stronger now and
altogether Better I think – the weather
is Keeping A1 Now- & aren't I glad Too.
Surely I won't Have to put in another
Winter in this country. - I have Not
had any further letters from Aust.
Well - Dear Dad & Mum – I have

not much Time to write more this evening
Hoping aLL are well- V. Much Love To all
Au Revoir - - Yours Ever
Ken XXXX 

Mr J Young

Princes Street

Alberton

Adelaide

South Australia

 

Rear of envelop ~ see original
14th Ap
 (55)

1917.
Some Where in Belgium
17/4/17
My Dear Mum & Dad

I was so pleased To receive Your always Very
Welcome letter today also one from May (letters

dated February 13TH) so that is just over two mths

& there are some more for me earlier than that

Of course they may be tracking me up from where I've been

I was along to the  - Battalion the ^other morning - they

are not far from where I'm billeted - saw a Lot of

The Boys - but most of them were away on fatigue

They are going in again very shortly, everything

is going A1 with them aLL - only aLL are sick & tired

of the whole thing & no wonder - one thing I am

quite confident it will not last long Now.  I still

say "June" - I hope to goodness I'm right - Don't you

I Know (you don't)
 

WeLL things are going pretty well stiLL - nothing

startling Happening. Fritz has not been trying 

To Disturb our Happy Home lately, but Last 

Sunday Night there was a Heavy Bombardment

"No Bon". The old fool made an attempt to take

our position trenches anyway as far as I can Hear - he

got more than he wanted from our chaps &

gained little for Himself - but those great guns

of our (some Near here) Did Drive it into Him

shook the whole place - & the sheLLs did whistle

I'll teLL you all about these things when I get back

so will Not Do so Now - or rather - try to.

Today I saw a very funny thing - a small

cart drawn By three Dogs - and a man sitting

up Driving - it did Look funny - of course I've often

seen Dogs helping to pull hand-carts &c - as that

is the usual thing in France, and Belgium too -

but have Not seen the old man getting puLLed round

& driving Them: worse Than the Rickshaw.

I wonder why it was Capt. Kayser Did Not write

for so Long - what Date was he killed - yes

it is a sad thing - & I am more Than sorry for his

wife - poor little thing - Yet - I suppose there are

others in just the same plight, caused thro'

this terrible war.  Last week the weather was

very much better - but this week so far has