Letters from Francis (Ken) Evans to his family, 1915-1917 - Part 1

TELEPHONE A4094
City Hotel.
Corner King and Murray Streets,
Perth, Aug 29^th 1915
My dear Father
Just a line to say that
I am getting along alright so far
I have seen one sheep sale & one
cattle sale so far most of the cattle
are very shipped down here from the
Nth West at present. I believe the shipping
season ends early in October as it
its too hot after that
During the hot weather I believe the
cattle come in th by train and road
from country not so far from Perth
Prime merino, wethers brought to
25/6 at the sale here last Wednesday, and
spring lambs to 26/6, all classes of pigs
are very dear also
Perth is rather a pretty town, and clean
and I should think healthy
This week I am going to a place
called, Mingenew about 200 miles
from here there is about 200 horses
to be sold there 100 being from one station
but I believe they dont often have
[*horse sales over here owing to scarcity of horses
they usually import a good many horses from
the East but I suppose they will be hard to get over there
this year & prices will be high. Your affectionate son
Love to mother and Arnold    Ken Evans

TELEPHONE A4094
City Hotel.
Corner King and Murray Streets,
Perth, Nov 7^th 1915
Dear Gerald
I was glad to get your letter
last week and to hear you were
alright, it was bad luck not
seeing you on your way over
but I was away, & when I
got back they told me you were
dangerously ill however H Evans
called a [[b?]] days afterwards
told me you had been pretty [[?]]
but otherwise were alright
I had a letter from home last
week and things are Ok there we [[app?]]
to be having an extra go [[?]] a son
and wool is selling very well in deed
I went to Kalgoorlie last week
and sold 750 fat wethers by auction
there they averaged 23/- got on
right [[through?]]
[[?]] next month I will have
a trip down south past [[?]]
sell at three sales there if I am
not in camp at [[Black?]] Hall
[* I did not see much of Kalgoorie as I arrived
there at 9-30 A< and left at 5.20 P.M same
day and arrived in Perth at 9.20 AM next day
so it is fairly [[?]] [[?]] all the time*] 

TELEPHONE A4094
City Hotel.
Corner King and Murray Streets,
Perth, 
I had in letter from Stewart- he told
me that he had seen you the day you
left.
I Patrobas won the Derby & Cup
and Lavendo an important horse
won the Caulfield cup
This is a great place for [[d?]]
especially, at the shop [[?]] as
which, are on a sand hill,
I believe Usherwood.
and Edie some presents from Egypt
he also sent something to Evelyn
Notcutt
I havent heard from any
women in the East since I came
here, except the ones as home
so I guess they have handed me
the frosty mitt
I believe Maggie Shanby got
marrued and is coming to live in
albany W. a married [[?]] name
Ryan
If you see old Bill [[?]]
[*over there give him my bet wishes
and trusting you are alright and will have
good luck I am your affectionate Brother
Ken Evans
 

City Hotel
King St
Perth
W.A.
Jan 16, 1916
My dear Mother
I got a letter from
Father last week and was glad
to hear that things were good at
home
I hope he will write to W.H Evans
& acknowledge those photographs
I wrote to Gerald today
don't think he could have received
my last letter
There will be an election here
shortly and the general opinion
is that the Labour Gov will
go under
11. according to the prices for
the horses that were sold I
[*think they are getting a little better there than

here     With love to yourself and all
Your affec son
K Evans*] 

5^th/51^st Reinf
Blackboy Hill
W.A
July 16 1916
My dear Mother
you are a darling to send me
that nice pocket wallet t it will be very useful
I also received the socks yesterday which
Muriel sent me from you Minnie said
they are your first attempt & if so you have
mastered the art first try, 
I am on my long leave now which amounts
to four days, & from what I can hear we
may leave here in about four weeks time I belive
the Batallion is now in France
I am gad you are still at Killingworth
as you will have a good rest & change.
I received a letter from Father yesterday
tell him that I have signed the document
& posted it back to Maurice Miller
Father said that you wanted to know the
names of some of my friends, I haven't any
very special ones however I get on alright
with most of the fellows, however private W. E. Gillett
is my best friend here, he is a little man and
a gentleman
With very much love
from K Evans

5^th/51^st Reinf
Blackboy Hill
W.A
Aug 16 2916
My dear Father
I was very glad to get your
letter & to hear that you were recovering
from your fall.
I was vaccinated last Thursday and
it has taken alright but I don't think I
will feel the affect of it very much, some of
the other men have been fairly bad but ore recovering
I think we will most probably leave
here on 28^th Inst, I will be glad when we
get away as I am tired of being here.
The general impression seems to be that
we are going to England first if you have
any relations in Wales you will let me know
as I might have an opportunity of seeing
them.
I should think you will have a
good season at home now, after
the floods, the heavy rains should kill
a lot of young rabbits in the burrows
also.
Tell mother that I am very well
 [*and have everything I want, in the shape of clothes
etc. With much love to Mother, Minnie & yourself
Your affec son Ken Evans

John Evans Esq
Redcamp
Moyhu
Victor
Via Warangaratta
Victoria
 

[[?]]
Love  K Evans
Private [[?]]
5^th Battallion
51^st Reinforcements
Blackboy Hill
W.A.
 

S.S. Uganda
Nov 13^th 1916
My dear Father
We are now within
about three days of the coast of England
and I believe we are to land at
Devonport and go from there to
the military camp at Salisbury
Plains, by the time we land we will
have been about nine weeks on the
water as we reft I Fremantle on Sept
20^th
I am writing this letter now so
as I can post it directly I land
The voyage has been a remarkably
calm one, only about six days of
it were a bit rough, this boat
rolls a lot though even in a calm
sea
The only ports we called at were
Durban, Cape Town, and Dakar
the last is a French Port on the
west Coast of Africa.
We were allowed to land at
Durban only we had about 9
hours ashore there, and had a fair
 

time the people generally were very
kind & treated us well, Durban
is a very pretty town
The hotels at Durban are not allowed
to serve a soldier in uniform with
intoxicating drink unless he has a
permit, and the law is very strictly
enforced, I believe this is mainly
the outcome of two Australian troopships
which called at Durban some time
ago ,and the men or a certain Section
of them carried on most disgracefully
They got a twelve pounder gun on
board this boat at Dakar, for self
defence in case of an attack by
submarines which appear to
be active at present
We took about three hours getting
through a thick fog last night, so
we must be getting near England
alright
I am very well, and hope that
all at home are the same
With much love to Mother. I hope
she received my letter which I posted
[*at Durban, also love to yourself & Minnie
Your affectionate son
F Evans