Letters from Francis (Ken) Evans to his family, 1915-1917 - Part 3

France
April 27th .17
My dear Father. I received several letters
from you lately & was very glad indeed to
get them, I also got two from Minnie
since writing her last
I have been getting a good number
of papers lately.
Our battalion has had a pretty solid
time of late we are resting now
It is a pity Safety Brake won’t 
stand work enough to get her fit, as
she would win races

I am quite well, with the exception
of rheumatism which comes on now

& again

Trusting that all are well at
home.
With much love to Mother, Minnie
& yourself.

Your loving son

J Evan’s

P.S. Hope to see Gerald again shortly
J.E.

ON ACTIVE SERVICE

Y.M.C.A
JNO  Evan’s Esq

RedCamp

Moyher

Victoria
Australia

 

Date 21 & 27 - 17

France

May 6^th 17

My dearest Minnie

I read a letter from

Gerald dated 1^st Inst. & he was well I may
see during the next week or so his friend
Campbell was hit rather badly but was doing
well.

Our Battalion  had a rotten & rough time
last when last in the line we have been

resting now for about three weeks and
we needed it, expecting to be moving again 
shortly of course we do the usual 

drill & other practice route marches etc.

I had a leave for a day yesterday to

Amiens it was a change to get away, there

are some nice shops there & the Cathedral
is xxxx fine, well worth the journey to see it.
The business people are only allowed to
serve soldiers with refreshments liquid

or solid be from 12 P.M. till 2 & from 6 to 8.

The crops are beginning to show up now, some

of them are about six inches high The weather
has been fine for about three weeks & some days
fairly warm.
With much love to Mother, father & yourself

Your loving brother

(Ken) F Evans
 

Miss Evans
Redcamp
Moyhu
Victoria
Australia
Signature 
(Name only) F. Evans
 

France
June 3rd xx
My dearest Mother
I have written a good many letters
home lately, but it is some time since I wrote to you
We have had a fairly easy time during the last
four weeks away from the line, and the weather has
been 
[[?]] had a letter from Joe Lewis about a week
ago advising me of the present which I have
answered it was very kind of the people of the
district.
I believe a good many more Australians are
coming this way and I may have a chance of
seeing Gerald again xxx heard from him
for some time, I suppose he has been  too busy
to write
Joe Lewis is very hot against the men who are
not enlisting, I would vote against cons-cription
in Australia
I hope you enjoyed your visit to Merriang
it is a very nice old place. I suppose Minnie
and Edie are having a good holiday in Sydney
There is not much of interest one can write
about here
With much love to Father Minnie xxx
and all at home 
your loving Son
Ken
F. Evans
 

France
June 23^rd 17
My dearest Minnie,
I hadn't received any letters
for some time until today when I got ten all from
home with the exception of two which were from
Doris [[?]]. needless to say I was very glad indeed
to get them
I have got two letters within the last ten days from
Gerald he is well & has won the Military Cross he said
 in his last that he heard that Frank Carter had been

severely wounded.

I am glad to hear that you & Edie enjoyed your holiday
in Sydney. No Harriet Graham did well to run second
in the Sydney Cup considering she got a bad run
it was a pity, she probably would have won had she
got through alright.
I would cable to you sometimes but we privates
are not allowed to do so now except for special

reasons such as being wounded etc. I believe the
reason for restriction is that the soldiers are
limited to certain number of messages on the cable
& the authorities wish to give the wounded & sick the
preference. I suppose one reason is as good as another

however the fact remains we can’t send one

over

11.

What you said in the paper with regard to the

Divisions is not true the usual work is

being done. You don’t want to take much notice

of the utterances of the politician’s they are 

often too wide of the truth & most of them will

say anything to gain their ends, the same remarks

apply to their agents who are touring Australia at

the present time.

Father says in his letter, that I don’t say much

about what I am doing tell him that I can’t 

say very much also that I don’t need any

money as I have arranged with the Commonwealth

Bank London branch to draw money when

I require it. Tell him that it is not true that

The soldiers in France get extra money

to buy food with except the Officers who I

believe get a little extra for day field pay.