Letters from Wilbert Berg to his family, 1915-1918 - Part 13

Stars up & when I left the Batt last August he
was a Lance Corporal under we some promotion
did you say, I have been talking to him Several
times, & he told me that Capt. Bruce (very old Officer
said that if I came through Pozieres alright I
would have got my commission so you see what
I missed by getting in the way of a piece of Fritz's
iron, never mind there is a chance yet. How are
all old friends out the Glebe way? quite well I
hope remember me kindly to them all. Well Dad
& mum I think that I am just about run out
for more news now so I will have to close so
with heaps of loving Kisses XXXXX
XXXXX

XXXXXX

XXX

I am 
Your loving Son
Will XXXXXX
 

Wareham
Dorset 18/3/17
My Dear Dad Mum & Sister
Just a few more lines to
let you know that I am still A1 at Lloyds & I
Sincerely hope you are the same. You will be surprised
to hear that I am in the 61st Battalion now, they
 are forming a new Division over here with all
the men that are in England so I course they put
me in it, it has only just started & things are a
upside down, so keep on addressing my letters the
same as usual, I will let you know all about that
When we get settled down. The 2nd Division form B
Coy of the 61st Batt. & there are a terrible lot of the
18th Batt in the Coy, at present I am in the Orderly
room but keeping my eye open for a good job. After
we do get settled down I think that it will take
us a couple of months before we see France. There
was real good news in todays paper, the British
Captured Bapaume & the French made an advance
on a 12 miles front so by the look of things the
Germans seem to be well beaten on the Western
front. What do you think
 

Russia, Although it is nearly all over now there
must have been a terrible lot of German influence
in Russia to cause the revolution, I have not heard
from Mart lately, so I don't know how he is getting
on. We are just beginning to get nice weather over
this side & it is just about time too, I am sick &
tired of all the wet weather we have had. Wagga
Welsh is still going strong, he is not in the new
Division Yet Although he is likely to be at any
time. George Avon is still in camp, he looks so well
& is terrible fat on it, the is about the only Glebe boy
I know in camp here, I believe there are a terrible
lot in changes in the 18th now. An officer that left
Australia as a Sgt Mjr in the 20th Batt is second
in Command of the 18th now, Some (Somme)
promotion did you say. How are all old friends
quite well I hope Remember me kindly to them
all. Well Dad & Mum news is scarce & plenty of work
to do so I must close now So with heaps of love
& Kisses

I am 

your loving Son

Will

XXXXXXXX

XXXXX

XX

XXXXXXX

Don't forget Dad & Mum

I will send you a cable

when I am going back to

France again.

Reg No 1132
Cpl W N. Berg. 
B Company
61^st Battalion
16th. Inf Bdge.
A.I.F.
My Dear Dad Mum & Sister
Some (Somme) Battalion
that new one of mine, did you say that we
are deep thinkers, but all the same it is
the best Battalion an the A.I.F.. because they
are all old soldiers, nearly everyone is wearing
the gilt A on the colours, which denotes
men that have seen service on Gallipoli
you can address all my letters now to the
above address. I am still without any
letters from Aust. I sincerely hope that there
is nothing wrong & that you all are enjoying
the best of health etc, the same as myself
we had a couple of heavy falls of snow here
this week, & we had some more fun snowballing
each other. I am still working in the orderly room
but I have to get up now of a morning at
6-30 A.M. & I can tell you it hurts now. After
being used to lying in bed till 8 o/c for so
long but I suppose I will soon get used to
it, I think the new Battalion will be
marching through London on Anzac Day
 

they Kept it up last year, So I suppose
they will do the same this year. What
did you think of the great advance on the
Somme ? it has just about come to an
end now, but if the Allies break through
their new line of defence, well the war
will be all over bar shouting, & no doubt by
the time you receive this letter they Allies
will have broken through their new line
what do you think of the Australians
being first into Bapaume, at is another
feather in their cap, they made a great.
fuss about it in the papers over there.
I would have liked to have been with
the boys when they took it, but I think
that I will be over there for the breaking
through of their new line, I will be with
them when they take "Cambrai", I have
not had any letters from Mart lately, but
I suppose he is still going strong like all
the A.S.C. Well Dad & Mum news has just
about run out now So will have to close
now so with heaps of love & kisses etc
Remember we kindly to all old friends 
XXX I am XXXXX

X Your loving Son XXX

XXX Will XXXX

XXXXXXX

Wareham
Dorset 1/4/17
My Dear, Dad Mum & Sister,
You don't know how
delighted I was when I received a big bunch
of letters last week containing about 10 from
home, it took me nearly all day to read
them. I am looking forward to getting another
big batch as there must be a lot more
kicking around for me. We are having lovely
weather over this way lately, quite a treat
after all the rotten weather we have had. I will
be quite a dinkum "Tommy"by the time I
get home, after spending so long in England
I am beginning to talk like them now (I dont
think) Have not heard from Mart lately, he
must have hurt his right hand, I will ask
him next time I write. The new Battalion is
Still going strong, the old boys cannot take to
learning to form fours, Saluting etc, they
would all rather go straight back to the
trenches than do Squad drill again, my job
in the Orderly Rosm has kept me off all the
parades thank God. As soon as things settle
down a bit I am going to put in for a few
 

days leave, I have not had any leave since I
came back from furlough in August last so
I reckoin it is up to me to have a few days
off. The boys have started football teams going
in camp here, they had several games yesterday
they asked me to play, but playing football
on a gravel patch was not in my line, Walter
Welsh was up to his neck in them, he us
getting terrible fat lately, Have you seen anything

of Ern Coulon, he went home some time ago
& he always told me that if he was lucky enough
to get home he would go out to see you all, if
he has not gone out to see you, look him up
his father has a bakers shop in Pyrmont, So
he should be easy to find, he will be able
to tell you about several good times we have
had together. They are still pushing ahead
on the Western front, the Germans don't seem
to be able to stop them, they are still giving
Johnny Turk a pretty bad time of it, I think
that Johnny will soon be singing out "NARPOO"
The old Lt. Col. of the 19th Batt is Lt. Col. of the
61st Batt, he is not a bad old sort. Well
Dad & Mum news has run out again this week
So I will have its close now so with heaps of
love & kisses etc XX I am, Your loving Son Will X

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 

[*I have 

just bought

a fountain pen

& I am giving it a

try out. How do you

think it suits my

maulers. Something like

a horse with a lollie

stick.*]

Wareham

Dorset 6/4/17

My Dear Dad Mum & Sister
To-day is good Friday
the second one away from home & the last
I hope I am a couple of days early with
your letter this week, the "Heads" over here
have broken their hearts & are giving us
twenty nine (29) hours leave & I am going
to-morrow & Sunday, So I thought that I
had better write your letter before I went. Very
little news this week, things are very very
quiet, here in England & on all the battle
fronts. Still no news this week from Mart,
they must surely be. on the move- again, when
he has not written. The New Batt is getting on
A1, we are holding a Sports meeting there next
Wednesday, the Shop keepers in Wareham have
subscribed a lot of the prizes & it promises to
be a great success, I am going to be satisfied
with looking on again. We have not heard
yet whether we will be marching through
London on Anzac Day yet, but I think that
we stand a good chance. The general opinion
over here is that the war will be "NARPOO"
 

About September, I think that it will finish
about then as soon as they break through
the new Hindenburg line it will be the finish
of things. We have a terrible lot of guns out
on the Western front & we are increasing
them every day, & it does not matter how good
defences are these days they will not stand
against an artillery bombardment. I hope
that all old friends are quite well remember
me kindly to them all next time you see
them, I just thought of it, it is Dad's birthday
on the 21st very many Happy Returns of the
Day Dad, I am too for away to give you a
present but I will make it up when I get
back home again. I forget now when all the
Birthdays are I was only thinking the other day
how old I was, I didn't know whether I was
20 or 30 but when I looked in the mirror there
was no doubt about it, 30, (I dont think) well
dad & Mum don't you think I have done well to
fill up two pages, but it has run out now
so I will have to close now So with heaps of
love & kisses to all.

XXXXXXXXXX
X I am

Your loving Son XXXX

XXX Will Alias "Cactus" X

XXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXX
 

Wareham
Dorset 15/4/17
My Dear Dad, Mum, &, Sister
Just a few more lines
to let you know that I am still alive & well in
this part of the world & I sincerely hope that
you are all the same. I am still without any
letters from Mart, but I suppose that he is
busy moving about over in France & cannot
find the time to write. My word things are
going good lately on the Western front, that good
that I think the war is on its last legs now
the Germans say the same, The Hindenburg line
that the Germans had so much to say about
is already broken through the fall of Cambrai.
& St Quentin is expected at any minute also
Leus, both three places are big towns & of
great military importance especially Leus as
it is the Chief mining centre in France, it
is noted for in coal fields. The weather has
been very unsettled lately we have a couple
of lovely days & then it rains for a couple we
were to have had a big days sport here last
Wednesday but on account of the rain we
have had to postpone them till next Wednesday
I think that I have a good chance of going