Letters from Wilbert Berg to his family, 1915-1918 - Part 15

61st Batt.
15/6/17
My Dear Dad Mum & Sister,
Received a couple of most
welcome letters from you this week & was very
pleased to get them & to see that you are keeping
so well. I had a few lines from Mart this week
also, he is first rate, hopes to be getting a promotion
shortly, the postal service over this side seems
to be absolutely rotten, his letter took two
months to reach me, & yet he is only a little
more than a stone throw from here. It is very
hot over this side too hot for "Cactus' & they
won't let us wear shorts, for fear they will see
our legs, but women are allowed to get about
with dresses just below their knees. I am just
about fed up with things over here & I think
that I will go back to the Batt (18th) as soon as
I can. I might be lucky enough to get a "Blighty"
that will take me back to good old Aust, & then for
a good old time, I'll bet that they won't get me to
move a foot off Aust. soil again. There was a terrible
air raid in London a couple of days ago, but I
suppose you read all about it in the papers out
there. The British have got Fritz thinking hard
 

in their latest push & I saw in to-days papers that
he has started to retreat again, I wonder where he
will stop this time, I don't think that it will be
long before Lille falls & once they lose that, well it
is only a matter of time, as Fritz make the best
part of his munitions & guns etc in Lille, so you
see what a loss it would be to him. If Russia
could only pull herself together now & let go with
her steam roller, it would be all over bar shouting
because the Germans made that sure of getting a
seperate peace with Russia that she took nearly 
all her troops off the Eastern front to the Western
front. The Aust. troops have got it pretty rough
lately, the whole lot of the 12^th Batt & A Company
of the 17^th Batt got wiped clean out of existence &
all the other Batts are nearly the same. Have not
seen one of the Glebe boys lately, don't know where
they have all got to. Sorry to hear the sad news
about Cecil Byrne, they will go looking for distinctions
"not for mine digger." Well Dad &
Mum news has just about run out for this mail
now so will have to close, so with heaps & love
& kisses xx I am xxxx   Remember me
xxx Your loving Son x  kindly to all
xxxx Will xxxxx
 

England
9/7/17
My Dear Dad Mum & Sister,
I have just got back to camp
from a nice trip up the Midlands, I had to take a
couple of our boys down to their camp. I left here on
Saturday morning with some others that were going
to other different camps & we got to London just as the biggest
air raid that has ever been on London was over, so you
see we missed a good sight, they did very little damage
considering the number that came over (forty four came
over the papers publish twenty) I saw one of the bombs
that they dropped just near King's Cross Railway station,
it never went off, it was a good job too, because there
are always a good number of people always about that
part. The other parties left me at London but we all
arranged to [[?]] each other when we got back on Saturday
night. I was first back, at 11 P.M. & one of the Sgts got in
just after me, but the other one did not turn up, so we
went & had something to eat & then went to bed. It is
surprising to see the great number of people about the
streets of London at 12 & 1 o'clock. I got a nice bunch
of mail a couple of days ago & glad to hear that you are
keeping so well but was very sorry to hear about poor
Les Harvey being killed, he was a nice boy too, I suppose
his people are very much cut up over it. I met quite a 

I am still keeping first rate & my leg gives
very little trouble. I can xxx turn the scale at
12 stone so you see I am in first class nick 

2
number of Glebe boys here the last few days including
Johnnie Gale, Young Walters from Avon St & some of 

the boys from St James School. John Gale asked me

to remember him kindly to you all. I also met Joe Tait

one of the old tent mates. I had not seen him since

August 1915 & he also asked to be remembered to you all.

It has been quite nice to see see that lot & I can

tell you we spent some evenings listening to the

band & having a yarn about old times etc. No letters

from Mat lately but I don't think he has been over

on his furlough, my word they are keeping him a long

time waiting for it over two years now. Things a pretty

quiet over this side just at present, very little doing on 

the Western front but some good news from Russia

She has started another big offensive & captured about

20,000 prisoners. Several [[?]] up to date but it is

hard just at present to say whether she will keep

it up because we do not know the exact state of things

over there, but we only hope that she can keep it up,

their offensive gave the Germans a terrible set back

they do not know what to do, at present they are

shifting troops from the Wester front over to the East

but that is a very risky job so look out for big things

to come, that is if Russia can keep up her offensive. The

tanks have started to arrive in France & they are giving

to relieve the French troops, as poor little France is

finished now right out of even, but my word she is a 

(3)

fine nation & the French have put up a glorious record

in this present war, so they deserve the well earned

rest that they are going to get. Glad to hear that

you got the little snapshots I sent you alright & that

you like them. You asked me which was me in the 

one coming from Church, I am the on the right of

the three, Millie liked the ones I sent her too. So you

let Cassie go up to Uncle Will's for a few days, but I

suppose she will be waiting to go often now when it

is not far away. Sorry to hear about the bad fall

Uncle Andy had but I sincerely trust that he is

quite better now. I was a pretty bad judge when O 

said at the beginning of the year that we would be

back home by June but I think that I will be

pretty right this time when I say that the war will

be over by Xmas, what do you say, Well Dad & Mum

news has just about run out now so will have to

leave now so with heaps of love and kisses xxxxxx

xx I am xxxx

x Your loving Son xx

xx Will xxxxxx

Mum

Very glad to see you backing some winners at the Races

try  & win enough money & I will take you for a trip

after the war over here to England & the battlefields

of France. Do you think you can win that much?

Remember me kindly to all.

England 17/7/17

My Dear Dad Mum & Sister, 

There is very little news to tell

you after writing you only a few days ago, but I'll do

my best to fill in a few lines. I am still quite O.K.

& I sincerely hope that you are the same. I

will be over in France again in about a weeks

time from now but I am going to send you a

cable (if possible) the day I leave as I promised

some time ago. Have not had any letters from

Mat so cannot say how he is. Was talking to

Joe Tait last night & he told me that he was

joining the Aust. Flying Corps, he was lucky to 

be able to get into it as I know a good many

other boys who tried to get into it, but failed.

Russia is still going strong also the Allies on 

the Western front, but very grave unrest in

Germany, seems very much like a revolution to

me, several of the xxx in the Reichstag

have resigned including Holleg the Chaucellor

& it is the General opinion this side that the

end of the year will see this terrible was

come to an end. Another big move is coming

off on the Western front very shortly now so

I suppose I will be a starter in it. The King

& Queen have just returned to England after

touring France & the battlefields Hospitals etc.

There has been some very heavy air fighting

in France lately & both sides have lost heavily

but Fritz lost more than we did. The aeroplanes

play a pretty big part in the war, Germany

has been trying to get control of the air for

some time now but so far she has not succeeded

& never shall. Recruiting must be very poor in

Aust. now, in fact I would not like to see

any more leave Aust. because we might get a

trip home then, it is too long for one not to see

their mothers & fathers etc, the Tommies get leave

from France to see their people so why shouldn't

we after being away two tears, someone better look

out for themselves when the boys get home, Spose

Glebe is still in the same old place. No more

news now so must close so with tons of love

& kisses xxxxxxxx

xx Your loving Son x

xxxx Will xxxxxxx

Remember me kindly to all old friends

 Amazing!

Yesterday I actually say an Anzac Tommy

saluting an infantry second-lieutenant. Fact!

Reggie looked quite amazed when returning the

compliment.

That is our up against

the Australians.

England

22/7/17

My Dear Dad Mum & Sister,

Just a few more lines

to let you know that I am going over to France

again to-morrow, in fact we might go to-day , I

fully intended sending you a cable but I found out

they will not let is send cables through Hdqrs

now, so you will have to be satisfied with these

few lines. In a way I am glad to be going 

back again, as I am simply fed up of England

Poor old Mat will be glad to see me back again

Somehow since I came away our letters to each 

other went astray & I have only got a few letters

from him since I have been over here & I know

that he used to write pretty often. Another big

push is coming off very soon on the Belgian

Coast, I hope will not know I am back again

Things are upside down in Russia again, I tipped

that there would be another bust up, in fact

I think that we would do better if Russia

pulled out altogether. The weather is very

warm over this side just now, but there