Letters from Wilbert Berg to his family, 1915-1918 - Part 17

3

Re Molly D.  I was always under the 

impression that she was a frequent visitor

but I could never get on with Mollie.  She

has a funny disposition.  Have not seen any

of the Glebe boys over here lately, old Doc

Brown is with me again, he joined up a

couple of days ago, we went over to the

old dart on leave while he was down

at the base, said that he had a real

good time, but very quiet, asked to be

kindly remembered to you, he had a few

lines from Mrs. Hellyer last mail.  I am

getting along "tres bon" with my French

again, I can talk fairly good now, Mum

Mart & myself will have you beat when we

get home talking French, won't we Mum

I am sorry to hear Mum that you are

suffering from those terrible bilious attacks

again, they are awful things, I know what

they are like.  Glad to hear that Ern

Coulon is getting along O.K. after his

 

4.

operation, Doc Brown was telling me that

he met Jack Lockhart in England & Jack

was telling him that he is booked for

home, Mart  Doc & myself are the only ones

out of the old tent left over here now.

Cassie seems to be getting along alright

with "Blue" by what she tells me in

her letters, Mart laughs a treat over

her letters.  Will Dad & Mum news

has just about run our for this mail

now so will have to close now heaps

of love & kisses From  XXXX

Your loving Son  XXXXX

Will XXXXXXX

 

Went to Con & Comn the last two Sundays

when I was coming out last Sunday

some touched me on the shoulder & when

I looked around it was poor old Father

Clive I did not think he would know

me as it is well over twelve months since

I saw him, we had a real good yarn & he

asked kindly after you all.  I did laugh when

he said to me that when he first me me on Gallipoli

I was only a little boy.  What do you think of that

 

 

France

9/9/17

My Dear Dad Mum & Sister,

I am just writing you these

few lines before I go down to see Mart.  I saw him

down town during the week going to the pictures

with some of his pals, old Doc Brown was with

me & Doc is going down this afternoon with me so

he can have a good yarn to Mart.  We are having

glorious weather just now & I sincerely hope that it

keeps like it.  Well Dad & Mum my holidays from the

fighting has just about come to an end now, the

Division are leaving here this week for the front

but I suppose it will be about a week before we

actually get into the real stuff. From what we can

hear it is going to be one of the worst streets we

have had so far, but we must look on the bright

side of things, it does not matter to me how black

they make it, because it does not alter my belief

that some day? I will be stepping on the Sunny

Shores of New South again, I have always had that

opinion all along & it is not likely that I will alter it at

this stage of the game.   I am feeling first rate for

for the street & old Doc Brown told me that

he has never seen me look better on it, so you

can imagine how I look. Things are going along

O.K. on this front although we are on the

[?] we do not hear much news as to how

 

(2)

things are going on.  Russia seems to be a hopeless

case although you can never tell what will

happen over there.  Japan is a silent worker. Italy

is still going strong & doing good work, We are

going in the trenches (well you cannot call them

trenches these days as trenches are a thing of

the past) Somewhere up around Ypres & I believe

it is some place too, they reckon the mud &

slush is worse than what it was on the

Somme last winter so things must be pretty

bad.  Fritz has been pretty lively with his

planes lately has been raiding England pretty

often & he was also been raiding the towns over

here, he was over our billets a couple of nights

but did very little damage with his bombs & I

had the pleasure of seeing one of his planes

brought down.  Your letters from last mail turned

up O.K. during the week, glad to hear that you 

are all quite well, sorry to hear that the old

folks up at Araluen are feeling the cold weather

so badly, I think they must be like me, like

the warm weather best.  The 2nd Division are

Sir Douglas Haig's Special Storming troops, a 

distinction to be proud of & I think I told you

before that he came around inspected us about

a week ago, & I  believe he is giving us a ridge

(3)

& a wood to take in our first stunt.  Suppose

you know what storming troops are?  they are

picked men who go in & take a position & come

straight out again, they leave the other troops to

hold & consolidate the position.  I might have

the chance to drop you a few lines again but

if I don't I will drop you a card.  I am going 

to to ask you now to do something for me, now

that you know all about Millie & myself I am

going to ask you to hand my money over to

Millie & I am going to make my allotment

over to her, hope you will do this alright.  How

are all old friends? quite well I hope, don't forget

to remember me kindly to them all, have not

seen any of the Glebe boys only Herb Kelly. Well

Dad & Mum my little stock of news has just

about run out for this mail now so will

have to close so with heaps of love & kisses

I am XXXX

Your loving Son XXXX

Will  XXXXXX

 

Went to Con & Comn this morning saw

Herb there too.  Doc wishes to be kindly

remembered to you all also to New & Era when

you see them remember me kindly to both too

 

 

France 

18/9/17

 

Give 

my kindest

regards to all

old friends

 

My Dear Dad Mum & Sister

I said that I

would try to drop you a few lines before

we went into the trenches again, so here

they are..  I am feeling quite O.K. although

I had a crook boil on the little finger

of  my left hand but it is nearly better

now.  Have not seen Mart since we

came up here, I think he is a good way

back behind the line.  We are going into

action tomorrow & it is going to be a big

proposition but I feel confident of myself

& hope to come through it all with flying

colours.  Suppose you will be glad to hear

that I have been made a Sergeant, my

promotion came through in orders a couple

of days ago, An Australian mail has just

come to hand but I have only received

one letter from you so far, may get some

more tomorrow.  Cannot write any more now

will write you a long letter when we come

out again so must close now with heaps

of love & kisses  XXXXXX

From

Your loving Son, Will   XXXXX

 

 

 

Have been to Con & Com

every Sunday.  Father Clive just

came along & gave us all

Absolution ( I think that s the way to spell

it)

 

 

AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS

Beaufort Hospital.

Bristol

23/10/17

 

My Dear Dad Mum & sister,

I suppose you

will think that I have forgotten all

about you when you have not

received a letter before this but I have

been too bad to write before so I

hope that you will forgive me this

time.  Well Dad & Mm my stay in

France this time was very short, I was

only over there a few months, but I am

glad to be away from it all again.  I 

think that I told you in my last

letter before we went into action that

we were going into the biggest battle

that had ever been on the Western

Front & my word so it was.  We

hopped over the top on the morning

of 20/9/17 & we had to advance just

about 1,500 yards, of course there were

no trenches to take only large shell

craters & plenty of those concrete block

(2)

houses & we did everything that was

asked of us & reached our final objective

about two hours after hopping over

the top.  I made a bad start after

we hopped over, I had not going more 

than 50 yards when a Fritz in one

of the block houses shop my bayonet

clean off my rifle & I can tell you

that steadied me a lot, but when

a few more of the boys came up, we

fixed that Fritz & a few more up in

grand style.  After that little experience 

I was more careful & I reached our

objective O.K. & when we started to dig

in Fritz shelled us with all the

heavy guns he had & I can tell you

we were having a pretty warn time.

As fate would have it I was not to

keep going for I was hit about half

an hour after getting there.  Two Officers

& myself were together when a shell

came over killed one Officer & wounded

the other one & myself.  I was hit in 

the right wrist (only a small piece)

(3)

& in the back.  They could not get

any stretcher bearers up to us so we

 lay in the shell hole for about eight

hours.  I kept getting worse I could

hardly breather so I said to myself

that I must get back to the dressing

station somehow, so I starter off & between

crawling & walking I reached the dressing

station four hours after.  As soon as I

got there they dress me & gave me a 

good drink of brandy & after that I

remember no more till I came to

at a dressing station a good way behind

the line, after the Doctor dressed me

he told the chap to mark me urgent

& send me straight away to the clearing

station, I thought then that I was

about to pass in my cheque but I

was determined to make a fight for

it.  When I reached the clearing

Station they had me X rayed & the

Doctor (American) told me that it

was only my splendid condition that

pulled me through & I learnt there

that the piece of shell had gone through 

my left lung & the piece of shell was

(4)

still in my chest.  I was a month over

in France before they would let me

come over here, once my temperature

went up to 103°.  I dropped Mart a few

lines while I was in France, & as I

was not well enough myself I told him

to drop you a few lines for me.  As

soon as I arrived over here I sent

you a cable which I hope you got O.K.

why I asked you to send me the money

was because you must have money

in Hospital to get a few things you

want & then again I have not too much

credit in my pay book to go on

furlough with  so I thought I had

better ask you to send me some.  I

will have to borrow the stamps off

someone to post this letter, you know

you cannot draw any money while in 

Hospital.  I think xxx I will have to

go under an operation here & have  the

pieces of shell taken out of my chest &

wrist, I don't like the idea of an

operation.  One of the American Doctors