Letters from Wilbert Berg to his family, 1915-1918 - Part 18

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told me that I would be sent home

to Australia with my wound but I

dont place much faith in that as

you have to pass some very stiff

examinations over here before you

get your ticket from for home, anyhow

I am going to live in hopes.  Well

Dad I managed to hang on to 

a little souvenir for you it is a 

German xxx watch with a curl of

hair & a girls photo in it, I will

send it to you as soon as I am

out of Hospital.  I know Dad & Mum

that this is a very rambling sort 

of letter but I cannot help it &

you must excuse the writing as I

cannot do any better with my bad

wrist.  I have fallen away a terrible

lot since I was wounded have lost

about three stone.  Well Dad & Mum

I must close now my hand will

not stand to write any more xxx

So with tons of love & kisses From XX

Your loving son

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Will   XXXXXXXXXX

 

 

The Priests at the Hospitals

in France were very nice, when

I was bad they came & anointed

me twice besides giving me

Con & Com.

 

 

AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS

Bristol

19/11/17

My Dear Dad Mum & Sister,

Just a few

more lines to let you know I am

still getting along first class.  I have

all my left side in strapping & it is

doing me a lot of good, the strapping

has to stay on for about a month  So

by that time the lung might be alright

 again.  What do you think of them at

Horseferry Road, they sent my cable back

to me last Tuesday saying that I was

not allowed to send it as I had asked

for money, it had been there for five

 weeks before they let me know, I can tell

you I was real wild about it, things are

coming to something when a man cannot

do what he likes with his own money

so I was not surprised when I got your

cable, it was a good job you prepaid it

as I would not have been able to answer

 

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it on account of not having any money

It has been a terrible mix up, if I

had only known too that they would not

let anyone cable for money through Horseferry

Road it would have been different but I

did not know.  I can tell you there will be

some big rows when this war is over & the

boys get back home again.  I can tell you I

am absolutely full up of fighting for these

big heads when they treat us like they

do.  Voting for conscription is very close

again now & I know the boys over here

are going to vote strongly against it the

same as they did last year.  I will be

able to have my first vote this time.  Had

a few lines from Mrs. Coleman again this

week she is still O.K.  offered to lend me

some money till I can get some & I am sorry

to say I had to accept it, I did not like

doing it but it had to be done.  It is

very nice to have such a good friend over

this side.  No news from Mart since I

wrote last but I presume that he is

getting along O.K.  Getting very cold over this

side now, have had some lovely fogs

you cannot see you hand before you in

them they are "beauts".  What do you think

I was out to tea yesterday (Sunday) afternoon 

I had the time of my life kid I didn't  

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make the scones & cake etc. fly, four

of us went out a Sgt. Mjr. of ours there

a tommy & another of our boys & myself

went, the lady comes in every Thursday

to see us & always brings something with

her.  She has a Sister living at Mosman

& a Brother at Fiji & they say they are

going out to Aust. after the war.  You had

my cable addressed Cpl, didn't you get

my letter saying that I had been promoted

to Sgt. Anyhow when I was reported

wounded I should have been reported as

Sgt, suppose you thought it was a

mistake.  Got a pair of socks from the Red

Cross on Saturday & there was a little note

in them wishing me the best of luck

etc from Nora Read, Bomaderry, South

Coast, N.S.W.  I am going to drop her a 

few lines & thank her for them & if you 

care to write too you can.  I think that

I will still be in this Hospital for Xmas

& from what I can hear they are going to

give us a good time.  The war still goes on

just the same & the end is not in sight

yet, the Italians are making a great stand

now & the Huns might not get Venice after
all although it is in range of the Huns

guns, Russia is still fighting with herself

(4)

Have not had any letters from you lately

& the parcel has not turned up yet, [?]

I think it has gone over to France to

Mart it will come in handy for him.  Well

Dad & Mum news has just about run

out now so will have to close so hoping

you are all in the best of health etc &

with tons of love & kisses XXXXXX

From XXXXXX

Your loving Son XXXXX

Will   XXXXX

 

Remember me kindly to all.

 

 

AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE.

DA        BASE RECORDS OFFICE,

VICTORIA BARRACKS,

MELBOURNE,  8th November, 1917.

 

Dear Sir,

I now beg to advise you that Corporal W.N. Berg

has been reported admitted Beaufort War Hospital,

Bristol, England, 16/10/17, suffering from gun shot wound lung.

His postal address will be:-

No 1132 Corporal W.N. Berg,

18th Battalion,

Australian Imperial Force,

Abroad.

 

In absence of further reports it is to be assumed that satisfactory progress is

being maintained, but anything later received will be promptly transmitted, it being

clearly understood that if no further advice is forwarded this department has no more

information to supply.

Yours faithfully,

J.M. LEAN, Major,

Officer in Charge, Base Records.

(Sgd.) W.H. OSBORNE.

 

 

O.H.M.S.

VICTORIA

Mr. W.S. Berg,

180 Glebe Point Road,

GLEBE POINT,

N.S.W.

 

 

AUSTRALIAN BRANCH

B.R.C.S.

Bristol 

3/12/17

 

My Dear Dad, Mum & Sister

Just a few

more lines to let you know that I

am still doing alright & I sincerely

hope that you are all the same.  I 

have a pretty bad cold just at present

otherwise O.K.  Had a nice bunch of

letters since I wrote to you the last

one was dated 24/9/17 so that is not

too bad is it?  Very little news over

this side just now going to be a very

quiet Xmas over here.  It is funny to

go down town here & see the crowds of

people waiting outside the shops to get

tea, sugar, etc but it is a disgrace, all

the same.  They have been pestering us

lately with all sorts of things, speeches

etc on the Referendum & telling all

the boys to vote "YES" but I think the

boys will vote stronger this year against

 

 

it than they did last year.  Had a

lovely days outing last week.  Some

lady friends took one of our Sgt. Mjrs &

myself out to see the big suspension

bridge, we me them in town at 1 o/clock

went out by motor bus to the Bridge

& back into town by train, my word

the bridge is a fine piece of workmanship

it is about 600 ft long over 500 250 feet

high & 420 feet from span to span, some

bridge eh what.  Had a cup of tea &

something to eat when we came back

& then we went to the pictures & it

never cost us a penny, the ladies paid

for everything although we offered to

pay they would not let us.  So you

see you meet some good people at times

They are going to arrange another outing

sometime this week but I will have

to look for another mate this week as

the Sgt Mjr. went to one of our Hospitals

last Friday.  Getting very cold over here

now, but its alright to have a nice

warm bed to go to of a night.  Had 

a couple of letters from Mart during

the week he is still going strong &

what do you think he has been made

a L/Cpl & he is off driving now & is in

the orderly room, it is quite a treat

for the poor kid too he has'ent to go

out in the cold & wet & no picquets

etc to do.  I wrote to him & complimented

him on his promotion   Suppose he will

tell you all about it, I asked him if

he wanted an orderly now & if he

sewed the stripe on straight & a lot

of other things.  The Australians are

back on the Armentiers front again

the first front we took over when we

first went to France.  I think they

will stop there some time now & my

word they deserve a quiet spot now

as the "Aussies" have been in all

the big fighting sine they landed

in France.  Things quiet on all the

fronts just now except on the

Somme front the Germans are trying 

desperately to win back the ground

 

 

(4)

we won off them a week ago, but

so far they have not done any good

although they claim to have taken a 

few thousand prisoners & some guns

Had a few lines from Mrs.  Dr Coleman

She is quite O.K., asks after you all in

her letters.  Well Dad & Mum news has

just about run out now so will have

to finis heaps of love & kisses XXXXX

Your loving Son XXXX

XX Will  XXXX

 

Remember me kindly to all

old friends.