Letters from Robert Edmund Antill to his Parents, 1916 - Part 1 of 13

L Cpl R Antill Reg No 1228
M. G. S 14 Batt
AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND BASE DEPOT,
MONTE VIDEO CAMP,
WEYMOUTH, DORSET
{*when addressing please all this*}
AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH MILITARY FORCES
Jan 5.^th 
evening.
Hope you can understand address

Dear Mother,
You will see by the address that
I am down at Weymouth a bit of a surprise
dont you think, when I got back on Monday
night I learnt that about 100 had been
sent down here the Tuesday before and that
another lot were due very shortly, well
Tuesday arrived & we were all sorted
out (about 105) went before the doctor
& were anauclated in the after noon & were
told we should be leaving in a few days
all was going well & ten oclock came
lights out call was sounded so we all turned
in.  All were asleep when the middle of the
night an officer entered & woke us up &
told all of us who were booked down to go
to be ready at six in the morning (this
morning) to proceed to here well alls gone

AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND BASE DEPOT,
MONTE VIDEO CAMP,
WEYMOUTH, DORSET
AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH MILITARY FORCES

well & weare down here now & by the looks
of things we shant be here long I think I
shall be about right by saying one week &
then off to Eygpt.
Of course I will try to get home again
before I go but I cant be to sure, its not
much of a place down here in fact it we
are about four miles inland from Weymouth
rather dull but still we must not grumble
for it wont make it any better will it one
thing I can say I have had a very good
run for my money but still when one sees
fellows as they are here shirking & working
points to doge the front it makes one
feal wild somewhat.
If I am here next Saturday week I am
goin to try to get a week end pass
get up to Will's whist drive which I think
I shall be able to manage, you know its
such a very long way, well it took four & a quarter
hours to get here & that was by

AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND BASE DEPOT,
MONTE VIDEO CAMP,
WEYMOUTH, DORSET
AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH MILITARY FORCES

express troop train, well now Mother I
think I will close hoping one & all
are well at home as I am my self
I remain
Your loving son
Bob
P. S. Have landed [[dog?]] down here safely.

L Cpl R Antill Reg No 1228
MGS 14 Batt.
AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND BASE DEPOT,
MONTE VIDEO CAMP,
WEYMOUTH, DORSET
AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH MILITARY FORCES
Jan 11^th 1915

Dear Mother,
Received your very welcome letter
a few days ago & it was hard luck for Father
to go to Abbey Wood & me not be there.
We are just being isued out with rifles
& pack so you can gass we shant be long
before we are on the move, all the
New Zealanders left for London yesterday.
I am trying for a week end pass this week
end to get to Wills whist drive & I
think it will be the last time home for a
while, if I dont get it I shall take it but
I want some money so I will gat you to send
down a pound & I think you had better
register the letter to the same address as
soon as you can well I will now close
with best love
Bob

Dear Mother,
As promised am droping you
a line & I am goin to tell you that
this boil in my neck is just about
over the odds & in more way then one
The pain it is giving me is almost
unbearable, why I cant sleep at night
for it, I am sure it is the worst I
have ever had for pain, well up I
went to the Doctor this morning &
of course he put a hot fermentation
on it & what is more he crossed
me of the list of this next draft
which by the way as far as we know
is leaving tomorrow as he says

AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND BASE DEPOT,
MONTE VIDEO CAMP,
WEYMOUTH, DORSET
AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH MILITARY FORCES

I am unfit for a while with a thing like
that on my neck.
I think this week end I took will work
off alright well up to the present nothing
has been said & by what I have heard
I think I am home & dried.
Well I think I close this letter in pain
hoping one & all are well at home &
looking forward to having another weekend
off in about 3 weeks time.
Believe me to be
your loving Son
Bob
P.S Am sending on cards.

AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND BASE DEPOT,
MONTE VIDEO CAMP,
WEYMOUTH, DORSET
AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH MILITARY FORCES
Feb 1st.
1916

Dear Mother
Received you small parcel
safely & I must thank Dolly very
much for bulbs which have put
my torch into working order once again.
The lollies were very welcome & I 
must say Elsie's teacher is tip top
at making marzipan potatoes.
A parcel now & again is quite
something to look forward to I can
tell you a little bit of stuff from
home is always welcome even while
we are in camp.
The draft went away this morning
at 7 oclock & they looked very
fine & in best of nick.

AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND BASE DEPOT,
MONTE VIDEO CAMP,
WEYMOUTH, DORSET
AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH MILITARY FORCES

Am glad to say that the boil on
my neck is now better, I had
it lanced which tickled a bit
but now xxx it is all over, but
I have a rather bad cold the first
for a very long time.
Cash has run very short here so
I will gat you to send down
another pound note as soon as
possible thats if you do not mind
Well I will now close as it is
tea time

I remain
Your loving son
Bob.

Feb 16^th 1916

Dear Mother,
Arrived down here safely
Monday night & everything passed off
alright.  its very funny for one of our
fellows came up to London on Friday
night with me & back on the Monday
he was caught & I was, not just back in
one way & not in another for he is not
to well liked in the hut & I believe
they put him away & of course helped
me through.
The weather is very fair down but very
windy enough to blown one away still its
very healthy.
As soon as I came back on Monday night
I expected to be put in clink but
instead there was a serjant waiting for
some of us to come in as he was giving
away tickets for the theatre for Tuesday

afternoon of course I took one & went it
was very good indeed.
Well we have got to fall in now so I
will now close & hoping one & all are
well at home as I am my self
I remain
Your loving son
Bob