Letters from Robert Edmund Antill to his Parents, 1916 - Part 5 of 13

France

June 25 ^th  17

6

Dear Mother & Father,

Alls well &

still going strong & sincerly hope

all are same at home.  Myself I am

fealing as fit as a fiddle and with

this loverly weather we are f having

and plenty to eat one can feal

fairly comfortable no matter what

the surrondings are like.

Our mail will be colseing

in a couple of days for a while,

so we shall be able to show

the huns what we know about

war fare again and as soon as I

am able I will drop you a line

to let you know all is well

News is very shallow here

& I can tell you it makes letter

writing very hard here I am

now stuck / for news, think as

much as I like I cannot think

of any thing I can tell you, of course

I have whole heaps I would like 

to tell but must not so i ask

you to excuse these short letters

of mine but as soon as I pop

home I will get it off my

chest quick and lively.

Well now its rather

a long time since I heard from

Lallie and how is Will sticking

it.  and by the way I am begining

to look forward to one of Dollie's

nice little letters it may be hard

for you all to realise but a

few letters from home and the

fight is half won.

I suppose you would

like to know what I think of

the war, well have him beat

easy but dont run away with

the idea that the war is over

for it is not.  these Russians

well I cant make them out one

day by press account alls

well the next just the opposite

but there all will c come right

in the end, now I shall have

to close so hoping one and all

are in the very best I will

close for the present

Believe me to be

Your very loving son

Bob

Reg No 1228

Lewis Machine Gun Section

14 Batt

4 Brigade

A.I.F.

France

July 18^th 1916

Dear Mother & Father

It is now a very

long time since I last wrote to you

well in fact this the third letter

only that I have written since I

have been in this country

I must admit I have been very

backward with my letters seeing

that we have been here since

June 7^th .

Well now as regards to our

travels I dare say in the short

time I have been here I have

I have been more over f France

than some men have in twelve months

& as well as having 8 days in

the fireing line which was 

very exciting at times, I came

through again but as I have

said before I must be born

lucky for I was in some very

tight courners at times what what

with these big shells & bombs &

machine guns, but there one never knows

ones luck does he.

At the present moment I am out

of the bl trenches for a spell, but

we move on this afternoon & will

be in the thick of this big advance

in less than a b week & then we will

try & stir the huns up a bit.

You know one cant do more than

try & I am sure that all the fellows

I am will here are out to do their

bit.  As regards to letters I have

only recieved 2 since I have been

here & both of them were addressed

to Egypt so you see I have not

yet recieved one addressed

direct to France I have also

recieved 2 bundles of news

papers.

Ever since I have been here I have

been in the very best of health &

in fact I believe I am putting on

weight.  Well I would like to

say a very lot more but I must

not so I think I will now draw

to a close & by about the time

you recieve this letter I will just

about be, in the thick of it.

To day is my birthday & a

very nice day it is here too

almost a spring day & taking the

wether all round it is tip p top

I remain

Your loving son

Bob

Ward A4
24 GENERAL HOSPITAL,
B.E.F. FRANCE

16/8/16

1228

L.M.G.S.

14 Batt

A.I.F.

Dear Mother & Father,
Hope
you recieved my field
service card safely telling you
that I am wounded again.
Well kn now I am writing
this note to give you a
little more about it. I was
wounded on Aug. 11^th. I was
dressing a wounded German
who had been out in no mans

land for 5 days & had 2
very nasty wounds & they were
just alive with maggots, well
I had just finished the wound
& was goin to have a go at his
back when a shrapnel shell
burst over me & one of the
bullets entered the right
side of my back & stoped
there after traveling a good
way down.  Well I have got
as far as here & tomorrow I
am goin under an operation
to have it taken out.  For
the last 4 or 5 days my
temepture has been well
over a 100° & I had it
taken a while ago & it

24 GENERAL HOSPITAL,
B.E.F. FRANCE
was 104° so you can gess I
am pretty shaky on it
I remain Your loving
son Bob.
P.S. My Address is this
1228 L.M.G.S
14 Batt.  A.I.F.
Ward A 4
24 General Hosp
B.E.F
France