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