Letters from Robert Edmund Antill to his Parents, 1916 - Part 6 of 13

1228 L. M. G. S.
14 Batt A. I. F.
Ward A. 4.
24 General Hosp.
France 
22/8/16 

Dear Mother & Father,  
I Surpose you 
are anxiously waiting for a letter from 
me well I can tell you the last time I wrote 
I was pretty bad but am now very glad to be 
able to say I am much better. 
I went through my operation alright but 
my tempeture was very high for days after 
any wear between a hundred & two & four. 
yesterday it came down to normal for the 
first time. 
I have the piece they took out of me, it was only 
a very small piece about a quarter of an inch 
square but it got into a very nasty place 
it entered the right side of my back & went 
right through to the kidney & there set up 
an abses which of cource caused the tempeture

I had.  
Well now we will switch off that & go on with 
other things, I will try & tell about a little of 
the fighting we were in well all I can say it 
was awful talk about shells I never in 
all my life could believe they could be so 
terrible, well up wear we were there was no 
fireing line it was nothing else but a mass 
of holes you would step out of one into an 
other so how can they expect one to live in 
a place like that well I lasted five days 
there & quite a long time too some dont 
last ten minutes. 
In the bed next to me is one of the men that 
used to be in my section with his right leg 
off about 6" above the knee he got wounded 
a couple days before me, a shell burst 
over us & a big piece hit him wack on  
the leg & smashed it to pieces ah but 
he a brave lad & stuck it well we did 
our best for him but they could not save 
it. 
We have been having splinded weather here 
latly just ideal & I hope you have 
had the same.  How are all at home

I hope they are all in best of health. you 
might tell Lallie & Will & Roley & Effie 
that I would of wrote I have been too poorly 
& I could not before as there was no mail 
& dont forget a few letters here would be 
very nice. 
I think I will now close hoping one & all are 
well at home 
Believe me to be 
Your very loving son 
Bob

Ward A 4.
24 General Hospital
France
24/8/16

Dear Mother & Father,
Recieved your very
welcome letter this afternoon how pleased
I was to recieve it just to cheer one up.
you know it gets so dull here in bed.
At the present moment I am pleased
to be able to say that I am in the
pink & fealing real well.
your letter again say you / hope I shall
get over to England well no one can wish
more than I & with a bit of luck I may
get there.
When one comes to think of it August is quite
an exciting for me wounded on the 7 & 11 of
two respective years & last year I landed in
England on the 29 I wonder if I shall this
year.  I am sorry to say I did not recieve

Wills letter but may yet, how are all at home,
all well I hope.  I have one or two little German
souviners I got off one or two of them.  I can tell
you we stired them up on the Monday morning (6).
talk about dead Germans why they were
laying everwear & in a couple of days time
dint they hum dead cats dint compare it
was just awful.  Well now I think I will
now close hoping to see you all before
long
I remain
Your loving Son
Bob
Many happy returns for Hilton for
tomorrow

Ward A 4
24 General Hosp
France
August 29^th
1916
Dear Mother & Father.
Just another
line to let you know that I am
still in the land of the living.
yesterday I was marked up for
England, but about dinner time I
had rather a bad attack & of course
they had to cross me off again but
any weigh way I shall be coming
over in two or three days time
I have just recieved Mothers letter
dated the 23 & I recieved one from
Lallie yesterday but I havent recieved
Aunt Ada's yet.
I had a pretty good night last

& I slept rather well & as you know
that goes a long way a good nights
rest helps one a great deal although
my tempeture was up again this morning
In your letter you say Toby was of on
the 25 I bet he does kid him self
some one.  You might ask Will how
he is getting on with his trench diging
& how are the blisters on his hands
You must tell Lallie to excuse me for
not writing to her but you know its a
great strain on me just to write a letter
& it wont be long I shall over to see them
Well I think I will now close hoping
one & all are well at home
Believe me to be
Your very loving son
Bob