Letters from Robert Edmund Antill to his Parents, 1916 - Part 8 of 13

Cpl
1228
Brigade Hosp.
Perham Downs
Oct 11^th 1916  Ludgershall
Wilts.

Dear Mother & Father,
It is rather a
long while since I last wrote & as
you can see I am in hosp again well I
dont wh want you to get alarmed
for I am quite well.
When I came back off furlough of
course we went before the doctor & he
marked me B.I.A. class which means
about 2 months in this camp, although
my address is a hosp address it is
nothing more or less than a covn. camp.
I am on no duty just having a holiday
to recover my strength but I must
say its rather dull.  but there I shall

be home for Xmas, but you must not
expt me home for a while for they
wont give us any leave from this
camp, they say if we are fit for
leave we are fit for A class which
means back to the front so dont wory
I am doing quite well down here, I am
getting treatment for my kidneys,
you know that right one is rather weak
after being hit & after about 2 months
it will be quite strong again.
It seems so hard in one way that we
are so close & cant see one another but
there its only for a while & I shall be home
with you again & then back to France
Dont forget to write to me as I feal I
am still with you I would very much
like you to send down some parcel.
I will now close hoping one & all are
well at home
Believe me to be
Your very loving son
Bob

P. S. Dont forget comb & some
Sunlight soap.

1228 Cpl.
Brigade Hosp.
Perham Downs.
Ludgershall
Wilts.
Sunday afternoon
Oct 15.  1916.

Dear Mother & Father.
So glad to recieve
your very welcome letter & parcel, the
comb is just a treat after this rotten
one I have been using.
They arrived last night just after
we were in bed, there is eight of us
in a tent & real nice chaps too, but
as you can gess nearly all broke &
when I opened the parcel we had a feed
but it was would have been very much
nicer for them if there had been some
tobacto for them well in fact I would of
liked some myself for I have taken to
a pipe a bit myself latley in these

dull times.
You know I dont exatly feel miserable
but I have never reliased so much until
now what it is to have a home or putting
it in real plain English I am properly
home sick & yet so near to you all.
It may seam very funny for me to
be talking like that after being of away
from home for so long, but wear it comes
in is like this I am so close to you & yet
I cant get to you & this place is so dull
that it makes me think more & more of
my home every day & you would be
surprised how last nights letter
cheered me up.
You know as I write this letter & remember
it is Sunday afternoon & how you all
are at home quite comfortable it makes
one think, I must now stop this letter
for a while as the tea has just come
in & it consists of a quarter of a loaf of
bread & margarine to spread & half a
basin of tea.
I will now start again after partakin
of our meal which would have gone

down much nicer with a few home
made chckuces cakes, ah but there its
all in a life time, it is not too bad
for a couple of months this army life
but two years is a long while &
remember this when this war is over
I am coming home for a while to live
since I first left England it has
taught me how to value that little
word home & to be able to be free
once more & live the life you all
are keeps me goin.
Well now this is not a very cheery
letter to write so I will change
the subject, in your letter you say
that Dad f has got an order for
another six hundred pump stands
& as you can gess I am very
pleased to here it & I hope
there are a lot to follow which
no doubt there will, how is Dolly
goin on & also Holloway & Bower
Park, has Will joined the army
& how is the baby.

I think I will begin to draw this
to a close as we will be goin to
bed shortly our usual time is
any wear from Seven to half past
rather early is not it but not too early
when one has nothing to do.
So when you send a parcel again
will you please send some tobaco
& some eatables which we lads all
look forward too, am now goin
to wind up hoping one & all are
well at home.
Believe me to be
Your very loving son
Bob
P.S.  Dont send down singlet as
I have some.

P.S. I have
just remembered
that I want a
pair of socks
So will you
please send
same with next.