Letters from Robert Edmund Antill to his Parents, 1916 - Part 11 of 13

AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH
MILITARY FORCES
Reg. No 1228
14 Batt A.I.F.
Brigade Hospital.
Perham Downs.
Via Andover
Harts.

21/11/16.
Tuesday morning.

Dear Mother
Have just made up my mind to
settle down & write another letter, yesterday
I wrote 3, two of them to Frannie & one to
Robert & on Sunday I wrote a fairly long
one to Lallie.
By all accounts Effie must be rather queer
but I hope it is nothing serious, her old
side giving her more trouble, but there
she has gone to the right place at last, one
can beat proper hospital treatment.
At this time yesterday I received your
two most welcome parcels & I must tell

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you, I & a couple of my pals enjoyed them better
than any parcel I have yet recieved, that leg
of chicken was just tip top.
I ate the walnuts last thing & I had such
a dream during the night through them.
It was what I call a proper dream & I
finished up by finding myself in the
middle of the floor with bedding having
a real good fight with the Germans, one
of the night orderlies woke me at last & I
was almost sorry for I was doing real well, it
seemed to me that there were dead Germans
lying every wear, but it was only a dream.
I think it is the first time I have had one like
that since I left home the first time, you know
what I mean & of course you remember how at one
time I used talk & move about in my sleep.
I have been thinking this morning about it
a great deal & when I put one & one together
I am begining to wonder if it means any thing
it might mean that I shall be home for good

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thats the way I was looking at it but there I
have such a wandering mind so I cut the idea
out altogether but still one cant help thinking.
Will told me in his letter that you all
were goin to the Wood Green Empire on Saturday
night, well I hope that you enjoyed it & that
you were supplyed with a good company, my
Saturday nights enjoyment was bed but there
one enjoyes that at times, but how sick & tired of
it one can get, just fancy me being in bed at
nine oclock on a Saturday night in good health
when at home, why that is about the time
the evening starts.
About 8 oclock this morning a fellow was admited into
a bed next but one to me with a terrible big
boil under his right arm & he had not been
in more than half an hour when the doctor
came & lanced it, he let out a bit of a
squeak & the stuff that came away would
surprise you, it was just real ripe but
had no head a sort of a blind one. I am

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sending 3 photos along of Cpl. Beattie & myself.
he is one of my pals & in the 19 Btn of the
Australian Field Artillery, as you will see
he is a big chap & weighs well over
14 Stone.
He comes from South Gipsland & has any amount
of good land & also plenty of money, you know
he was one of the lucky ones & happened to catch
4 good seasons straight off the reel, the money
was made just out of common beans (scarlet runners),
he f  had in over 800 acces every year & sold all
at tip top prices, his places is not far from
Alfords wear I used to work.
Have you got used to your teeth yet, I hope
so, I am sure it must take time to acquire a
taste for them but there give them time & you
will feal the benefit of them.
Talking about teeth I will tell you what some
of the (men) down here are doing to keep away
from the front they take out their false
teeth & just put their heels on them & then

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go up to the doctor & of course he cant send
them back until they get a new lot, the excuse
they give is they droped & broke, & thus they
hang on a few more weeks.
I want you to give a photo to each of Poley
& Lottie & of course keep one for yourselves.
I will now come t a close hoping this
finds all in the best as I am at present
myself
I remain
Your very loving Son
Bob

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1228  14 Batt A.I.F.
Ward 2.
Brigade Hospital
Perham Downs
Via Andover.
Harts.
23/11/16

Dear Mother,
Once again I hope off
the mark & settle down to try & write
a letter, the doctor has just finished
his round so I shall be able to go
ahead undisturbed, we see a great
many changes here in a very short
while for the patients dont seem to
stop here long they are mostly
minor complaints camp coughs &
colds. ect.ect. the fellows either side
of me are going back to camp this
afternoon & they have only been here a

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few days & I suppose as soon as their beds
are cf empty we will have a fresh lot
in,  you would be surprised if you knew
how much illness there is here & a few
of the cases are rather bad, over in
the depot, there were two funerals
last week.
The lads want me to play bridge with them
oh but blow it now I have started this
letter they will have to find some one
else, one sometimes gets sick of cards.  we
play day after day simply because our
time would hang so if we did not.
I must admit I am as fond of a game as any
body but the old saying proves only too true.
"There is a limit to all things."  Last
night after the lights went out,  we
had one of the livelyest half hours
I have seen for a good while, I might
tell you we have two parties in our
ward & they are both about 12 men strong.

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the top & bottom ends of ward, well
yesterday was clean clothes day our
sheets are changed also blue suits,  ect,
ect, the lights had been out about
10 minutes & then the bombardment
started & a mad lot they were, they
broke nearly all the lights, a few windows
& also one fellow got his head split
open with the back of a boot, it
finished up with the doctor having
to come on the scene & I can tell
you that this morning there has
been rather an extensive inquiry into
the matter, but I am just about sure
it will all end in smoke well at
least we all hope so.
I recieved your letter yesterday  & I am
so glad the pump stands are showing up
again, I hope Effie comes out alright an
operation on the appendics now is nearly
always soon got over all though it is very

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painful.
I wonder how Poley likes doing for himself
it must put him in mind of the army  f life.
I also recieved that letter you mention about
that money safely, I had the salmon you
sent in parcel for breakfast this
morning
You say y. I must of found those sausage
rolls rather dry. No! you are wrong they are or
were I mean just fine
Well now I will draw to a close hoping
this finds all in best of health.
I remain
Your very loving son
Bob.

P.S. Hope you recieved photos safely &
what do you think of same