Letters from Robert Edmund Antill to his Family, 1917 - Part 2 of 5

AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH 
MILITARY FORCES 
Y.M.C.A. 
WITH 
THE 
AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE.

  
Sat. March 10.1917 
Dear Mother & Father, 
These photos are 
of my fatigue party we heard that the 
party was to be broken up so we clubbed 
in together & had our dials taken & 
I think they have turned out very 
good & it was such a dull day. 
Well, I am glad to be able to say 
that I got on the right side of the 
P.S.M. & he has decided to let the 
party run on I told him a very 
pittyful tale & that the men were 
doin extra work at B hurtpore, so 
all is well once again. 
The names on the back of photos 
read from right left to right & the 
two in brackets are not there but are

AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH 
MILITARY FORCES 
Y.M.C.A. 
WITH 
THE 
AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE

....91.. 
in my party, I want you to give one to 
Lallie & one to Poley & the other for  
yourselves. We had rather a heavy 
fall of snow yesterday & these march 
winds blow right through one but 
on the whole the weather is not too 
bad. 
I am fealing tip top myself & I hope 
all are the same at home so I will 
now close 
I remain your loving son 
Bob.

Mar 10....17 
  
68 

AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH 
MILITARY FORCES 
14/3/17 
Perham Downs 
  
Dear Mother & Father 
Well my good 
job has come to a finish at last 
all my men were returned to their 
companies this morning & I go my self tomorrow. 
I hardly know what they are  
going to do with us but I fully 
expect to be in France within 
a fortnight. 
I think myself very lucky for 
lasting so long. I am goin to do 
my best as regards leave I 
shall try & get home some time 
next week & then I can explain 
it better to you all. 
We had a fare well party last 
night & I can tell you things were 
somewhat lively & I can tell

AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH 
MILITARY FORCES

you I am real sorry to part from 
these fellows but there its all in 
a life time, there is nothing like 
a change. 
I hope you recieved photos safely 
what do you think of them. we 
had them taken just in time. 
I will get you to send a couple of notes 
from that money of mine for 
I want to bye one or two things 
to fit myself again. I will get 
you register the letter as it is 
much safer, I will now close hope 
to see you all very soon 
I remain  Your loving son 
Bob. 

AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH 
MILITARY FORCES 
1228 14 Battn. AIF. 
No. 4 Command Depot 
Wolgret Camp 
Wareham 
Dorset 
19/3/17

Dear Mother & Father 
You see by the 
above address that I have changed 
camp again. I thought we were leaving 
Perham for France but it has 
turned out to be here & by all 
accounts we shall be here some 
time for they are goin to form us 
into another Australian Division 
which will be the Sixth, you see 
it will take some time to get  
us into formation and I believe my 
new Battn will be be the 65 & I shall 
belong to C company. 
This place is much better than 
Perham and also the camp, we are

AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH 
MILITARY FORCES 

fourteen miles from Bournemouth 
but I have very little chance 
of getting there for it is out of 
bounds & leave is so hard to get. 
I have got charge of a hut & it 
has been isolated for one of the 
men was taken ill yesterday with 
mumps, of course we are isolated 
too which is not too bad for we 
have a spell to do nothing at all. 
I will now close as the orderly 
office is in the next hut inspecting 
& will be here in a minute or two 
so hoping one & all are well at home 
I remain 
Your very loving son 
Bob.

AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH 
MILITARY FORCES 
28/3/17 
Reg No 1228 
B Company 
65 Battn. A.I.F. 
Wareham 
Dorset 
  
Dear Mother & Father 
Having got the day 
off through being sick & marked 
'No Duties' I have time to drop you a line 
This new 6th dvision is being formed 
& the Battalions number from 61 to 72, 
12 in all, & I can tell you we know it for 
they are sticking the work into us thick 
& heavy and it is just about getting on my 
nerves the same old thing over and 
again, right & left turn by numbers, form 
fours ect just as if we were new recruits 
& you know my back wont stand it, it 
feals as if it is goin to snap in half 

AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH 
MILITARY FORCES 
  
I recieved a letter from Lallie a few 
days ago but have not recieved your 
registered yet, that is if you sent it, if you did 
I think it would be as well if you tried 
to trace it for I can tell you we are 
all stoney broke in this camp & the 
food we get is not enough to feed a 
cat on & as you can gess we feal rather 
hungry after doin a hours drill before 
breakfast & long route marches during 
the day. I dont think I have been 
free from fealing hungry since I arrived 
here & pay day is in about a fortnight's 
time & a few shillings in ones pocket 
would come in very handy. 
My pal & I walked into Poole last Sat. 
afternoon a distance of 10 miles & walked 
home the same evening the town its 
self is very nice & the tram car runs 
from there to Bournemouth a 4 mile or  
so but we had a rotten time simply 
because we had no money, well we 
started off with 2/3 & came back with 1½sh

AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH 
MILITARY FORCES 

& I haven't been right since for we were 
very weary  and foot sore when we arrived  
back at 2 oclock Sunday morning. & I can 
tell you it will be a long while before 
we take it on again under the same conditions. 
Well I think I will close & turn in to kip 
until tea time as my kidneys are very 
sore, hoping to hear from you very soon 
& that all are well at home 
I remain 
Your very loving Son
Bob