Letters from Robert Edmund Antill to his Family, 1917 - Part 4 of 5

Reg No 1228
14 Battn A.I.F.
22.4.17
Perham Downs
Sunday Morn
Dear Mother
Arrived here yesterday 

after a lot of delay, went out on 

parade this morning & had this
cheerful news told to us, that the 

4 division has just about lost 

every man in France half of 

them taken prisoners  & the other 

half killed & that we are to 

hold ourselves in readyness to 

leave this camp for France 

tomorrow night (Mon.) the 23rd 

April, this is very sudden & as 

you see I have no chance of
getting home before I go & I 

don't no wether I shall be able 

to see you, we leave England from 

Folkstone & then across the water 

I was wondering if you could come down

 

there & see me, that will be tomorrow 

night.
Of course these orders 

may be cancelled but I think 

not, any way I shall know in
the morning & if they carry on 

I will wire you, the drafts 

genraly leave here about 9 oclock 

at night so when we get at Folk. 

it will be late & give you a chance to

get down there.
I left some washing & a 

tunic at Warehame & am getting 

one of my pals down there to send 

it home so as you. can send it

to me on the other side as the
clothes I stand in are the only 

ones I have, that is under clothes.
I shall very much like

to see you tomorrow & if this 

letter reaches you early enough
you might be able to get down 

here & there by save the
 

chance of missing you down at Folk.
If you do come drop me a wire 

& I shall look out for you at 

the time you arrive & dont forget 

come to Tidworth station not 

Ludgershall, you will be able 

to take my best tunic back also 

a pair of good boots I have.
Well now I shall have to close 

as we have got to go & get the 

rest of our equipment hoping to 

see you tomorrow
Believe me to be
Your very loving son
Bob
Address for this camp
1228
Cpl. Antill
14 Battn A.I.F.

Infantry Draft Depot. No 4 Camp
Perham Downs. ect

 

Reg No 1228
14 Battn 4 Brig A.I.F.
France
Sat evening
6 o' clock  28.4.17
Dear Mother & Father
Off tomorrow 

morning Sunday, we catch 2.30 am 

train from Tidworth, a move
almost in the middle of the 

night.
I have sent you along 2 

parcels one the other day & one 

today, do not send any thing over 

until you get a letter from me.

Should you get those photos 

of mine & if they turn out 

decent will you please send one 

of each of them along to a friend 

of mine whos address is at end of letter.
Sincerely hope you arrived 

home safely i  all that all are 

in the very of health at home
 

as I am myself, in fact I am feeling 

just fit, I cannot stop to write 

any more now as we have to 

fall in & after that I shall 

try & get a few hours sleep 

before we go.
Believe me to be 

your very loving Son

Bob
Address
Miss Billie E.S.V.D. Galpin
"Windham House"
139 Windham Rd
Bournemouth

East

Harts.
 

Reg No 1228
XX L. M. G.S. D. Coy.
14 Battn.
4 Brigade

A.I.F
May 8th 1917

Dear Mother & Father
Back again with 

the old Battalion & I can tell you I

am just glad to be settled down
again with them, as I sit here & write 

in this billet the rain is coming in 

through the roof on to my paper & it 

is hard to dodge but taking the 

weather on the average it has been 

splendid.

When you get this letter 

send over to me I will get you to
send the old pair of brown boots 

I sent home to you in that parcel from 

Perham also one shirt & a pair of 

underpants.
The tales we herd in England 

about our division were fairly correct 

so you can gess how things stand 

here, I hardly know any of them here 

at all for they are all new to me
 

My promotion to Cpl has gone 

through at last, so I am fixed alright 

now, well I have a lot to say but cant 

so I will close sincerely hoping one 

& all are in the best as I am myself
Believe me to be
Your very loving Son

Bob
PS. Don't forget boots & don't send

bacon as we get plenty. Bob
 

Reg No 1328
AIF
May 20  17 France

Dear Mother & Father
Here we are again 

received your most welcome letter 

& parcels yesterday & I can tell
you the boots & clothes have come 

just at the right moment for my 

feet were sore & I was helping 

to keep a few other things besides 

my self alive but now I am fealing
just great.
I have recieved a letter from 

my friend Billie saying she has 

received the photos you sent on to

her & she sent you on a note thanking 

you for them, by the way if there are 

any over I would like you to send
 

me out one of each just to see 

what they are like.
I have a great deal I 

would like to tell you but must not 

thus making letter writing very
hard from this side, if you like 

when sending out a parcel to me 

you can send some bacon the way 

you said for our isue is very 

little after all, but dont send 

fruit for what you sent turned 

bad so it is only a waste.
Well I am not going to 

write any more now for I cant but 

will drop a card next week hoping 

one & all are well at home as 

myself
I remain your loving son
Bob