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

Reg No 1228 
14 Battn AIF 
France 
June 3rd 17 
  
Dear Mother & Father 
I must start 
on one of these great efforts of mine 
again of writing a letter, to me 
it is real hard work for in the 
first place I am not a bit of  
good at pen pushing and again I 
cant give you what little news 
I have in this thick head of 
mine because, well you know 
the reason. 
I recieved your most  
welcome letter with photos by 
last evening's post and am so 
pleased to here all are going  
on first class at home as I am 
myself, and h that Roby is 
fixed up at last and just about 
time too what do you think.

Well it is Sunday morning 
and as I sit here and write the 
whole place seams just grand 
I suppose the reason is because 
we are having such beautiful 
weather, well out here it is 
almost a little too hot but 
there give me the hot to the  
cold every time. 
By the way what sort 
of a holiday did you all spend 
I myself forgot all about 
Whitsun until it was all over 
but holidays count nothing here 
in fact most times we work harder 
on I holidays than other times. 
Now how is [[?]] going 
at Clerkenwell I have heard 
very f little from that quarter 
for quite a long time also the 
patent & there is the little green  
patch on the Downfulls I feal 
just now as if I could dig 
for a week without stoping

I am now up in the  
place wear we spent the first 
of our time here close to the 
place wear Uncle Walter was, 
well now I think that about 
finishes it so I will close 
sincerly hoping alls well as 
it is here. 
I remain 
Your loving son 
Bob.

France 
June 20th 1917 
  
Dear Mother and Father, 
Here we are 
again and still in the land of 
the living, well I have just 
come out of this last stint and 
I must say I am very lucky 
to be able to sit here and 
write this letter, any way we 
have got the hun beat and 
easy at that. I suppose you 
have read and forgoten about 
the capture of Messines ridge 
well the old 14 took part in 
that and we did very well, in 
fact the whole operation was 
a striking success. 
I have not been able 
to write before as we have just 
come out and I think we I will 
be going back shortly. I recieved

your most welcome letter whilst 
up in the line and a parcel from 
Roby & [[Effiey?]] yesterday. 
Well now how are all 
at home, the same as myself I 
sinserely hope for I am keeping 
very fit and with this splendid 
weather it makes life very 
enjoyable. 
How close did the air 
raid come to Harringay? when I 
first heard about it and the 
heavy loss of life it began 
to make I me think a bit, it 
makes my blood boil to 
think of their dastardly deeds 
and I am very pleased to be 
able to say that I counted for 
a few more huns with my 
machine gun and as I have 
told you before it leaves 
a great fealing of st 
satisfaction behind when 
one sees them going over

like nine pins. 
Well I will draw 
to a close as the mail is about 
to close so hoping to send you 
along a couple of souviners 
before long 
Believe me to be 
Your very loving son 
Bob.