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.