November – 1916 – A.V.L. Hull

Have recently been made Corporal

November 24, 1916

France 24/11/16

Dear Amy

I am getting along well. Have recently been made Corporal so you may drop the Lance (which means acting). I get ten Shillings a day now from the deffered pay and allotment.

We came out of the front line today and to get a months rest. We have seen some cold frosts and snow and rain mud etc but it’s all in the same and the Hun is about dunked. They surrender when a chance offers so it is in sight. The end of this job to our satisfaction. A chum is going to England in the morning and he will post this for me but he is moving in a few minutes so I must be Brief. I met S Monerueff a few days ago. He is doing well. I saw Dr Hamilton too. He sends Best regards to all at Palmerston. Love to all

Your affectionate Bro

Stid

Hope to have the next (Christmas) at home

November 1, 1916

France, Nov 1, 1916

My Dear Nona

May you have a real good Christmas. This is the nearest to a Xmas Card I could get we just got notice that Xmas mail would close tomorrow and these cards are French from France and that will make them interesting. Spent last Xmas on Lemnos Island so hope to have the next at home.

Love from Stid

It’s wonderful the amount of good spirit there is

November 1, 1916

France Nov 1st 1916

My Dear Mother

Tomorrow our Christmas mail closes within a few days of your birthday. May You have a Happy Xmas and good New Years. And a decent crop to Help everything along. We will be having a good time of some kind and if we are lucky and not in Front Line and I’ve to have a good day it’s wonderful the amount of good spirit there is among the boys, especially when we get to a town and there are so many we can always get into one of some kind.

Love from Stid

In the Earth Like Rabbits

November 1, 1916

Dear Maude,

May you have a Happy Christmas. Thanks for the letters you send. They help to keep me in touch with home.

I don’t like the climate here – not for outdoor life anyway, and we are practically always out on or in the earth like rabbits. Wood is very scarce. The stuff people burn is pruned from trees each year and is about as big as grapevine clippings. They use coal, too and it’s pretty expensive now. They use little tin can stoves in the middle of their rooms and they keep pretty warm. The people wrap up much more than we do.

Love from Stid

French kiddies like hats

November 1, 1916

France Nov 1, 1916

Dear Ock

May Yours be a merry Xmas with plenty of puppies to romp with. There is a Little Boy at our Billett Says these cards are (Trey Bon Pour Gasons (sic) ) very good for Boys and as I couldn’t get others I hope it will be Bon”. French kiddies like hats. They are strange to them and they feel very big with one of our hats and putties. They build Little trenches Stick Guns and Beds (for day use) out in the mud & collect forests of (gun) shells to make a fort and play soldiers & get a lot of fun out of it. They feel very proud if they have a badge of some regiment on their cap.

Love from Stid

Postcard to Ock Nov 1

A wee fly in a bottle

November 1, 1916

France, November 1, 1916

My dear Amy,

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I’ll be with you per wireless on Christmas day so if any wireless waves come your way you will know who is at the other end. We have wireless in the trenches in some places. It sounds something like a wee fly in a bottle.

I’ve heard French and German buzzing.

We will probably have snow and if it is heavy will do some bombing with snowballs. Our pastimes are very similar to kiddies when we are not scrapping and like kids we play a lot of tricks.

Love from Stid

Some will go back and I think I’ll be among them

November 1, 1916

France, November 1 1916

Dear Daisy,

I got a letter from you yesterday. May yours be a Happy Christmas. I’d like to be in sunny Australia for Christmas but maybe next time, all being well.

It seems a thousand years since I left and I’ve seen no finer land. France is pretty but the summer doesn’t last long enough and isn’t very warm while it does except when the Hun warms it up and then it’s hot enough for anyone. Still we us and company can make it warm for them and much better seeing towns smashed up here than at home. When this job is over our own homes will not be smashed up – even though many sons have been taken but some will go back and I think I’ll be among them. I am a lucky boy.

Love from Stid

Love from son Stid

November 1, 1916

Dear Father

May yours be a Happy Christmas this time with lots of the good things of life.

I couldn’t get English cards but the dreams know no nationality. (The picture on the card is of a French soldier dreaming of his wife and children.) French women and children are pretty and have splendid complexions but they have an abominable shrug of the shoulders with every second word that gives me the pip. The men look German and I’m not too keen on them.

I had nine days in London and the english women and kiddies are the finest yet. How soothing our own people are after foreigners. London City gave me an excellent holiday.

Love from son Stid.

November 1916

Have recently been made Corporal

Hope to have the next (Christmas) at home

It’s wonderful the amount of good spirit there is

In the Earth Like Rabbits

French kiddies like hats

A wee fly in a bottle

Some will go back and I think I’ll be among them

Love from son Stid

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