Ewshott Barracks
Fleet. Hants.
England.
Sept. 16th 1918
Dear Bill
The Photos of Uncle Willie have just come to hand, so, I am posting seven 7 of them on to you to night. I am keeping a few back just now and will post them on to May in a few weeks hence, I am doing this in case of accidents, I mean, in case a submarine should get the mailboat. I am sending enough Photos of Uncle taken by himself, so that you all can have one each, and am also sending two of Uncle & Myself taken together, of these, keep one for yourself and give the other one to Andrew, and the five of Uncle by himself – one each for Yourself, Andrew, Nellie, Aggie, & Mag. Both of these Photos of Uncle Willie are real good I dont think that they could have been any better, but you will notice that I am not looking too good. I was not very well at the time, I think that
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I told you I have another attack of Diarrhoea about a week after my arrival in England the same as I had while in Suez, only not quite so severe. I was fully 1 stone lighter than my usual when the Photo was taken but now, I have recovered all my lost condition again I am getting quite fat in this place and have an enormous appetite, and there is always plenty to eat, well, any way, my idea for getting taken together was, to give you some idea of Uncle’s size and build. I a sorry I couldn’t send you some Photos of the rest of our relations, but I didn’t have enough time amongst them to arrange for a Photographer, at Askirk, they had one of Maggie, Archie, & their Mother taken together. I mentioned that I would like to have one, but they only had the one, so they spoke of getting another printed for me, but, I haven’t heard anything of it so far. I arranged by letter with a Photographer in Selkirk to go over and Photograph the Tombstone at the Churchyard in Ashkirk, that is
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some time ago now, and I haven’t yet received any further reply from him but I am hoping to hear from him soon or receive the Photos. I think the inscription would come out alright in the plate. You had mentioned to Uncle Willie that you would like to get a Photo of the Headstone. It will be two Calendar months on Wed, next since our arrival in this country and we haven’t had a great deal of nice weather during that time it is generally dull & cold, but not a great deal of rain. It may be some time yet before our draft have to go to France for some of the men in the next draft to go have been in England for about 6 months, there will be another draft to go over before our turn comes if not two; but we may be sent to various Hospitals in England any time now to act as Orderlies until they want us oversea. I am hoping to get a week-end leave shortly. We have been through all our training here and are now doing various fatigues to day, I have been digging potatoes, there are several
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plots of potatoes belonging to the camp and these keep the camp sullied with various vegetables, the work being all done by the men in camp, last week a number of us went out and camped on a neighbouring estate belonging to one Sir Gerald Mildmay, the weather was very unsatisfactory while we were there or we may have stayed a while longer. These different estates are very pretty and have some valuable timber on them, wherever the wood are thick the timber grows tall and straight, but to my mind there is too much scattered timber all over this part of the country in fact, there is so much of that one cant see very much open country at all from any point of view & I should imagine it would be very lonely to live about this part well, I will have to stop now as it is getting near light out, hoping you are all keeping well.
Your affect bro,
John Hall
[The following is written at the top of page 1]
P.S.
That letter which you wrote to me on 9th Dec. last & containing a memorial card from Mrs. Tonkin came to hand here two or three ago. You hadn’t put the name of the camp on the address & that is why I didn’t receive it direct. how would it be to send Uncle Willie one of those Photos of Bob.
