Ewshott Barracks
Fleet. Hants.
England
Sept. 25th 18
Dear Mary
We are now awaiting orders to proceed overseas to France; I didn’t expect to have to go to France for some time yet owing to the number of men at present in the Barracks, but it seems that they are requiring an extra number of men just now so 112 men are being sent over by this draft which is more than the usual number. It will be 10 weeks tomorrow since we arrived in England so I haven’t so bad and I have seen a good bit of the country; the majority in our Reinf’t. have just had the last week-end on leave from the Fri. afternoon until Mon. night; we were fortunate to get this leave before going over, I went down to Brockenhurst and Bournemouth, which is a Toff sea-side resort beyond Brock’st. I came back to the latter on Sunday and put up for the night
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at Balmer Lawn; I met a chap there who I knew at Awapuni and who came over with the 32nds he is a very nice fellow. Charlie Watt by name, I don’t suppose you would have heard of him, he was at Edendale about four years ago for the summer season as assistant preacher to the Rev. Maclennan, he remembers Bob having taken the service for him there on one Sunday. I saw Anna of course, she looks just about the same I think, she says she received a letter from Ivy recently, she is hoping to get back to N.Z. on duty before long. I am sending you a package of P.Cards which I procured while on leave. I will also forward on the balance of the Photos of Uncle Willie 4 of him along and 1 of he and I take together. I want you to give Jess one of the those of Uncle by himself and keep one for yourself and the two with my name on back, keep for me. I will send the extra Photo back to Uncle Willie.
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These Photos of Uncle Willie are all very good and very like him too, it was a young Lady who took them, there were two Women in the Studio who seemed to be running the whole show. You will notice that I am looking a bit thinner than my usual and so I was too, I had lost about 1 1/2 st. between Suez and coming from N.Z. to there and I was a good st. lighter when that Photo was taken however I have fattened up again to my usual weight. I sent away 7 Photos to Bill last Monday week and he will distribute those among the others. I am afraid there is no chance of me getting your cake now, as I received Mag’s tin of snaps a week ago to-day and they were sent away on June 27th there has been nothing done yet with the Motor Driver who stole the parcels, it seems he had carelessly left a number of parcel labels lying about in his house, a list of which have been posted up in the Camp, my name, however, was not among them
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I got the 3rd bundle of “Farmers” last Thursday I haven’t finished reading them all yet; it is jolly nice too to get these papers, they’re about as good as several letters. I send my last letter No,6. to you last Sun-week but I think I gorgot to put the No. on it. It is three weeks ago to day since I received your last letter dated 7th July, but there must have been a later mail for, I got a letter on the follow Sunday from Chris. Hunter dated July 15th he told me about hte School being burnt down. I think I told you this before now I mind. Well, I think this is all there is to write about just now, will write again after I get across to France, the weather is still cold and showery, it has been rather a cold wet autumn so far. I hope you are all well as I am at present.
Your Affect. Brother
John Hall
P.S.
am sending some of my unused coupons as curio’s. There is a bit of a railway strike on just now, a number of trains are not running on this line today so we may be kept here for a while yet.
[The following is written at the top of page 1]
I hear that there is a large N.Z. Mail lying at the Base P.O. in London but they cant get it through owing to the strike.
always address letters c/o G.P.O. Wellington
