This is Part 3 of Bert’s Letters to Dan, if you haven’t read Part 1 & 2 yet, please scroll down and read these first as I have put all in Date order… In the 2nd letter here I noticed ‘Bert’ had put from ALF previous to this I always assumed that A.Gibbs was Albert Gibbs, but now I know it is Alfred Gibbs, its the only letter that has it on……Part 4 tomorrow, the last group of letters.
Posted 30th July 1916
Pte A Gibbs

Dear Mate
Just a line in answer to your most kind and welcomed letter which I was very please to receive on Friday while in the trenches but I hope to be out by the time that you receive this letter Well Mate we are having the best of weather out here and I hope that you are having decent at home too Well Mate we had it a bit quiet this time but we wont be sorry to get out as we can do with a rest as we dont get much sleep while we are in them Well Mate I have not heard from Mick for about a fortnight so I dont know what has become of him Well Mate I think this is all for this time will write more next time hoping that this letter will find you in the best of health as it leaves me at present
From Your
old Mate
Bert
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Thursday
12/8/1916

Pte A Gibbs
B Coy 6 Plat
13179

Dear Mate

Just a line in answer to your most kind and welcomed letter which I was very pleased to receive in the trenches Well Mate you say that you have to go up and be retested but I feel sorry for any body who has to come out here as it is not a very nice place to come too. Well mate we are in a very hot spot but I expect we will soon get over it and it is not a bit of good grumbling Well Mate you say that Mick is out here and I would be glad if you would get me his battalion and number so I could write to him Well I think this is all for this time so must now close hoping that this letter will find you in the best of health as it leaves me at present
From Your
Old Mate
Alf
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This is just one page of the 13th Battalion War Diaries, at the beginning of August when Bert was writing these,  just to show you a bit of what Bert & the rest were going through at the time……Awful

27/8/1916
Pte A Gibbs
B Coy 6 Plat

Dear Mate

Just a line in answer to your most kind and welcomed letter which I was very please to receive while in the trenches on sunday morning Well Mate I was very please to hear that you are still going on alright and glad to say that I am still in the best of health as it leaves me at present and hope that you are the same I was surprise to hear about Ted Wood being in the army and you asked me if I had seen anything of Mick, but I am sorry I have not. Well I think this is all for this time so must now close hoping you are having descent weather as we are not and are nearly up to our knees with mud in the trenches

From Your
Old Mate
Bert
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Posted 7th Sepember 1916

Sept 6
Pte A Gibbs
B Coy 6 Plat
B.E.F.

Dear Mate

Just a line hoping that this letter will find you in the best of health as it leaves me at present and I am very glad to hear that you are still going on alright Well Mate I was very please to hear that Bill is going on alright but I have not heard from Mick or seen him and I dont think he is out here Well I received your letter while we were out but we are back in the trenches again now where the weather is not very grand and I hope that you are having descent weather Well I think this is all for this time so must now close with the best of luck
From Your
Old Mate
Bert
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Bless him the more you read these the more you can read between the lines, the things that he wasn’t able to say in a letter. 
Till next time then……………………………………………………..