World War 1 Letters to a Mate from Bert….Part 4

This is the last Part of Berts Letters, if you haven’t read Parts 1,2 & 3 yet, please scroll down as they are in Date order. I have tried to find out more about Bert, but all I have is confirmation from the Medal index that his real name is Alfred Gibbs No 13179, I have sent an email enquiring if there is any more information about Bert, but I don’t hold out much hope, I fear his are among the Burnt records.

Posted 18 September 1916

Sunday
Pte A Gibbs
B Coy 6 Plat

Dear Mate

Just a few lines in answer to your most kind and welcomed letter which I was very pleased to receive on Saturday while in the firing line Well Mate I was also pleased to hear that you are still going on in the best of health and very glad to say that I have heard from L.J and you can bet that it became a surprise especially when Mrs Jones sent me 50 cigarettes but how they became to get my address was that they went around to my home and saw my mother Well Mate you asked me if I had heard or seen anything of Mick but I am sorry to say that I have not yet Well Mate I think this is all for this time so must now close hoping to hear from you shortly

From Your Old
Mate Bert
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Posted 13 October 1916

10/10/16

Dear Mate

Just a few lines in answer to your most kind and welcomed letter which I received while in the trenches and up in the firing line Well Mate I was very glad to hear that you are still in the best of health and glad to say that I am myself at present Well Mate I have had a letter from L.J and I hear that she is still alright but as been very ill but I have not had letter from Mick but I would be glad if you could get hold of address so that I could drop him a line as I would like to hear from him and I expect that you would like to hear from him too and I would like to know how Frank Bennett is getting on as we dont hear much about him Well I think that this is all for this time so must now close hoping to hear from you shortly and I wont be sorry when we get out of these trenches as we have been in nearly three weeks now
From Your
Old Mate Bert
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Posted 8th December 1916

Dear Dan

Just a few lines hoping that this letter will find you in the best of health, the same as I am myself at present and to answer your most kind and welcome letter which I was very pleased to receive and glad to get your photo which I was very pleased to receive Well Mate we are now out of the trenches and hope to be lucky and out of them for Christmas in the last lot we were in the mud was over our knees and the nights seemed very long and cold Well Mate you asked me if I had heard from Mick but I am sorry to say that I have not heard from him since I have been out here, but I am hearing from L.J pretty regular now and we are getting on alright Well Mate I am sorry to say that I cant say any more this time so must now close hoping to hear from you shortly so good night

From Your
Old Mate Bert
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Posted 13 August 1917
Sunday 11/8/17

Dear Mate
Just a few lines in answer to you most kind and welcome letter, which I was very pleased to receive in the trenches and glad to hear that you are in the best of health and glad to say that I am myself at the time of writing Well mate I am very sorry that I have not answered your letter before as we have not had much time for ourselves just lately travelling in and out of the trenches Well Dan, you say you are at Lyon’s now and have got a better job than the last one so I am very glad to hear it and hope that you get on You say that you have got a managers job pushing a truck about all the night not like the job out here pushing Old Fritz about but never mind I hope it is soon all over so that we can get back on the old job again Dear Dan I expect that you are amongst plenty of the pushers or girls now, so don’t forget Bert for one the spare addresses so that I can write to one Well Mate I think that this is all for this time so write quick as that is all we look for now in these trenches and that is letters from good Old Blighty. Must now close with the best of luck.
From Your Old
Mate Bert
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As you will see there is a big gap in the dates of these letters between December 1916 and August 1917, shame really but nevertheless it is amazing that these 15 have survived, we have some of these cards filling in the gaps…see below.
These Cards were with the letters, they were given out so that when writing letters was impossible at least the folks back home had some sort of news of their friend or loved one