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[Thomas Bell Number 3770, was a miner aged 32 5ft 2 inches tall, with a wife Beatrice and four children from Great (just west of Maitland) in NSW when he enlisted on 6 September 1915 in the 9th Reinforcements, 20th Battalion. He wrote home regularly although not very literate and some of his spelling is amusing e.g. Kearnel for Colonel. He was also clearly very homesick missing his wife and children. The letters are fairly mundane but every now and then he lets things slip and some of his character comes through as well as the situation in the trenches e.g. seeing sandbags and bodies flying overhead; nerves all shook up. So as not to spoil the diary for the reader, the outcome of Tom Bell's war is shown at the end of the diary.]
[Written on Salvation Army writing paper provided to the troops. The letter is not dated]
Dear Beat & Family
Just a few lines to do a bit of smooging. Love i received your letter on Wednesday evening. It came to Holdsworthy and they sent it to Liverpool in a mistake so by the time I got it i tell you i was bloody wild but never mind i will fix that up on monday night. We will not be out till monday evening so i will be up in the Mid night tell Frida it is bad luck i will have to be back in camp on the 19th i dont [Indecipherable]
Beat they are shifting all this camp and making it into a light horse camp. be going tomorrow Friday to a place called Casula next stopping place past Liverpool about a mile. all level ground so that will be better. Love this contact is one of the best for tucker but you are goaled in. we have all sorts of vegetables no stew all roasts and big joints boiled onions rice, i am writing to Kearsly now. No time for more breakfast coming fried chops, boiled onions, cabbage and rice after our potatoes run out. Love to all from your loving Husband Tom.
for my ever Loving Darling Beat Sweetest
Kisses for Alma xxxxxxxx
Chris xxxxxxxxxx
Freda xxxxxxxxxx