Letters from Robert James Henderson, January - June 1916 - Part 1

Ismailia
9.1.16
My dear Mum.
We are both back again in
Egypt again and are camped at
Ismailia which is on the Suez Canal
between Cairo & Suez I think this
particular part of the canal is
known as the Bitter Lakes. We I
received letters from you Mum. Lorna
Mick. Vera Hoskins Billy Bull. Percy
Arnott. Mary Robbo & Jean. also Herbert
Dennis Nana received about 6 and myself
9 also some papers Mail Splashes
Sunday Sun Life Magazine Herald. also
parcel containing cigarettes tobacco soap
socks cheese etc all this came to us
in one day here and every thing the
reading matter eatables & smoking material
were very much appreciated it was indeed a

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a treat to hear all the news. Do not know
when I shall be able to answer all these
letters but shall try to eventually you might
let Lorna see the letters I send to you
& thereby saving an extra letter to her I am sure
she will not mind tell Mick his letters are
most interesting & to continue same he does
not say anything about business affairs did
he buy those 100 shares for me in the Electric
Light Co. I shal see they are paying well
also I presume the Government are paying some
money into my account I also wrote the office
to pay some money in as I am again a private
will you kindly in future address my letters
Machine Gun Section 13^th Battalion & Nana's
B. Company. 13^th Battalion you can put this
in instead of 7^th Reinforcements this will make
the sorting of the mail easier and less chance
of letters going astray. these bags of mails for
the Battalion come in batches of 800 to 1000
at a time so you can imagine the work
Nana is writing as soon as he gets a chance
He with another bank clerk has fallen in 
for some office work for a few days & today
being Sunday our letter writing day he will miss

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his chance of writing this week. I cabled to
Father yesterday saying we were both well & in
Egypt as I thought you might have imagined
all sorts of things happening during the our
evacuation from the peninsular expect you have
had all sorts of reports regarding same gave
you particulars in a previous letter We had
a good trip across from Lemnos but I seem
to be in luck going across there a ship 3 hrs
ahead of us was torpeoded & sank & coming back
a ship was sunk that left 6 hrs behind
us however same old story those who are born
to be hanged with never be drowned. Coming
in the train to this place we had a very dreary
trip leaving Alexandria at 8 o'clock in the night
& arriving here at 5.30 am the next morning then
there was a shortage of tents & most of us sleep
out and I can tell you it is some cold here
at night time however Nana Blackall Wright
& self built a fairly comfortable dug - out we
can buy all sorts of dainties here such as bread
butter jam beer fruit eggs etc so are having the
time of our lives for all the world like a
picnic on Thirroul beach without the ocean to look
at Do not know what our next move will be.

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inclined to think we will put the winter in
here and have a go against the Germans
in France next summer however noone knows we
may have to fight on the canal yet. We have
a fairly strenuous time here drill etc marching
over this sand & practice coming into action
with horses & limbers etc so that we are
all agreed the best place to be is actually
in the firing line & shall not be sorry when
we are at it again. This place is very pretty
pretty that is the town portion right along
the canal beti beautiful parks & gardens &
avenues of course it is a very small place
shall try to get a week end off to visit
Cairo or Port Said we are about 3 hrs journey
from each place. but these Australians when
let loose make the pace such a welter getting
drunk & raiding shops etc  that it is very hard
to get any leave at all Yesterday 13th Batt
played 4th Field ambulance rugby football match
it was a very close game & most exciting the
ambulance lads winning by 4pts to nil. We
had our own band on the ground & plenty of
visitors French ladies & naval officers etc who

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who came across from the tennis courts
which are close to the ground Mr. Henley
in Alexandria & Leslie has seen him we
should get all our parcels etc now Leslie
in the best of health he has nothing to
do with me now however often have a yarn
with him Biddy Baston has charge of A Company
also see a good deal of him Mr Herring
has charge of the Battalion so that we
know quite a number of the heads
Tell Jane it is a good idea of hers
to wait for her trip until we get
to London should not be surprised if
we ended up there one of these days
although I do not think she would
enjoy a trip on a troopship very much
Am sorry my delay in Egypt caused you
worry also cabling for money but rest
assured I shall g not get into any
serious trouble I make a point of always

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taking pleasures etc in moderation the army 
has not spoilt me so far in that respect
you must have received letters by this explaining
why I did not leave Zeitoun with the
company and am indeed glad now. Being
in the Machine Gun Section we get out
of quite a lot of dirty work exempt
from guards, fatigues and many petty
worries the men in the companies
are subjected to Am in a fairly financial
position at present having about £10 but
things are expensive here and money does
not go far So Mum if cabling at any time
for money do not get alarmed & imagine
all sorts of dreadful things the Henderson
Bros will keep fairly straight thanks 
to previous training Trust you all continue
to keep well & things go OK will
write soon again lots of love to all

from Bob 

Ismailia
17-1-16
My dear Lorna,
Received the two
parcels you sent many
thanks for same everything
is very useful and deeply
appreciated. Have spent the
last few days in the hospital
here suffering from septic sores
on both legs. nothing at all
serious having a great time
and shall be all right again
in a few days It is indeed
nice to get clean and have
a decent bed. am making
the most of the rest I
can assure you. Tell Mick
Mr Richardsons cousin wrote
to Nana and is also writing
to me and by his letter which

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is a very nice one
if we go to London and let
him know when we arrive we
are in for the time of our
lives His address is Kileena
West by Fleet Surrey. Among other
things he says that “his heart goes
out to any & all that are fighting
for the right as on the 7th inst
I lost my elder son at Subba Silla Suvla Bay”
seems to be a real good sort and
shall not forget to let him know
should the opportunity occur. Have
absolutely no news this week
Nana came in to see me yesterday
he is very well & getting as
fat as a pig. Plenty to read
here and games play a lot of
bridge also get up and sweep
up the ward carry meals &
odd jobs to fill in the time

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This hospital game is all right
for about a week but should
say it would be an awful
bore to be confined in one
any longer. Had a long letter from
Jane dated 14th Nov. glad to
hear all the news will address
this c/o of home have forgotten
your address especially the
name of the house. Tell Jane
the small note to Jim Cooney
was not enclosed in her letter
However poor Jim is away in
Malta sick have not seen him
since leaving Egypt. Norman
Rollo is at Heliopolis I believe
shall certainly look him up
if I have the pleasure of going
to Cairo again Janey must be
a bonny kid now would love to
see her best of love to all
Bob

Moascar
23 -1 -16
My dear Mum
Am again at work
once more was in the hospital
six days. legs are OK again
applications of hot foments and
resting in bed the sores soon
healed. Had a very good rest
and it was very nice to
get several hot baths and
have a nice bed. We have
again moved to this place
which is about 2 miles from
Ismailia still in the desert
only about 50 times worse
than our previous camp we
get very little food and
what is worse cannot buy
anything here however suppose
we shall leave here sooner or