Letters from Robert James Henderson, January - June 1916 - Part 4

(6)
regularly I suppose.  Just heard 
some rather gratifying news from 
my officer who told me that 
he & several other officers had 
recommended me for a commission 
which if approved may be through 
any time I got a hell of stock
shock. And was all together 
taken back. think Les. Henley 
must have put in some good 
work for me. also Murray. Of 
course I do not deserve it 
but still I shall hook on 
if same comes along of course 
forming these new battallions 
etc they will need more officers.
Shall cable & let you know
if anything comes of it also 
shall require some more money 
I suppose.  No more news at 
present lots of love to all, 
Bob.

Zeitoun
5.3.16.
My dear Mum.

Arrived here yesterday 
afternoon at the school of 
instruction. Have been recommended 
for a commission which 
should be through at any 
time now in the meantime 
they have sent me up here 
to go through the infantry
course which lasts 3 weeks.  
I am doing things in style 
this time going through the 
officers class.  All the heads in 
creation here so this 
chicken had to swank also 
consequently when after arriving 
here and getting fixed up 
went straight into Cairo 
and bought clothes boots etc

(2)
to make myself presentable 
of course this sort or thing 
is most expensive I spent 
about £7-10-0 yesterday and 
seem to have nothing really 
however I cabled to Father 
yesterday to send £35 to 
the Anglo Egyptian Bank Cairo 
so that should see me 
through for a while. Tell 
Mick to fix him up to 
with a cheque for same
Had a great time in Cairo 
last night so good in 
fact that I did not
arrive back here until 
11 o'clock this morning 
met Lieuts. Young & Murray 
had a real flash dinner 
and then went to the 
Kansaal. which commenced 
at 9.45 pm and lasted

(3)
until 12.30 am. I then 
went back with them to 
their hotel and stayed all 
night it was indeed great 
to have a real good time 
again. Everything is going 
to be OK here we have 
huts to sleep in with beds 
and mats also armchairs 
and a batman provided 
a good reading & writing 
room and an excellent 
mess & bar which bye the 
bye costs about 20 piastres 
per day to say nothing of 
batman expenses etc etc 
this is all quite a treat 
to me but damned expensive 
but if one takes on these 
swank jobs one must be 
prepared to live up to them.
I suppose.

(4)
Of course I intend to work 
real hard here and do 
well for much may depend 
on the result the trouble is 
I have forgotten all my 
infantry drill having been 
doing Machine Gun work for 
the last 3 months or so.  
Nana has been transferred 
to to the 45 Battalion during 
this splitting up business I 
expect to stay with the 13^th 
Batt.  we will be in the one 
division and fairly close to 
one another. I could easily 
claim him and get him 
back with me but think 
it rather a good idea to 
be separated and if I 
receive a commission and 
make good it I should 
probably be able to do a

(5)
great deal for him which 
would be impossible if we 
were in the one unit. 
however we shall see later 
as time goes on. Received 
a letter from Mick the 
other day dated 23^rd Jan 
also a paper the Herald.  
Very glad to hear everyone well 
and things OK. Shall write 
again soon when some news 
turns up should be plenty 
shortly a great many En very 
English Officers here which 
should provide a lot of 
amusement for me in 
lots of ways. love to 
all.  Me Nana & self 
in the best of health & 
spirits  Bob.

Zeitoun
12.3.16

My dear Mum.

Have just completed 
a week here in the officers 
class School of Instruction We 
have had two Examinations 
one oral in musketry and a 
written paper on the weeks 
lectures I scored 94 marks 
out of 100 in the musketry 
the results of the written paper 
are not out yet but think 
I did pretty well. It is 
very hard work here and 
one feels it greatly having 
to buck in and study 
hard all day and the 
best part of the night 
there is a tremendous 
amount of work to get through

(2)
in 3 weeks we have 3 
written papers 3 oral exams 
in musketry and 2 drill 
exams one in company drill 
and 1 in battalion drill 
besides a note book to 
write up. Then we have other 
subjects such baynot bayonet 
fighting, Mekometer periscope 
etc in fact the whole thing 
is gone into in tl a very 
limited time We get up 
at 5.30 am every morning 
except Sunday of course when 
you can do just as you 
please and go hard until 
about 11 o'clock each night  
Still things are very nice 
here in the officers class  
They are all 2^nd. Lieutenants 
who have received their

(3)
promotions in field and are 
sent here for instruction 
and about a dozen of us 
who are candidates for 
commissions We have a fine 
mess and the food excellent 
also a great reading and 
writing room in which is a 
fine bar then we have huts 
to sleep in with a batman 
to clean your boots make 
your bed and generally 
look after you So you see 
this chicken is commencing 
to swank and put on 
dog once more and if it 
was not for the hard 
work one would have a 
royal time However we have 
our week ends free so intend 
to make the best of them 
provided the money comes

(4)
along I sent for. Am pretty 
broke again am also overdrawn 
in my pay book of course 
I had to buy decent clothes 
and large mess accounts etc 
here took all my spare 
cash about £7 I cabled 
to Father for £35 last Saturday 
and up to Wednesday it 
had not arrived I have not 
had an opportunity of getting 
to Cairo since to find out 
if same has come but wrote 
the manager asking him 
to let me know. when 
the money arrived  Of 
course when our Commissions 
come through we get an 
allowance of £15 for clothes 
etc but in the meantime 
you must have some money