Letters from Robert James Henderson, January - June 1916 - Part 10

and all had a good loaf in our 
pyjamas which was great. No more news
at present will answer Dags letter also 
Lorna’s as soon as possible we are
terribly busy at present inspecting etc etc
Love to all
Bob.

23 May 16

TWIN SCREW STEAMER
At Sea.
My dear Mum.
Once again on the old
sea bound for another country
which I can assure you will
be greatly appreciated after Egypt.
One can hardly realize getting away
I sort of feel part of the desert
now with its heat flies &
sand storms I called Father
saying I had left Egypt &
expected Nana to follow in
the course of a couple of 
days.

We had a very rough train
trip from Serapeum officers &
men alike travelling in cattle 
trucks t still we knocked out 
some fun and every body was 
very light hearted & joyful. 
the journey to took about 10
hours. This is a fine 
vessel about 18,000 tons & 
am having a good rest plenty
of auction bridge also plenty of
good food the change & rest
is simply great for all
The weather is fine smooth
sea & a nice cool breeze
which is indeed strange to
us.

Mark a
Met Mr Mrs Henley & the girls
had a long yarn to them
also got lots of tobacco etc
it was indeed great to 
talk to white ladies again
After 2 months on the desert without
any leave at all. Have had
all sorts of nice letters from
Hope Davies she sent her photo
and looks very nice too she
is 21 yrs old so you see
I know all particulars and
intend to look her up when
in England if lucky enough
to go there and am bound
to have a good time.

In another day or so we
shall reach our destination barring
accidents these letters you 
may not get & if you do, 
are sure to be delayed will
write from the other side
& let you know all the
news. best love to all
Bob.

Bar France
11.6.16
My dear Mum 
We have at last arrived in France and
settled in billets at R about 10 miles from the
British firing line our present position is somewhere
about 50 miles north of Calais, in Flanders. We
left the boat at Marsaelles and from there
travelled by train right through France the journey
took 60 hours in the train which was some
trip. I would not have missed this trip for
all the bullets the Germans ever made it is
impossible for me to find words enough to describe
it the whole thing was simply gorgeous it was
like passing through a huge park the whole way
and I have never seen anything that could come any
where near the beauty and picturesqueness of the
country the green fields & beautiful trees with single
red poppies, but buttercups etc growing wild. I never
thought that anything like this could exist and I
simply enjoyed every minute of the trip After landing
from the boat we had to send our boxes away
with all our decent clothes these have gone direct
to Cox's 10 Charing Cross London I wonder if we
will ever see them again We had great fun on
our long trip of course we had several halts
about 3 hrs per day to issue rations etc to the
men and get meals for ourselves. We had a good

view of the river Rhone & Seine & others also towns
such as Lyons, Dijon Amiens, Calais, etc. I must
tell you of an experience I had in company with
2 other officers We arrived at some place I have
forgotten the name where we had 1 hour for lunch
and about a mile to walk for same by a piece
of bad luck messing about trying to get a car etc we
missed the troop train with all our belongings etc.
and also discovered that 9 men had also done the
same then the fun began As you know our French
was very crude & there we were trying to find out
what we had to do to try and catch up our own
train which of course we never did. We of course had
rather a worrying time but the experience was great
and I can tell you my French is considerably better
now than it was we spent a few hrs in Calais
Abberville & Hazlebruck which would have been missed
had we have caught our own train all these places
are large towns & we had some good times. Looking
around etc of course this all meant extra expense
by feeding the fellows also ourselves & naturally this
chicken is again broke so that I may be cabling
for more money at any time shall probably get the
next lot through to London however we all picked
up the battalion safely 15hrs later they were all
fixed up in their billets etc. Each company of the
battalion is separated about ¼ of a mile apart on separate
farms as it were We A Coy have quite a nice place

the officers all together on the bottom floor of the residence
2 to each room the owners of the house live on the
top story directly above us There is Madame & her
daughter (some class) and an old chap. We all have
beds they sell us eggs etc & cook what we want
& look after us generally which is great the chaps
live in the stables sheds etc close by. the whole
thing is so novel and new to us but the charge
is simply great. Then of course we visit the other
company messes have a regular visitors night etc.
This is summer here of course but is it is very damp
wet and cold, if this is summer I do not know
what the winter will be like Have just heard that
the 45^th battalion arrived safely last night I expect
they will be billeted some few miles from us here
but will look Nana up as soon as possible We are
to be here only a fortnight & then go right into
the firing line leave for eight days can be got I
believe but have decided to defer my trip to England
until I have had a smack at the Germans then
after a flutter shall apply for leave if still in the
land of the living. The present spot where we are
has been in the hands of the Germans & the
tales of the residents are indeed thrilling Please
excuse the rambling disjointed letter but I seem
to be in a perfect whirl at present everything
is so novel & new and such a pleasant change
from Egypt. Tell Mick the girls are simply bosca
here they look so clean & fresh after Egypt but all

without exception are as hot as mustard this country
will always do me We have just returned from
a 3 or 4 mile young march with the company
it has been raining lightly & ^a beautiful fresh
breeze blowing one could march miles in this
place without feeling tired Mother you would
simply dote on it. Wrote a letter to you
from the ship & cabled from Alexandria that
I had left Egypt. Will write again soon when we
get probably settled down lots of love to all
am in the best of health have a slight cold
which I hope to get rid of shortly by the aid
of hot whisky every night before going to bed
am simply doting on this country no wonder the
French are fighting well for their country for in
my opinion it is quiet worth it. Am enclosing
a Menu from the ship with the signature of
all the 13^th Batt officers keep it for me
until I return if lucky. lots of love to all 
Bob.
Ask PS
Cannot post letters at present but suppose you
will get them some day if you are lucky. I
think in future you had better mark our letters
France instead of Egypt

11/6/16