Letters from Robert James Henderson, January - June 1916 - Part 11

France
18.6.16.
My dear Mum
We have again moved since landing in France
now being very close to the front line not more than
3 miles so that being in support we will be having a
go at the Germans any time now. We had a ten
mile march from our last billets to these which
of course was a little strenuous but most interesting
and of course very pretty we all feel the hard
metal roads which make ones feet very sore after
the soft sand of Egypt. however suppose we will get
used to them shortly. Marching here we came through in
artillery formation so took no risks of the battalion
being wiped out by shell fire several houses etc in
this town have huge holes and are generally knocked
about by the enemys shells I also witnessed a
house burning caused by a shell this afternoon about
600 yds from here so you see we are a bit too
close now to feel absolutely safe. One never goes
out without his gas helmet it is rotten stuff
we all went through some to test our helmets &
get a general idea of it we have glasses also to
wear to protect the eyes against some other stuff they
use and on the whole am not too keen on it at
all. Before leaving our last billets A Coy officers
invited the Colonel, Adjutant, Doctor of the battalion to
dinner We had a great time the band to play a 

6 course dinner with plenty of wine (Champagne) to
drink They are great wine drinkers in this
country champagne being considerably cheaper than
whisky to buy. I shall send you home the menu
card written in French & printed by us all the
united work of the 6 company officers numbering
six we had all sorts of fun over this little
dinner as you could imagine Madame of the house
did the cooking, lent us glasses etc etc so that it
was quiet a swank affair of course the next day
we were back on the ordinary fare bully beef etc
although I must admit ones meals are better as an
officer than a private still it is all pretty rough
now and will be for some time to come Our
leave to England has started 1 officer & 3 men going
at a time per battalion for 8 days Capt Marks
our Adjutant who bye the bye is a clerk in the
City Bank left a couple of days ago people who
were on the peninsular longest are going first
but expect my turn will come along all right shortly
next one who goes across. I shall get them to
send a cable for me to Father from London asking him to send me
fifty pounds to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia
in London then when I get over there I shall
not be short of ouh  cash also expect Nana will
need some he did not move up here our brigade
of the division only moving so far have not seen

Nana since landing in France but believe he is
OK his battalion arrived safely and were billeted
not far from us in our last place Had a long
letter from Hope Davies yesterday also a postcard
this letter was dated 12^th June London it is
great getting letters so quickly we are not used
to that I intend to look her up if lucky
enough to get over there having been promised
a great time re tennis etc etc she is some
hard nut by her letters it is great fun
writing to people you do not know both saying
all sorts of small things she sent me a bosca
photo of herself and wanted one of myself I
told her is she saw my photo she would not
like me half as much as she did so would
not send one along yet a while in fact I
have not got one but intend to have some when
I get an opportunity of having it taken however
and looking forward greatly to seeing this little
lass for she looks some class. Am going away
all day tomorrow to a bombing school which
as far as I know at present only lasts one
day so after this shall probably be reserve bombing
officer for the battalion We expect to be here about a
week then go into the trenches for a week and so
on however do not yet how they work things all
being well shall have been in action here no doubt by the time
I write again lots of love to all Bob  Robert J. Henderson

18/6/16

1 DRL 345   2/3

You may think it queer signing our full name
at the bottom of each letter but censoring is
very strict in this country so that one cannot
say very much then if you do they know who
to blame etc for same each mans letter has to be
sign signed by an officer at the end & also on the
envelope his full name so that one is kept very busy
censoring letters which takes most of ones spare time.
We have not received any Australian mail. RJH
in this country yet

France.
25.6-16.
Dear Mick
Received your letter dated 28.4.16 also
one from Mum dated 30.4.16. late last night having
just returned from the front line of trenches where
I have been with my platoon for the last 3 days
& nights for instructional purposes & gradually getting
the lads used to being under fire etc before taking
over from the battalion which are at present in the
line It is quite a good idea we go up in
small parties at a time for 72 hrs then come
down again and make way for others of the
battalion in this way everybody will get a fair
idea of things then in a couple of days time
we expect to go up and pit take over when
the present people there will come back for
a rest. I cannot tell you where we are
or names of battalions etc the people we
relieve are a Sydney crowd met plenty of
officers I know which was very nice & from
where we are fighting one can get across to 

London in a day from here. Two of our
poor fellows got rather badly wounded yesterday
afternoon just before we left it is not too bad
in the line I am not a bit frightened of
their rifle fire but the shells they send across
are simply bloody one has simply no chance
unless you are lucky to dodge them the shell
fire on the peninsular was a mere baby to
it we had a bombardment every night while
I was there often when we finish the Hun
starts and sends about 3 across to every one
we sent it is simply awful you could form
no idea what these high explosive shells are
like and the man who tells me he is not
frightened of them is a liar. Of course you
get mla no sleep or very little while in the
trenches standing to etc for gas alarms & all
the rest of it however expect that is what we
came away for. While taking my platoon up
along the road the Huns shelled us that
while about 3 miles from the line without
hitting any one luckily so we got a dose
quite early. then yesterday afternoon I wish you 

could have seen me I went back to a
support trench along a sap about 300 yds from
the firing line reached there all right but
returning they started to shell & inside a
minute a dozen or so came across more
or less all around me I was first like
a rabbit dodging here & there into one bay
and then duck etc it was the funniest
thing in the world however was damned
glad when they stopped and going along &
picking up nuggets of shrapnel in the sap you
are going along is no good I can assure
you. At night we go out in small parties
on to No Mans Land that is the ground
between the two trenches run into the Hun
patrol parties etc so you see there is plenty
of excitement I personally fail to see how the
devil a chap is going to pull through this
lot but of course you never know your luck
and take quite a philosophic view of the whole
thing which I expect is just as well.
You must have had a great motor trip
it is indeed a fine way of putting in 

a holiday but Mick old cock this is
an ideal country it is simply bosca the
roads of course are excellent I should simply
love a motor tour in this country We had
a great trip from Marseilles right up to the
N north of France which took about 60 hrs
but of think I told Mum about it in my
last letter home. Have also received nice long letters
from Hope Davis from England we are having a
great flirt in our correspondences am first going
to write to her now hope to get across to
London sooner or later on leave where believe
me I intend to have some time the next
officer who goes across from here I shall
get him to cable to Father from there asking
him to send fifty pounds across to the
Commonwealth Bank London so that if broke
I shall have some cash in London to go
on with the leave gives one about 6 clear
days in London England so that a fellow
could have a good look around in that
time Well old chap I could ramble on for
about a month writing all sorts of rubbish 

but I have several other letters to write
also some sleep to make up last night
being the first decent rest for 4 nights I
have had. Nana is kicking around in this
country somewhere not far away from us but
have not seen him since landing in France
however seen one of the officers from his
battalion last Monday at a bombing school
where I was for the day he told me
he is OK and now a full corporal out
in orders etc so the kid is getting on
all right Remember me to all the boys
and lots of love to all at home sorry Father
has not been too good this damned war infects
all things shall be very glad to get home
again but do not see how it can come about
for a hell of a long time if at all Mick
make all sorts of good excuses for me for
not writing to the lads & lasses too often
but we are always very busy censoring the
lads letters etc in our spare time & I always
make a point of putting them through for
them as soon as possible. Cheers. Oh &
be good - from Bob 

25/6/16.