46421 Dvr E A Henderson

N.Z.A.S.C.

Attd. 6th Fd Amb

2nd N.Z.E.F.

Middle East Forces

3rd May 1943

Dear Dorothy,

I have received your letter written on 17th Feb about ten minutes ago in fact, and was very pleased to hear from you again. I also have one from Mum, Ruby Cochrane, Joan Timpany, Ilene and Jim Lennox in Dunedin so you can see by this I have a list of letter writing to do now. I see you are still hard at the nursing, good work, You will be a full blown nurse by now. This mail I got today has been a bit mixed up as a little over a week ago I got a letter from Mum which was written on 28th Feb and one from Maisie written 23rd Feb. Mum said in that letter that you have a bicycle of your own now, so you will be set up for transport. I see by your letter that you have had another letter from Jock, I am going to drop him a note myself in the next day or so.

So you still go to a few dances, I suppose they are a bit tame now as most of the young blood will be in camp. You should have that nose of yours fixed up, especially as you are working for a hospital. You would find that it would cost quite a bit if you weren’t working there. I have not seen any sign of Rupert Hubber so far but you never know the day I may meet up with him. You were asking me if I manage to keep sober, well I have no option as the last beer I tasted was in New Year’s and Christmas Days and that was only one bottle for each day, so I am afraid that wouldn’t do one any harm. Maisie told me in her letter that Margaret Timpany had a wee daughter and that she had been in to see both of them. Joan Timpany also told me all about it in her letter which I received today as said she was a very proud Aunt. Young Joan writes quite a good letter and usually does it on her type-writer. I wrote to Angus MacDonald this morning and

was just finishing it when the letters I have already mentioned arrived. Joyce and wee Lenore must have a lot of fun together. I’ll bet she is a wee trick now. No, Dot, I have not had a letter from Charlie as yet. Mum said in her letter that he is now driving an ambulance, also. He should like that better that the medical work. Give Dr Crawford my regards next time you see him. You will have to see that Mum does not do any heavy work. I got quite a shock when I saw in the letter I got from Maisie a little over a week ago, that she had strained her heart. So as a nurse, old girl, see to it that she takes things easy. No doubt you would have a good time while you spent those five days with Frances and Stuart and you did not say if you had to take your meals off the mantelpiece after riding that horse. By the way has Dad got Trixie back home from there yet, wee Lenore will soon be old enough to start riding her. How are the

budgies doing at home, I expect Lenore will be looking after them now. There are some very pretty birds flying about this country, there seem to be quite a few partridges and pigeons about. Quite a few chaps have developed a craze for carrying the hen about with them, now one cookhouse here has a young chicken running around and when they move the chaps pick it up and carry it on the lorry with them. Our headquarters orderly room boys have a hen they call Luke, which lays an egg every day and roosts under lorry at night, and whenever they shift they just whistle on her and she hops up into the truck ready to go. A little over a week ago I bought a couple of hens from a wog, both laying, but next day as we were moving up to a scrap I had to kill them as I could not carry them in the ambulance with me. However I got an egg from both of them and then boiled them on the primus and had

poultry for dinner next day. So ended my poultry farm. However they were cheap eating as I only gave a mug and a quarter of sugar for the two of them and as I found the sugar in the enemy dug out and it was a very cheap deal for me. Well old girl I am afraid I must close now as news has run out. So will say cheerio just now and will write again soon. Lots of love and xxx, to you and all at hone

Your loving brother Eric.