19th August 1942

46421 Dvr E A Henderson N.Z.A.S.C. Attd. 6th Fd Amb

2nd NZEF M.E.F.

Dear Mum & all at home, I have just finished reading four letters which I received from you a while ago and was very pleased to hear from you all again. You have no idea of the excitement in the camp when a mail comes in especially when it is a fairly big one. I got nine letters all told this afternoon, two from you, one from Maisie (with Dad’s with it), and one from Dorothy, these were dated 21st June, 29th June and 7th August. I also got three from Ilene, one from Ruby Cochrane and one from Mrs Jack Robins. Maisie will probably remember her she was Margaret Timpany’s mate Lucy Duff before she married Jack Robins I will answer all your letters together as it is much easier than writing four different letters just now. I wrote to you a

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few days ago (and also sent a cable) letting you know I had received a parcel and a cake, well two days later I got another parcel which you sent on the 2nd of February, so it has been six months catching up with me. It had your autograph book in it Dorothy, and at present I am busy getting it filled up. A soon as it is full I will send it home to you. The razor blades all arrived safely with the letters today, thanks a lot they will be very handy, and also thanks again for the parcels. The photo of Lenore looks a darling and Dad is some lad in his uniform. I am sending you a photo of myself taken with my Ambulance and if you look carefully you will see Lenore’s name on it. There is no need to worry about the old feet or (plates of meat) as we call them, they are O.K. now that we are driving all the time. I think they get lazy and

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bark when there are any route marches about. If you see Eadie Miller give her my regards, Maisie. I saw poor old Elvin White’s name in the paper we get here as a prisoner of war. I am very pleased to hear Aunty May is keeping much better and I will write her a note every now and then. Thanks for fixing Begg’s up for that music for the orchestra, for me, I must have forgotten all about it. Lenore is coming on with her letter writing she must be a real wee wag now. I ate the piece of her birthday cake you sent me in the parcel, the other day and I hope I am home to see her cut her next birthday cake. I cannot do much about sending you a good photo just now Maisie, but as I am going on a few days leave next month, I will go in to a good place and get one taken and send some to you immediately. I am afraid photographs

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are rather scarce up in this confounded desert. However I will get that fixed up for you when I go in to civilisation for a few days next month. I’ll bet Stuart was narked at his people appealing for him. Well Dad here goes for a few lines in answer to your letter. I am pleased to see you are getting enough petrol to run your motor scooter to work. Give Sid and Jim McArthur my regards and also any of the other wool store lads you happen to see. I have not seen Shack for quite a while now, but I suppose I will one of these days soon. I am sorry to hear poor old Bill Flint died, but he was a fair age, wasn’t he. I am glad you received the parcel in good order and I will be sending you another one of these days as soon as I get a chance. What do you think of the different coins no wonder we used to get a headache working out the value equivalent to our money. I will

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answer your two letters now Mum. I have them all pinned together in front of me in the order they were written. Tell Frances she will have to give young Duncan plenty of stout and oysters that is the best thing to make him grow into a big lad. Tell Maisie she is doing better that I am by getting a letter from Barney occasionally it is more than I get from the blighter. Thanks a lot for fixing Bob Tinker for me, and tell him I was asking for him next time any of you see him. What a pity for Eric Taylor has lost his mind; and lets hope a spell will put him right again. No I did not get hurt when I knocked the mule over, and no one ever takes a great deal of notice when a mule or donkey is bowled over in this part of the world. You don’t worry about anything else barring yourself and your bus, yourself being first, a few donkeys are neither here nor

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there and another bus is easier to get than another driver, so you don’t need to worry Mum, yours truly is taking great care of himself. Congratulate Dave and Betty for me on their new arrival, when you see them, I suppose Dave will be calling her a bonnie wee bit lassie. I would like to see Aunty Minnie with her spinning wheel you must go down and see her at work it would be a break for you. I have got the money you sent me thanks but your will have had my cables before you get this. How is Uncle Jim liking the Medical Board work and remember me to Dr. Crawford, I suppose Uncle Jim will see quite a bit of him. I haven’t seen Albert Kerse since I last wrote to you but he is come back from leave today so I will probably be seeing him again, in the near future. I am going to get him to autograph your book Dorothy when I see him. Remember me to Rene

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and Mrs Bisset and also ask them to send Alister my congratulations. You will have to excuse this page it seems to be like blotting paper. Would you give Lottie my regards and tell her I want to know if she has grown any taller. Ask Angus if he would like me to come home and shoot up those dogs that are worrying his sheep and give he and Mrs Mac my regards. Well Dorothy I have come to your letter now so here goes. You will have been wondering why I have not mentioned your autograph book before this well as you will see by this letter it only arrived a couple of days ago and now I am on the job getting it filled up for you. I see you are going to first aid meetings, so when I come home you and I will have to get an Ambulance and go into

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business. I never thought I would ever have anything to do with this kind of work, but am liking it very much. So Louie Cochrane is back at Kew again, tell her if I had know she was in Wellington I would have called and seen her while I was in Trentham, and also tell her I was asking for her. I see you and Dad still go to the dances, I think I will just about forget to dance now. I was at a cabaret one night and had a couple of dances but it isn’t so hot trying to drag a pair of army boots round the floor so have given up the idea until I get home. The dances here are nothing like they are at home, you can go to a cabaret but they are not worth bothering with. Each place has a bar in it and there are usually a few horse-faced girls there to dance with but not for me. They won’t dance with you unless you

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buy them a drink which always costs ten ackers (which is equal to 2/- in our money) so the night we went we had a lot of fun telling them to get to hell out of it. I had a dance with Joe Fitzsimmons a cobber of mine from Auckland and played a few tunes on a big piano accordion belonging to one of the orchestra chaps. That was our one and only experience with cabarets over here and that was about three months ago. They are a pretty rummy lot over here but being a soldier who must see everything we went along one night. I wonder how Dick Kerr is liking camp life, he will be able to make a bit of beer money keeping the camp pianos tuned. I wish I was in Doug Holloway’s place, Bluff is an ideal place for a camp, remember me to him and Chris. Thanks for the razor blades they are very handy things to

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get. I don’t know what you will think of my moustache when you get this photo I have enclosed, but believe me it is a good thing to strain the stew and tea through and another thing can always carry an extra drink of water in it. Things are still quiet with us but one big thing has happened the flies have left us fairly well alone for the last two days, but there is still a few hanging about. I suppose you are well into the winter at home, I forget what a shower of rain looks like now. I usually sit outside in the moonlight with the piano accordion and a few of the boys always come over to the bus for a tune after tea. Well I have just about come to the end of my letter now so will have to close until next time I write. Don’t forget to show wee Lenore her name on my Ambulance, I have put a pen mark where it is and it is also on the

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windscreen and the flag. Will say cheerio just now to you all and thanks a lot for the mail and parcels. Lots of love and kisses to you all Your loving son Eric xxxxx xxxx xxx

Dear Lenore Thanks for your wee note. Lots of love and kisses Uncle Eric xxxxx xxxx xxx

Notes:

Ruby will be a cousin on Eric’s mother’s side, Lucy Gwenyth Duff m.1941 Jack Mylrea Duff

Elvyn Thomson White #15997 - Accountant/Bluff - POW Austria and Italy

John William George Flint d. 1942 aged 90

Joseph James Fitzsimmons #4665, Butcher/Auckland