YMCA letterhead

46421 Dvr E A Henderson

30 Dec 1942 N.Z.A.S.C.

Attd. 6th Fd Amb 2nd NZEF Middle East Forces

Dear Dorothy, I received you letter written On the 2nd Nov yesterday morning and was very pleased to hear from you again. I have one from Maisie, one from Frances one from Ilene and one from Aunty Winnie at the same time so am busy replying to them just now. Thanks for the razor blade Dad but don’t bother sending any more now as we can get all we want from our canteen. Good razor blades were hard to get in Syria but we can get plenty now, and I believe they are hard to get in New Zealand at present. So you got the photo of the ambulance alright, well the old moustache is still doing fine and the flies don’t bother it. As a matter of fact there are very few flies about just now, I think the weather is too cold for them at present and what a relief it is to be without the damn things. I have just finished writing home so you

will probably get this letter about the same time. I think I wrote the last letter to you in one of these Air Mail cards and as I am not sure if we are allowed to use them yet I will write the next few letters ordinary in case the cards are not supposed to be used. Wee Lenore had a note in with Maisie’s letter and told me all about her two bantam chicks, she seems to be very thrilled with them. Next time you write to Charlie tell him I was asking how he was and will write to him again as soon as I get a chance. I see you are still going to a few classes. I wouldn’t mind if I was home now to go to a few with you. I got the cable for my birthday Dad thanks a lot, it will come in very handy when we get to civilization again. Money is no use to us here as there is nowhere to spend it and occasionally I draw a few bob to buy one or two things from the canteen. As we get no beer now there is very little to buy except tobacco, that and razor-blades is about all our canteen has in stock. I must have quite a few pounds credit in my pay book.

by now. Many thanks for sending the tobacco Dot, I haven’t got it yet but should get it any day now as I believe some of the boys got tobacco parcels this morning. I forgot all about your birthday till it was too late, however better late than never many happy returns. As a matter of fact I have forgotten the exact date of all the family’s birthdays. On my birthday I was a hell of a busy boy, it and the next day Guy Fawkes Day were two very lively days and I had no time to be thinking about birthdays or anything else except looking after my hide. There was quite a scrap on and I was kept very busy carrying wounded out in my ambulance. I am afraid I cannot do anything about sending you a photo just now but will do so as soon as we get to a town. We have been six months in the desert now and except for the few days leave I had in Cairo about September I haven’t seen any sign of a shop. I meant to have a photo taken while on leave but did not seem to get a

chance as I met so many chaps I know. However as soon as I can I will get a good photo taken and send you one and one home and I will be getting a few films for the camera I found and will be able to send you some snaps also. I am enclosing three Italian postage stamps which you might like for souvenirs if you don’t want them you can throw of give them away. Cecil Dixon asked me to send you his regards. At present I am out at his unit with the ambulance and last night he played cards and had supper with us. Well Dot I must close now as news has run out and it is only about a week since I last wrote to you. So will say cheerio just now and thanks again for sending the tobacco and the razor blades. Lot of love and kisses

Your loving brother Eric

xxxx xxxx xxx

Note: Charles William Henderson # 72363, Traveller/Invercargill, Eric’s cousin