46421 Dvr E.A. HENDERSON

N.Z.A.S.C.

11th May 1943

Attd. 6th Fd Amb

2nd N.Z.E.F.

Middle East Forces

Dear Dorothy I received your letter of 14th March about half an hour ago and was very pleased to hear from you again. A few days ago I had a letter from Mum which was written on 18th March and answered it yesterday by sending her an Airgraph. I also had a letter from Ruby Cochrane and one from the West Plains Patriotic Committee, today so would you tell Mum that I have received it and will be writing to them within the next day or to. I see you have received the Italian stamps I sent, I will try and collect a few more of them for you. Your autograph book is not full yet but as soon as it is I will send it home to you. Give Dr Crawford my regards when you see him, I must try and get a chance to write to him one of these days. I would not mind a bunch of letter like the soldier had

in that cutting you sent with this letter, although I am afraid I would be some time in answering them. Mum wrote her letter while she was staying with Frances. I do hope she is keeping much better now and is not doing and heavy work. If Mr McLean is still there, tell him I was asking for him, but I hope he has fully recovered by the time you get this. You haven’t had the jolly old tonsils removed yet, you want to hop in and get the job done, as the longer you put it off the harder it will be on you. I got quite a surprise to read in your letter that you expect to be seeing Les Troon shortly. I have never managed to meet up with Les over here, he is one chap I would like to have been with here. Give him my regards whenever you do see him. I am hoping to get some more mail tomorrow as I haven’t had all of the letters yet. We have been advised here, that mail written to us

between the 3rd and 12th of February has been lost, so that will account for a few of them. I am attached with my ambulance just now to the same battalion as Cecil Dixon is in, so see quite a lot of him. In fact we usually play crib at nights and he asked to be remembered to you all. Tell Dad I have been taught the art of crib playing and will be taking him on when I come home. We have a lot of fun with the home made crib board and fill in a lot of time. I suppose you will all be thrilled with the news from here just now. It is only a matter of a very short time now till this show up here is over, and I can tell you I won’t be sorry either. I am looking forward to a quiet time and a bit of leave. I am not having any trouble with boils, and as I am in a medical unit, have no trouble getting anything dressed. We have plenty of doctors and it doesn’t cost us ten and six a time to see them either

every interview buckshee. We have a really good medical service in the army and as I am in a field ambulance there is no excuse to feel crook. I see that Sister Ahern keeps you up to the mark with pen and paper, thank her very much for me and tell her I haven’t had mail in such large quantities as the chap in the cutting, but I have written letters in some queer and rather hot places. I see by your letter she writes to Eric Sargeson over here, I have not seen him as yet, but may do so one of these days. How are they all at home and I suppose our wee Lenore is getting quite a big girl now. I am looking forward to getting another snap of her, I suppose you will have a job to get a film for your camera now. I was intending to send you one or two whenever I got a chance but have been told that we cannot send them from here. I have four films to be developed whenever we get back to a place to get them done, so will have some good snaps

to send home, and I hope it will be soon. Well Dot I have run out of news for the time being, so will bring this to a jolly old close. Give my love to all at home and keep a slice for yourself. Will say cheerio just now. Lots of love & kisses to all of you and a special lot for wee Lenore.

Your loving brother xxxx Eric xxxx xxxx

For Lenore, xxxxxxxx