Christmas wishes from Gallipoli

Driver Percy Gordon Hendy was serving on Gallipoli in November 1915 when he sent Christmas wishes to his family back home in Melbourne, written on a hard tack biscuit.

An apprentice carpenter from Malvern, Hendy had enlisted on 3 June 1915 and embarked for overseas service in August.

The 19-year-old Hendy needed his parents’ permission to sign up, and as an indentured apprentice carpenter, he also needed his employer’s.

He was serving with the 6th Battery, 2nd Field Artillery Brigade, on Gallipoli when he wrote the improvised letter on a standard issue Army hard tack biscuit, possibly due to a scarcity of paper.

The biscuit has an official field service post card sewn on to one side of it and is addressed in pencil to 'Master James Hendy 9 Gordon Grove Malvern Victoria'.

The biscuit bears a 'passed by censor' stamp and two franking stamps for the Army post, dated 8 November 1915.

On the back, Hendy wrote simply, 'Gallipoli Nov, Wishing you all a Merry Xmas and a happy New Year, George.’

More than 100 years later, the biscuit is on display in the First World War Galleries at the Australian War Memorial.

Memorial Curator Dr Kerry Neale said the improvised letter was a poignant reminder of the men who served on Gallipoli during the First World War.

“Percy Hendy was just 19 years old when he wrote this letter to his family back home in Melbourne.  We’re not sure why he signed it George – perhaps it was a family nickname,” she said.

“Hard tack biscuits were part of a soldier's individual ration during the First World War and were so hard that, if possible, they were often soaked in water before being eaten.

“They were made mainly from flour and water and were slowly dried in the baking process, rendering them so hard that they deterred attacks from weevil pests and could be transported with little breakage.

“A single biscuit was said to have as much nutritive value as a loaf of bread, but they were so hard and durable that they were often used as the basis for mementoes and letters. We have other examples of Christmas messages on First World War biscuits, and even an example from the Boer War, in the National Collection.

“Over the years, the corners of this biscuit have broken off, and the entire biscuit has been broken and glued together, but it was still important enough to the family to keep hold of and donate to the Memorial.”

It would be several years before Hendy would be able to spend Christmas with his family. He went on to serve in France, returning home to Australia in May 1919.

He was discharged on 18 July 1919.

Two brothers had also served during the war: Gilbert Newton Hendy, a private in the 7th Battalion, was wounded in France in August 1918; and Eric Norman Hendy lost an eye while fighting with 22 Corp Mounted Regiment in France in April 1918.

Both brothers also returned home.