Letter from Roy Bruce to Maud Bruce

Have just re-
membered it is exacly 10 months
today since I enrolled in the
Expeditionary Force, nearly a year,
and what a change from the
previous 10 months of my
exis-tance existence ! Surely enough change &
adventure to satisfy even my
restless spirit. How much longer
is it going to last? Will there be

another 10 months or shall we
all be home for Xmas. I have
just been reading an English
paper a month old, and the
end looks as far off as ever.
What ghastly stories one reads of
these Germans! Our "friends the Turks"
are models of chivalry compared to
them. And the President of the
U.S.A. says there is such a thing
as being too "right" to fight. Ye
gods. It is time we had a new
world or a new religion.

Well, there is nothing much to
report about in my immediate
vicinity. Yesterday morning we
were shelled for ½ an hour & the
CYC had 1 man killed & 5 wounded.
Luckily I had no casualties & we
were all mixed up at the time.
Finlay , who I think I told you
was slightly wounded in head the head at

No 2 post, got a bullet in the
leg two days ago & is now in
the hospital. He says that a
fortune teller in Cairo , told him
he would be wounded twice,
taken prisoner once, but that
he would escape. He has been
wounded twice, it remains to
be seen what happens later on.
He used to work on the Railway
at the Cave.

Last night young Trotter Fairlie
was on duty in a trench, &
Scott ( Humino Scott 's son) was beside
him. Trotter dropped something
down the slope behind him, & Scott
said "Dropped your cigarettes Trotter ."?
"Something like that" said Trotter ,
said Scott "Will you give me two
if I go and get them for you?"
"Yes" said Trotter - Scott climbed

down in the dark, and after a
long search found a box of matches.
"Couldn't find your cigarettes Trotter ,
only a box of matches" said Scott ,
"Yes" said Trotter , "that was what
I dropped", and gave him two!

You are right about parcels
taking a long time to get here.
I don't know what happens to
them. I finished the last of
your coffee the other day, & no
more is procurable. However
we are not doing so badly some-
times. I snared a tin of milk
& two eggs yesterday, to say nothing
of a bottle of pickled onions. I
am thinking of giving a dinner
party.

Was interrupted here by
Jack Tonkin who came over to
see me. They have only been

here a couple of days. They go
into the trenches some day this
week for their christening. He
says Bowie & Co are at Zeitoun , so
long as they don't bring them
here there seems a chance of
our getting our horses back.

Houlker has been wounded, &
there is a rumour that Haucanow
has been invalided back to N.Z. New Zealand
He was not at all well when
we left him at Zeitoun .

I am sitting up in my dug-
out in the early morning writing
this, as the mail closes at 9am,
& Jack stayed to ten last night
& then it got dark.
They have just commenced
shelling us to say good morning
as it were.
Many are getting a little
"nervy", being continually subjected
to shell fire & snipers. I expect
before long there will be a large
number, unless we can get
something really active to do.
That one was closer, it threw
some dust on to this letter. It
is curious but we cannot locate
the particular battery that does
this shelling. It is very securely

hidden. They have done a lot
of damage since we have been
here.
I hope you and old Perry
win one of those cups, "Mademoiselle
Small feet". You have no distburbing
element in the shape of a hus-
band this time to upset your
equilibrium.
Am going out to No 1 Pish
tonight for 24 hours. Have not
been there before, but hear it
is very bad for flies.
Had a yarn with Jack
Rolleston & Harold Wright the
other day, they are both flour-
ishing.
Don't be too strict with
Helen , you know, do bring her up
properly. Let her have plenty of
rope. Manners & speech are the
great things. Whatever you do
don't keep too tight a rein on
her. If you are always correcting
her, you will end by closing
up the flower you are so anxious
to open. But I know you are
doing well with her.
I must go now (the shelling
has stopped), have a swim &
then breakfast will be ready.
Am glad Andrews wrote you,
he told me he had. In fact he
wrote two letters, but was scared
of the first one & tore it up.

Here is a fat kiss . for you
& Helen , get as much out of
life as you can, and don't worry -
we will be together again before
you realise it. You have all my
love, my dears.
Roy