Letter from Roy Bruce to Maud Bruce

Here I am once
again in the lap of luxury.
After 5 weeks playing round
in the trenches etc, Guthrie
came to the conclusion that
a few days rest & change
would not do me any
harm so he packed me
off here to what is officially
known as No XVI Stationary
Hospital . I sleep in a
bed, sea bathe, roam
about the village & live on

the fat of the land. I
have been here two days &
feel the benefits already.
Please don't think I am ill,
I have only had a head-
ache for a few days past,
which Guthrie thought was
influenza but which I know
was caused by a shell
bursting close & more or
less stunning me for a
few minutes. By Jove you
cannot realise the relief
it is to get away from
the sound of firing & being
always on the qui vide.

I spent yesterday after-
noon acting as censor for
the Tommies letters & there

were some marvellous
epistles. Some love letters
made me scream with
laughter & others again
were quite sad. The general
tone of the letter are is quite
bright & happy no matter
what the writer is suffering
from.

The harbour here is full
of warships & transports &
on shore there are French &
English tropps in swarms.
The village is weird, Greek
& very dirty, the hovels mostly
built of flat stones. I must
do some more exploring. I
do not know what historical
associations are connected

with this island, and I
can't find so far anyone
who can tell me any-
thing.

We don't get any news
at all here as to what is
going on across the way.
English newspapers reasonably
old cost 6d in the village,
but I have found a place
where I can buy French ones
for 2d.

There are several officers
in here doing a rest cure
like myself, 1 N.Z r , 2
Australian, 1 Naval Division,
1 R.E, 1 Indian Army, so you
see we are somewhat of a
cosmopolitan crowd & have

all kinds of points of view.
I will give you more
details later when I have
got to know them better.

Everything was the same
in the trenches when we
left, "We are progressing
slightly, nothing further to
report" as the telegrams
from France say.

Have heard nothing
more about the peace
rumours, although there
are many here that
consider the political
situation will finish this

part of the war quicker
than the arguments of
shells & bullets.

I see the English papers
are making quite a fuss
about the landing here.
It could never have been
done in cold blood, but
everyone was so furious at
being shot at in the boats
that nothing on earth
would have stopped those
men going on. The trouble
was they went too far, if
we had had more men
there would be a good
many less Turks than there
are at present. I do

hope N.Z is taking the
casualty list the right
way & she will send
every man she can. They
are needed.

We got instructions re
precautions against asphy-
xiating gases the other day s .
If you can find out how
those respirators are made &
could make one & send
it out, if might be use-
ful someday. There are
other remedies but they are
rather appalling.

I hear our horses are
in rather a bad way in
Egypt with the heat etc.
& that many are dying,

I hope old Blackmore &
Chatterbox are alright.
Chatterbox was a black
mare I had. I called her
Chatterbox because she was
very fond of Blackmore &
used to kick up an
awful shindy when she
was separated from him.

Good bye for the present
old girl, give Helen a fat
kiss & a humbug. I heard
from Cairo the other day that
I was wounded, goodness knows
what you will hear in N.Z ,
but whatever you do believe
nothing unless it is certified
official, & then not always.
Be happy both of you, this won't
last forever. Bless you dear
ones. Roy .