Letter from Roy Bruce to Maud Bruce

Have had quite a good time
lately, receiving letters & parcels from you,
several letters of various dates & 3 parcels.
1 containing socks & cigarettes, 2 shirts, singlets
etc, 3 books, cigarettes, socks, chocolate, tooth-
paste, shaving soap, soap & towel, all of
which especially the latter one were very
welcome indeed and I do thank you for
them.

Have just received orders to hold
myself in readiness to leave here at any
moment for Anzac with an advance party
so the next letter you will get from me
will be from the old familiar trenches.

Your letters today speak of
Pinkie , don't worry too much dear, there
is still hope that he is a prisoner,
although I am afraid it is a very small
one. He was in charge of the old squadron
that night, he was the only officer left, &
the squadron only consisted of about 30 men,
all that was left of 160. The men that
came back said he was splendid & that

is a great tribute. He did well and
that is really all that matters these days.

Regarding our little frey, that only
lasted 3 days and we were always the
very best of friends, why, we shared the
same tent all the time we were in
Egypt and dug outs & things on the
Peninsula. I always had more regard
for him than any other member of your
family. So cheer up old girl. There
are no such things as personal quarrels
out here, one week at Anzac & the whole
world is kin.

Some things are really amusing
out here, especially the new brigade, who
really though they were soldiers. The other
day the Brigadier (this is confidential) sent
for all officers and "strafed" every body. He
said "There is not a squadron or troop
leader amongst you who has the foggiest
notion of what to do with his men. I
am not referring to the old ones, I know
what they can do. I have seen them at
it. That's all gentlemen" I can assure
you I was most thankful that I was
not a reinforcement. That night the

band played "The boys of the old brigade"
round the camp and the Brigadier
refused to be comforted.

Andrews left here yesterday with his
advance party. I am sure to see him
over there. We have had some good times
together.

I was on a destroyer La Forey the
other day and had rather an amusing
time. The commander was telling us a
story (quite true) of a submarine in the
north Sea who fired her only two topedo
tubes at a German vessel and missed &
had to seek refuge at the bottom of the
sea. The skipper chanced to go forward &
found a sailer with a bucket of water
in which he was "strafing" something,
saying "I'll teach you to miss, you
little etc, I'll swear you won't do it again
you blighter etc etc, the skipper thought
he had lost his nerve or something, but
nothing of the kind. "I'm drowning the
ship's mascot, sir, I'll teach him to miss".
The mascot was a golliwog!!

Had another letter from Mrs Druce
the other day, there was nothing in it

of importance. She is well and
most anxious to send things, but we
are so well equipped there is really
nothing we want.

Chillie is very well and flourishing,
he has altered a lot and is more forbearing
with everyone.

We are wearing infantry equipment
now and are trussed up like Donkey's
at a feast. It is more comfortable than
our old equipment, but of course we walk
now of unfortunately.

I have one regret here now, that
N. Z. New Zealand did not see our brigade & the
infantry before it left Egypt . They were
soldiers these are senitorials.

Goodbye for the present darling, kiss
Helen for me and take care of each other,
Webb says the war will be over in
November, but he did not say which
November, anyway it may finish sooner
than we think. God bless you both
Your loving husband
Roy .