Letter from Roy Bruce to Maud Bruce

This time
only a line to send you
Xmas & New Year greetings,
and to wish you all as
much possible happiness as
one can reasonably expect
these sad times. The
following Xmas let us hope
we should be together
again.

There is no great
news here, we get most of
our war news from the
N. Z. New Zealand papers when they arrive.

My advance guard

party was knocked on the
head because our new colonel
was sent to the hospital very
ill with dysentery, he will
probably not be back for some
months. Chillie has gone
with the advance guard & I
am in command of the 8th -
a temporary appointment, but
it may last some time,
anyway I shall have the
honour of leading the
squadron in the field. Of
course it is not the old
squadron but it is improving,
and if I don't make a fool
of it, should be able to give
a reaosnable account of itself. Major Studholme is in
temporary command of the
regiment.

I have only two subalterns
Chillie & Bowron , but I hope
to get Mathias back shortly &
some new commissions are
being given.

Must go now dearest,
I am rather busy trying
to straighten things out &
we leave rather very shortly.
Many kisses for your
two selves my darlings,
may 1916 see the end of
all this.
Roy .

I am very well
RB.