Letter from Roy Bruce to Maud Bruce

There seems to be something
more than a chance that we shall be at
it again before many hours have passed.
Our friends the Turks have suddely taken
it into their heads to come down in force
and establish themselves in the desert a
few miles from this place which is quite close
to where my last letter was written from.

We have been under orders
the last four days to move with an hour's
notice, and troops are being pushed up all
the time. The Australian and the Wellington
M.R. Mounted Rifles are at present doing all the reconnaissance
and we relieve them shortly or move at any minute.

They chose a most inopportune
time to come down- the regiment was just
off in batchs (leaving horses behind) for a
week's sea bathing etc. at Alexandria , but
of course this has knocked all that on the
head.

Had another letter from Andrews

and also one from Free in France . Andrew
is flourishing and thinks we have the best of
it in Egypt , while we think they are having
the best of it in France .

This climate in the summer is
terrible. Thank goodness in about six weeks
time it should begin to get a little cooler.

I am pretty fit, but I am a little
bit afraid that the last two years is beginning
to tell on me. All the others of the Main
Body with the exception of old Fatty Gibbs went
to England either wounded or sick, and when
there, some of them didn't trouble about hurrying
back, had a jolly good time in fact (most of
them got back at the end of January last and
all had gone to England in the previous August )
it have them a good spell, which I have not
had. If I could only get a month out of
Egypt somewhere I should be alright, but of
course the six weeks leave to England I wrote
about is knocked on the head now until this
situation is cleaned up. I intend to ask for
it when the time comes. Gibbs is the only
other officers in the Regiment who was longer
at Anzac than I was, I think he was there
about a fortnight more. I can ask for it with

a very clear conscience. However I expect I
am really alright, only imagining things, and
perhaps we might all go to France before long
and mounted too.

Saw a good jest in a paper the other day.
A cockney recruit just arrived in Egypt after marching
for 3 hours in the sand from nowhere to nowhere:-
"Blimey Bill , the tide aint 'arf a long way out
here."

The Colonel came back the other day, but
very shaky, I am afraid. I hope you got his
photograph safely.

Last night we had a Picture show out here!
An enterprising Y.M.C.A man brought out a
small machine, rigged up a screen, and lo &
behold we had pictures in the desert miles from
anywehere unders the stars.

Alec Black , you remember him, has just
got his commission in the newly formed Camel
Corps , good luck to him, he deserves it. His
younger brother Jimmy , was killed you know.

When your Patriotic Commmittee people
are sending out Gift Stuff for the men, don't
forget that the Canterbury Mounted men are in
Egypt and the Infantry in France , unless it
is specially addressed to the Mounted Brigade

it is sure to go to France . The best address would be "

Canterbury Mounted Rifles N.Z.M.R Brigade. Anzac Mounted Division Egyptian Expeditionary Force . Egypt .

I have been wondering lately what Peace
would be like, I can hardly imagine it. To live
normally again does not appear possible. I
wouldn't mind trying anyway, for a time.

Suppose you are right about the nursing etc.,
it would be hard to leave Helen - you have done
quite a lot with The Dream, and I am sure you have helped in many other ways.

Has your mother gone to England ? and if so how
long will she stay? If when she comes back, she would
look after Helen , I might be able to manage a trip
to England for you, if I can't land you in Egypt .
What say you?

So long old girl keep your pecker up, lots of
things may happen. I might get back to N.Z.
some day. A great big fat humbug to Helen &
yourself my dears and all my love
Roy .

The Squadron is going alright

Signature of Roy Bruce