Letter from Roy Bruce to Maud Bruce

Two letters
from you yesterday, but no
papers and the photographs
have not yet arrived.

You have never
told me whether you ever
received that one of Col
Findlay ?

The Murchison
you met at ChCh Christchurch , was a
brother to the one who was
with me when I had the 10 th .

I don't know
what is going to happen to
women after the war, now
that they are going into Banks
& places, and doing all kinds

of men's work. I think
it is a great pity - it
will quite unsex them. The
more I live in the East the
more I think the Eastern
methods with regard to
women are the sound ones.
I don't say in every detail,
but broadly speaking.
Woman is so obviously
made for one thing only,
and what has ever been the
fate of a community run by
women? It is a pity - the
rule of women spells the
doom of the British Empire,
but this time the B.E. British Empire will not realise it until it is
really too late.

I can hear your snorts
of derision at this, but it
is true nevertheless.

There is a Small in the
Squadron, I expect he is one
of those. I had occasion
to punish him not very
long ago.

Am sorry to hear the
family have been annoying
you. Judging from the
tone of your letters, it was
probably a tirade of abuse
against me. I expect to
be able to get you completely
out of that entourage before

long. But you mustn't talk
about buying gardening gloves
as a concession to me, it
should be a natural instinct.

Don't you worry about
your mother shouting your ex's expenses
for a trip when I return, there
will be plenty for both of us.
If you can get away anywhere
now, go, it will do you a
lot of good.

I am rather inclined
to think you are letting
your imagination run a
little wild, with dreams
of eggs & things. Even
imaginations want a
little pruning occasionally,

and I am afraid you are
going to find me with less
than ever on certain subjects
when I return.

We move on another
step the day after tomorrow,
and another milestone will
be ticked off towards the
end of this campaign. It
is a pitiless one, the desert
shows no mercy, and will
probably get most of us in
the end. I think my
theory that the longer one
remains on a war like this
the less one's chances are is
a correct one. Every casualty

list either from France or
Egypt , shows a few more of
the poor old Main Body
passed away.

You are quite right, some-
times I feel unutterably
weary and just long to rest,
but it is not to be yet, and
I must just carry on as
long as possible. There are
so many "swinging the lead,"
they make one ashamed.

I wonder if you have
seen old Andrews yet - he
ought to be somewhere about
by now. Poor old chap I
think it was a sad blow
to him to have to throw up

the sponge.

You don't say whether
Nicholls is coming to the
Mounted Brigade, or going
with the infantry? Of course
if he goes with the infantry
he won't touch Egypt , they
go straight through now.
We want to try to get him
with us, the Brigade is
getting short.

I sincerely trust I shall
not be invalided home, that
means hospitals & things for a
time. If I go to England
I want to go because the
furlough has been offered to
me, not because a Doctor

says I must. You mustn't
grudge me going, you know,
even alone, I must have some
break before long, I can't get
to N.Z. New Zealand , unless I am badly
wounded or invalided, therefore
I must go when & where I can.
I want to see this war through
now I have stuck it so long,
but I have got to look after
myself to do it.

With fondest love to you
both,
Your affectionate husband
Roy