Letter from Roy Bruce to Maud Bruce

about going to England at present; of
course there is always a risk of submarines
on the sea now, and you are in a nice
safe spot where you are. There is no
hurry anyway, if I go in that direction
we will see. Egypt is out of the
question during the summer for both of
you, and we are getting further and
further away. I think it extremely
probable I shall crack up in the coming
summer if we are still about here, and
that will probably alter the face of every-
thing for us.

I do hope Helen is at last at school.
I know the wrench will be a severe one for
both of you, but it must be done. You
must help her all you can to put her
duty before her feelings, and not give way
to sentiment when it is a question of
discipline. Teach her particularly not to
discuss her home life or her people with
other children. The more personal things
she can keep to herself, above the prying
eyes and eloquent tongues of others, the
more foundation she will lay for a proper
self respect. But I am sure you are

doing all that is necessary to help her
into the best ways.

I have a recollection of young Macintosh ,
but nothing very distinctive stands out.
So many come and go these days, sick
or wounded, that it is impossible to
remember everyone.

I don't remember ever having done
Nolan a good turn, by the way who is
Nolan ? at the same time it is nice
to know one's efforts out here are appreciated.

There is no truth in the statement
that the men left at ABA were killed by
the Turks. It was unfortunate they had
to be left, but I cannot criticize the
operations in a letter. The Turks have
always fought us very cleanly and are a
brave enemy. Rumour had it that
some were found afterwards with their
heads smashed, but that was in all
probability caused by artillery fire which
continued for some time after we with-
drew. I do not think any of them
suffered much. Knowing the Turk
we cannot blame him, there were some
Germans and Austrians there, and these

I cannot speak for. But keep these things
to yourself and do your best to minimise
for the sake of their relatives the sufferings
they may have been subjected to.

Thanks for the snap of Helen , she
looks very well and a great length.

I had no idea Pinkie had left
anything to Helen . How thoughtful
he was for everybody. I am glad
the money is to be invested.

Had a Christmas card from Miss
Trask from Bombay , and a line to say
she was off to East Africa , so we are
not likely to run across each other now.
But one never knows in this most
surprising of all wars.

We have all been rather amused and
a little bit disgusted at the list of names
for recognition for the fighting at Romani
& Katia last August. English Yeomanry
nmaes & Infantry who were never in the
fighting at all, have all kinds of distinctions
showered upon them, while the Anzac
M td Mounted Division who bore the brunt of it all
gets very few mentions. But then of course
we are only Colonials! I suppose it

will be the same for Magdhaba , although
there were no Yeomanry or Infantry there
at all. I am trying very hard to
get recognition for Lieut Lieutenant Johnston an
officer who joined me recently, and who
at Magdhaba with half a dozen men
rushed a battery of 4 mountain guns,
collared the guns and took 15 men &
2 officers prisoners. Johnston came out
with the 10 th Reinforcements and comes from
Gore way, and is very Scotch.

You will have seen good accounts
of Magdhaba long before you get this.
It was a stiff battle for a time, and
by Jove weren't we tired on the ride
home. We are off to clean up another
place in a day or two I believe, which
will probably develop into something
similar.

At present we are camped on the
beach a mile West of El Arish . It has been
very cold and rain every day for the
past week. Consequently everyone is
damp and peevish, to-day is the first
time we have been able to get anything
dry.

El Arish is rather a picturesque little
town. Very eastern and almost unspoilt
by western civilisation. The Arabs & Egyptians
are much cleaner and a more healthy
looking lot than those in the villages
nearer the cities.

Am glad to hear Andrews is better,
I hope you get the chance of a long yarn
with him one of these days.

Well old girl this is the biggest
splash I have made with a letter
for a long time. It is not often I
get a fit like this.

Have got a sort of an idea that
the war will finish up more or less
this year.

Be happy and keep on believing
a little g longer. There will be
"somethin' doin'" one of these days when
I get back.

All my love to you my dears
Roy

Have put the photos in another envelope
R.