Letter from Roy Bruce to Maud Bruce

The mails have been worse than
ever lately and my letters seem to go anywhere
except come to me. One turned up the other day
from M rs Hayter , and I was very glad to get it,
telling me as it did that you were all well and
flourishing.

I am still chewing out a miserable
existance in the hospital waiting for this wretched
thing to get sound. They are talking now of
endeavouring to aid nature by slipping a knife
under the scar and easing it off the band -
Loughnan will explain that to you if you are
curious, but it is a very very tiny operation. It
seems so absurd that I should stay here day after
day perfectly well and able to get about and do
everything in a Christianlike manner but not
able to do any strenuous work because of a bit of
flesh about the size of a farthing. Damn the Kaiser .
Everything is flat stale and unprofitable, my very good
friend the Scotch sister has obtained well earned pro-
motion and is now matron on a hospital ship and

has departed hence.

I am anxious to hear some news of Frank !
We of course get nothing at all here, if I knew
his regiment I could write to him. I do hope
the old chap is better.

Had a letter from Andrews not long ago,
calling me all sorts of names for getting hit,
after all his careful tuition about never getting
within 3,000 yards of a Turk etc. A most
annoying letter calculated to cheer anyone up.
He is apparently not satisfied at remaining in N.Z ,
appears to think he has not done enough or some
such rot. Silly ass. Nicholls is now up
with the Brigade, and is sure to do well. He
went up after I came back this time.

In the last letter I got from you, you
ask about Caskey . He was hit at Magdhaba . I
was close to him, and died a few hours afterwards.
As you know his mother you might let her
know sometime that he did not suffer at all.
Everyone in the squadron regretted him, he was
well liked, and I think there is always a
little more feeling shown when it is one of the
old hands that go.

I don't know why you didn't get any letters from
me during my 3 weeks in Cairo , I wrote twice if
I remember rightly. The school was quite amusing
and from a social point of view a great success,
it seemed really more of an entente cordiale between
colonial and english officers than anything else. We
learnt a certain amount. Some things I should
be very sorry to put into practice.

By this time you will have heard all about
Frank Barker . I am wondering what everyone will
be told. I am glad for his wife's sake I did not
have to break him, I was here at the time, and
never set yes on him. I understand he was
quite a promising officer at times.

Hinson I believe is coming or is now in
my squadron. I shall be glad to have him
as he is quite a good boy and shaped quite well
at his first fight ( Maghdaba ). I did not see him
at Rafa .

You don't give me any particulars as to
what is happening to " Rollesby ". I suppose you are
keeping the homestead block. I forget how much
it is. How many blocks is the rest to be
divided into?

It looks as if your departure from N.Z

was to be indefinitely postponed, as I see
noone can leave now from either Australia or
N.Z. perhaps it is just as well at present,
as undoubtedly the seas West of Port Said
are anything but safe.

I sent you both a couple of photos
the other day, I hope you like them. I
addressed them to Helen and registered them.
I think thought she might feel important
at getting a registered parcel.

I sent my godchild a gift, but
do not know whether it has arrived. It was
sent a few days before I sent Helen 's chain.
I should be glad to know if the Fricks got it.

Good bye old girl, for the present,
someday I expect to get back to N.Z , in
the meantime keep your peckers up. I have a
vague sort of feeling that the worst is over.

Love to you both. Roy

Must admit I am 'fed up' sometimes. R.