Hurlstone Park.

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NX27395
WOII
B.  Sanders.
C. COY
A.I.F.
24 AUGUST 1945

Dear Dad,

          Your  Sunday letter came to-day & so I select a small sheet to answer for truly now there is but one overall concern and that is , one’s return.

The hard trail is finished & I am not going to comment on Mr.  Forde’s coming efforts such as the para. Bn. Going to Singapore other than to express wonder that, so far, no opportunity has been given to any of our fellows , some of whom are interested.

My observations henceforth had best be directed to looking out for the future  as applicable to myself.

Much talk of post-war plans  has been pessimistic but taking my own case, I think optimism is permissible. I shall write the Tech. To-night & explain the lapse in my Course, hoping that I shall thereby gain a place at the Tech. For next year’s course. It seems difficulties may arise as regards Tech training.

The Occupation Force has its attractions & as you say, a young fellow might do well to be in it while the re-adjustment of the nation goes on.

You’d better speed up the work on those jobs & get them up here.

Well, if you have any ideas or advice I’ll be pleased to hear it – in the meantime, I am impatient but I guess it will not be long.

Cheerio now, love to all & to Grandma & Aunt.

 

Love,

 

          Bruce.

P.S. I have Margaret’s artistic efforts. Quite a penman isn’t she? My love & good wishes to her. B

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NX27395
WOII
B.  Sanders.
C. COY
A.I.F.
9 SEPTEMBER  1945

Dear Dad,

          I have neglected to write this week because there have been pictures each evening ‘til now & being so restless, I went to each one. Wed. night the rains came & we were all thoroughly soaked.

A letter finally came from Mr. Roads. He sounds very confident so things look promising. As to a move, I know nothing – Mr. Roads seemed to think his application would claim me- we’ll see.

No answer from Fergusons. I hope they are able to fix me. I do want to start out looking respectable.

The matter of tools I have not considered much, but if Mr. Roads will give me his kit I shall purchase them from him.

With the latest orders I find myself blessed with over 100 days leave & that adds up to a tidy sun indeed.

And it seems likely  we shall have our other status up for the final leave, all of which should make one happy.

The whole surrender situation is promising to turn out satisfactory – the P.W. stories are grim generally but I trust McArthur to handle the show best.

The cook’s turned on two delightful meals of cooked local fish this week & an excellent change from the tinned stuff..

Often in many places, I have dreamed of the final trip home with no blackout & now, the paper says it is to be so. If it is in company with Poss & the other, then I’ll have no complaints.

For now, cheerio, Dad. I trust all are well. See you later.

 

Love,   Bruce.

 

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NX27395
WOII
B.  Sanders.
C. COY
A.I.F.
16 SEPTEMBER  1945

Dear Dad,

          Still on this isle & hoping for each day to bring our mercy ship – the routine is hard to bear.

The censorship is off but that makes little difference to me, having usually had gentlemen to sign my correspondence.

The points system has been calculated & a fine show for the young chaps- it means that fellows who have not been in a show will beat our youngsters who have been in the three. Good old Govt. Mr. Forde was shown on a newsreel this week, speaking on his return from  San Francisco & I should have liked him to have heard the reception accorded to his

“ fighting” speech.

We saw photos of some of our chaps arriving in Aust.

The star ribbons may be issued this week, our final spot of glamour.

So much for now. I’ll close, trusting all are well.

 Cheerio, BRUCE

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NX27395
WOII
B.  Sanders.
C. COY
A.I.F.
29 SEPTEMBER  1945

Dear Dad,

          Your letters have come regularly but we 5 year men are in the balance here and not pleased with things. However we hope still.

To-day was disappointing as we saw fellows with much shorter service go on board, most of them occupational releases. The points system for the remainder is , to our hands, very unfair , but it seems to be in force & to stay. Poss & the others are like me, rather disgruntled.

A letter came from Fergusons to-day & I look like being lucky for one suit anyway. Also came a letter from Tech expressing the hope that I could continue my correspondence course but, as things are, I won’t until I get back & settled.

Rose Beard wrote from England – main comment on the lend-lease - adverse. Bob should be on his way soon if not already.

Jack Young , the carpenter, write & assured me Mr. Roads had applied for me & advising to stick with the Boss on the smaller buildings.

Glad to see the excellent work on recovery of P.W.s we have Japs working each day here. Scores of them , miserable is probably the best description to apply. They are servile- bowing- - & yet one can detect arrogance & treachery among them.

As we have frequently stated of date, our duty in the future is to remind our people of the atrocities which have been perpetrated.

I think it is quite evident that complacency will set in unless we do & say plenty.

As for the remarkable attitude of the strikers on the Indonesian question, one would be optimistic to expect anything better.

Fred Harrison is well up in the insurance game.

Well so much for now & I hope this letter-writing will be unnecessary shortly. Many problems come to mind re post-war but I had better leave them ‘til my return.

Could you take the stripes off the safari jacket & any shirts. It appears as if I shall retain W.O. rank & the shirts will have the patch showing where the stripes have been. Sun may take it out.

Cheerio, now. Trust all are well.

 

See you soon,

Love,

          Bruce.

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NX27395
WOII
B.  Sanders.
C. COY
A.I.F.
10 OCTOBER  1945

Dear Dad,

          It does appear that Sunday will see our departure from Tarakan & very pleased we will be.

My rank has been confirmed so I shall leave this army as a W.O.11.

Yesterday the final Bn. Parade was held on the 2/48 Bn. Ground with the Force Band assisting. Of course there were few of the old Bn. Present – the C.O. Lt. Col. Anderson briefly addressed the parade & handed over to Brig. Whitehead, commander of the 26 Brigade who directed the ops on Tarakan.

The Brig spoke of the Bn’s efforts stating that the task of a Pioneer Bn. Is a dual one – engineering and infanteering & consequently, such units usually excel in one and rather lapse on the other- but as Force Commander he said the 2/3 Pioneers on Tarakan did both jobs well – in the John’s Track- Helen’s Hill scrap, he could pay no greater compliment than that none of his Inf. Bns could have done the job better.

So, we say, so-long to five years & more in a cracker unit & no regrets.

Poss, Dave, Alf & the others should all be with me on this trip. A fitting finale.

 

So cheerio, Dad. Hope you & all are well.Love,
Bruce.
The Bn. Received a D.C.M. and M.C. last week for the Helen’s Hill task.