Dear Mum & Dad,
What luck, still here, as you see & no idea when the next move will be. We are very eager to follow our pals now & we have seen nearly every show on here & the money we have spent. Something terrific.
I am in on my own to-day. The others are on odd-jobs but I like to make the most of every opportunity to have some really good food & see some show or sports.
We had a look at a League game yesterday at the Showground & there is a soccer game on to-day so I shall go out.
Yesterday gave us rain all day but now the sun is shining and the sky cloudless.
Bambi is showing here. I shall try & get in to see it. Quite a job, believe me, the Yanks are practically in possession here & with their money, well, there are comparatively few Aussies with girls. It is a bit of a laugh.
If you write to the following address , Bruce should receive the letter if he is still there & he should be , for some days at least.
Sgt. B. Sanders. NX27395.
Tennyson Block,
1 A.P.S.C.
Yeerongpilli.
And now, I’m off.
Cheerio & Love to All,
From,
Junior.
Dear Dad & Mum,
Pleased to receive your letter yesterday & as you see, I am still at the same address. Some of our group moved & so we are hoping to soon be on our way to join our pals.
I think I will send my sneakers home. They will be much safer there than in the store here.
We have been invited out to dinner to-night by Mrs. Baxter, the mother of one of our party & so we anticipate a very enjoyable evening & a very pleasant change from walking around town as we have been obliged to do. Quite a task for any woman, four hungry visitors.
On Friday evening, we went to see “ Desert Victory” & thoroughly enjoyed it. Its realism is certainly vivid. I was quite stirred by the barrage scenes. I hope you can see it as it is a very true picture of the show.
The weather is wonderful, only shirt and slacks in daytime though the nights are cool.
Well, there’s very little to tell & so I shall close. If you write to that same address , I shall probably be here. If I am moving I shall send a telegram & then you can address my mail as always.
Cheerio,
Lots of Love,
Bruce.
NX27395.
Sgt. Sanders. B.
No. 1 Coy.
N.G. F.A.R.D.
Selheim.
Nth Q.
Dear Mum & Dad,
Stuck again, worse luck. I do hope, not for long. One feels out of place in these strange camps. This one reminds me of some of those on the way to
Fortunately Don is still with me so, I , at least, have someone to keep me company & vice- versa.
This morning we went to church parade at the Sally
Hut & surprisingly the singing was quite hearty, not a bad little service.
There is a mess here ( there was none at the last stop) last night we had pudding & custard & then – ice cream & jelly. The first time I have had two sweets in this Army. It looks promising.
After mess, we went to the camp cinema ( open air) & saw a film about two years old. Plenty of wisecracks from the onlookers. Gave us quite a laugh.
The night before we left Brisbane, Snow & I were standing on a corner in Brisbane, wondering what to do with ourselves & a tall good-looking Yank strolled over, asked us where he could get a shoe-shine, at 9 p.m. well, we couldn’t help him & told him & then he started to talk & we think we learned part of the reason for the attraction they possess for Aust. Girls. They can certainly talk & so freely, with hardly a word of encouragement from us. He told us of his 8 mths service, how well he thought he would acquit himself up North, showed us a snap of his wife & baby & finally we broke in & took him for a pineapple drink.
Can you imagine the average Aussie letting all that information go at once. No sir & yet, all these Yanks are pretty well as he was. One can honestly say that though the streets were filled with servicemen & girls, an Aust. With a girl was a very, very rare sight. Good Show !
I believe I told you of the Yank Sgt. With whom we had dinner one evening. L10 per week, his pay. It must be a wealthy country.
I hope the sneakers etc arrived O.K. the books which I should like kept after you have read them will not be along for quite a while, so do not expect them.
We voted yesterday. I must admit I knew little or nothing about the candidates. Only recognised Marr, Dean, Nock & Arkins, so, as I had intended to vote in that direction, I did so & put the others down with very little reason at all. I have not seen a paper to-day. I should like to see the final results for the whole. The radio seems to indicate a return of Lab.
But there are a lot to come in yet.
Ah well, its two months since we left our units so let’s hope we soon rejoin them.
Cheerio now & Love to all. If you write to this address, the letter may catch me & if not, will be forwarded.
Happy Days,
Love,
Bruce.
Salvation Army.
Labour.
NX27395.
Sgt. Sanders. B.
H.Q. Coy
2/3 Pioneer Bn.
A.I.F.
27 aug. 43.
Dear Dad & Mum,
Here I am again & still on the loose but gradually nearing old Poss & Co. I hope Bet’s letter arrived O.K. & in time for the 29th. I do not expect any mail until I am back at the old show & so have no letters for quite a while but it is unavoidable.
How is
Aren’t the elections terrific? Mr. Curtin certainly has the “ Go” signal from the people & Sir Charles loses his seat at last. I was surprised.
I met two of the chaps who were my pals in
In use as a restaurant, sat up to the family dinner-table just as though we owned it. The lady was very obliging ( contrary to quite a number in these parts) & we were only charged 2/- which was very reasonable as we emptied all the dishes & had a second cup of tea each.
A Victorian Sgt. & myself went in to…… ( censored). To have a meal & see a show & we certainly had a meal, steak & eggs & fish. It was alright & then we saw Bill Powell & Myrna Loy in “ Love Crazy” which was an extra good comedy. My mate paid 2/6 for a small tube of toothpaste. Something terrific. We purchased the same size in the canteen for 9d. apples are 3d & 4d each & 3d size ice-creams are 6d. taken all round one needs quite a deal of money to live in these parts.
Last Sunday evening I went to the Sally Haut & the old padre had a sing-song which went very well. All good old numbers & finished up with “ Till we meet again”. I thoroughly enjoyed the hour or so. ‘ though I was not very strong in voice at the conclusion.
28 Aug. just to close. A lovely day to-day. Getting a little warm though. The mess is quite good here & so one can live on the Army tucker for a change.
Well, I shall write later in the week & hope I have caught up with the show by then.
Cheerio & Love to all,
Bruce.
Love to Joan & the children.
NX27395.
Sgt. Sanders. B.
H.Q. Coy.
2/3 Aust. Pioneer Bn
A.I.F.
Aust.
Hello Bet,
Just a note to ask a favour of you & hoping that you are enjoying yourself to-day.
I want you to try to me a copy of the poems of Maurice Clough, the same as the one which I gave to Mum & Dad & send it to me at the unit. Mum will give you the money. “ We of the A.I.F.” is the name, I think.
As I wrote yesterday there is little I can tell you now. I am having a lazy time & eating well, so cannot complain.
I shall write later, Bet, when I am able to tell you something. Don’t forget to send
Cheerio,
Love to all & yourself,
Bruce.
NX27395.
Sgt. Sanders. B.
H.Q. Coy.
2/3 Aust. Pioneer Bn
A.I.F.
Dear Mum & Dad,
Another Sunday nearly gone. I have not caught up with my mail yet, so I hope all are well. I am quite O.K. & to-day I went for a swim in the river, morning & afternoon. It was very enjoyable & the sun was lovely after a couple of days continuous rain. I am slightly burnt but should brown up quickly. We did our washing in the stream. Someday we’ll be able to give the clothes a boil for a change.
The week has been a very quiet one. No leave & so there’s no entertainment. We’re bored stiff. The Mobile Cinema put on a show but, as usual, the film was about five years old & I had seen it a couple of times. Unfortunately, there is no library. My mate has been showing me how to play drafts & crib, I must practice the latter. Quite a fascinating game.
We have one of the National Geographic’s magazines & I can see I neglected some excellent opportunities to increase my knowledge with those you have. Did you keep them? They would be lovely, bound, for a library.
The news is very interesting just now especially for
There is a new chap here. They call him “ Lofty” being over 6 ft. he is quite a card. His pal showed us a newspaper cutting which told of his winning a swimming race after a bad start. When the gun went he turned & waved to a friend, then dived & chased the leader & won. A fair effort.
Well, for now, I’ll have to close but maybe next time I shall be able to tell you more.
Love to everyone & to yourselves,
Cheerio,
Bruce.
NX27395.
Sgt. Sanders. B.
H.Q. Coy.
2/3 Aust. Pioneer Bn
A.I.F.
Australia.
12 Sep. 43.
Dear Mum & Dad,
Sunday & a peaceful one. I have just done the washing & am very peckish now. Hope lunch is good.
There’s not much I can say of the past week, security for ever, you know. I have been very lazy. Went for a march & a swim, early in the week but haven’t used much energy since. I should very much have appreciated some good books. They are truly scarce now. I often resort to that book of poems.
You might tell Bet that the belt has been very, very useful. I have used it to tie my blanket roll & it saves a great deal of trouble fiddling about.
Unfortunately, I have not yet caught up with the mail but any day now should see me with a bundle & extremely pleasing it will be. I have met several chaps from my show but none from my Pln.
We received a parcel from the Comforts Fund on Wednesday. Quite handy, only some so & so lifted portion of mine. There was soap, toothpaste, sweets, shaving soap, hanky, paper, envelopes ( already stuck) & a singlet which I swapped for some chewing gum.
Well, as I cannot talk of my doings & have no mail to answer , it seems as though, once again, I must close . maybe next time I shall have a deal more to tell you & I hope, answer your letters.
Give my love to Grandma & Aunt. I hope they are both well. I shall write them when I can say something.
Cheerio & love to all.
‘Til later.
Love,
Bruce.
Did Bet get my letter asking for a copy of “ We of the A.I.F.”, the poem book? I just want to make sure in case that letter did not reach you.
Platoon.
NX27395.
Sgt. Sanders. B.
H.Q. Coy.
2/3 Aust. Pioneer Bn
A.I.F.
24 Sep.1943.
Dear Mum & Dad,
Friday & I am writing in case there is no opportunity on the week-end. Still, none of your letters have been forwarded to me but the next day or two must yield some. One only has reached me & that from Mr. Roads’ daughter, Iris, sent on 10th Sept. ordinary mail.
Things have been quiet. The movies have kept us entertained in most evenings thanks to the Yanks but otherwise there has been nothing unusual. I lost my spoon last night which is a tragedy as so much of our food necessitates the use of same. However , the Q was able to replace it to-day, so all is well again.
You remember Acland, our old C.S.M. who got his ‘pips’ just before we returned, well, he had his name mentioned in an article on the unit printed in the ‘Mirror’ ( Sydney) on Sep 14th or thereabouts. Try & get it to read. It gives our lads quite a boost Harold Ebling was also mentioned. He is in that group photograph which we had taken in
After due consideration, I have decided to increase my allotment to 8/- per day so that the money will go into the bank & not remain in my book. Unthinkingly , I brought my bankbook with me & so shall send it back & I should like to put the 4/- increase into that account, just to build it up. I may not be able to make the adjustment for a day or two , so don’t expect it too quickly.
That leaves me with 3/6 per day & that amount should be ample , as one’s expenses here are caused mainly by cordial, fruit, stamps & stationery & perhaps further up the last will be the only one.
Incidentally, Miss Roads tells me her Dad has very definite plans for the post-war period & that I feature in them, which is pleasing. I only wish I could study for it but certainly for quite a time to come, I will be occupied so I shall just have to wait.
I shall be pleased to hear of Clyde’s address for he may be near me.
At the pictures, we had a nice chat with a Yank, quite enlightening & interesting. He, like many others, thinks he will come out here after the stoush & settle in Queensland. That’s O.K. by me. They might make a big improvement there and better than “Ities.”
The chap next to me, Cpl Joe Stevens, who is also on the way back to our show, is the brother of a lass who used to live at the Girls’ Home in Garnet St. & is now married. Perhaps Auntie Maude knew her. He used to go down quite often, he tells me, & knew the lot of them, a Joyce Compton who was in the Dulwich Choir.
And so, once again I’m hoping I can tell you how Poss & Co. are when I next write.
Cheerio & Love to all,
Love,
Bruce.
MAIL YOUR LETTERS A.P.O. DO NOT MENTION MILITARY ACTIVITIES.
Italians.
NX27395.
Sgt. Sanders. B.
H.Q. Coy.
2/3 Aust. Pioneer Bn
A.I.F.
Dear Mum & Dad,
Settled at last with the gang again & they are all O.K. I am sleeping with Poss & his section & hope to eventually figure out some means of keeping dry , ‘ though I think tonight should see us with a dry sleep.
I guess the mail will become pretty well regular now as the lads have been receiving theirs & I have heard from several people. Beryl Linklater is in the A.W.A.S. at the Showground, lucky ?
Envelopes are very scarce, if you could send some AIR MAIL I may eventually get them. Some can be bought now, with paper under the flap to prevent sticking. We have an excellent cook. He gave us some scones yesterday & can improvise very well. Plenty of opportunities to boil clothes here, for a change. I’ve made everything green , now, even my towel.
The surf is very pleasant & everyone is benefiting by the exercise it gives. I do not know where Bob is. I don’t think he is here.
You smut hear all the news over the radio, just as much as I could tell you. Things are progressing well everywhere. I have not seen a Jap. But the lads tell me they are good & small and that’s how I like ‘em.
I had a short ride in a ‘plane & it was bonzer. I should like to travel that way back. Speedy & clean & as much fun as the Big Dipper.
After all my meanderings , I haven’t had my teeth fixed so I shall wait now until we come out or they break.
Incidentally , the lads are pleased to call the Yanks their cobbers. They are as game as any & jolly decent with it.
And, now, I shall close. I hope you are well & everyone. I am 100% & improving. Happy to be getting around all the old mates again. Old Scotty Ewbank is here also.
Cheerio,
Lots of Love,
Bruce.
P.S. I increased the allotment to-day dated from about two weeks ago.
Australian Women’s Army Service.
NX27395.
Sgt. Sanders. B.
H.Q. Coy.
2/3 Aust. Pioneer Bn
A.I.F.
Dear Dad & Mum,
Sunday & a day of rest after a fairly busy week. I have just arisen after a lovely sleep ( minus 1 ½ hrs picquet) . The sea air is soothing & my bunk after much scrounging & toil, is quite comfy & I hope inconspicuous.
It is rumoured that mail may arrive to-day . We may be lucky, as for parcels, so far, none has got through. The envelope situation is a little grim, if you can manage some by Air Mail, I would be able to help some of the lads out, too.
All the gang are well. I’ve seen no sign of Bob. He may be anywhere. I shall watch out for him.
Rain has started again. It is fairly persistent , but doesn’t worry us greatly, so long as we are able to sleep dry & we usually are.
I was speaking to an old mate of
There is some bonzer fruit of unknown species here. We go for it in a big way.
So far I’ve not seen much of the Nip’s gear, just a few odd items of interest. He has a lot of our ideas in guns etc.
Well, this is brief, but I cannot tell you much, so I shall close. Love to all & to yourselves. I am extra well.
Cheerio,
Bruce.
The Baptists send a canteen order along. I shall have to save it for an opportunity.
Japanese.
NX27395.
Sgt. Sanders. B.
H.Q. Coy.
2/3 Aust. Pioneer Bn
A.I.F.
Dear Mum & Dad,
Just after I last wrote, your letters of Aug 17 & Oct 10 arrived, sad to say, no cakes yet. Two of our lads scored & we had an enjoyable little supper. For the past few days our food has been very good, especially the porridge & sugar. Some evenings , we have cordial which comes in tins & is very pleasant to drink.
Yesterday I went & looked Bob up & he seems quite O.K. apart from his touch of itch, which is healing. I had a letter from
Betty’s letter of 10 Oct also came. She tells me to look up
My watch has failed at last so I shall have to wait until I get near a good repairer.
Things are quiet now & very, very restful. We hear the news each day.
The rain is not much trouble for we just get wet & then dry & feel none the worse.
29 Oct. and now to finish. I am sending two envelopes to-day, each with L5 in them & to-morrow , I shall send L10 to the allotment but it will take some time. I expect by now the increase has been paid.
I do hope ,Mum, you have had your eyes seen to. Let me know next letter.
To-night, we have some cake, issue, & it looks very inviting.
A letter from May came to-day. I hope her troubles with Ted smooth out. I can quite follow her idea. The farm is a nasty prospect with that flock but its their concern & a difficult one.
My officer has gone to another show, so I may have a little more work to do.
Some chocolate came in last night, 1 to 2 men so I traded my tobacco for a whole one & very nice it was.
I hear
Monday evening we had a church service with Gordon’s padre.
And now, I guess I’m stumped for news & so, shall close. I hope you are both well & Vera, Bet & Marg. Love to all & to Eil & the children.
Cheerio,
Lots of Love,
Bruce.
CENSORED BY B. HUGHES.
(written on Air Mail letter card)
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