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Private J. D. Caves: The Long Journey Home

12 December 1941 B Coy 24th Bn N.Z.E.F. Middle East Forces

12 December 1941 B Coy 24th Bn N.Z.E.F. Middle East Forces

My Dear Jean,

We are all settling down again in the local routine. Today I shifted back to what is left of my old platoon, as a reinforcement who is a qualified accountant has taken on the orderly room job. I am comfortably housed now in a good dug-out. I have a couple of boxes for gear and a few bags to cover the floor so I am living in style. My sleeping partner is a jolly decent Maori chap with whom I went through the scrap. It is great being back here and staying peacefully in one spot after our nomadic life of the last month. Our beds too, just quietly, are very popular after the nights we spent laying out, often under fire and seldom warm.

Nearly all who have come back will be able to have a week in Alexandria or Cairo. I may as well have a few decent holidays over here and see Palestine if possible. After seeing things up there [in battle] one feels the need of a break and does not see so much advantage in saving too drastically.

We must beat them in Africa here, and the Russians are doing great stuff. Of the Japanese situation I know little but today I see that Germany and Italy have declared war on the Yanks so things should turn out all right if the U.S. fleet can down the Japs quickly in a big naval battle. We, the NZ Div [Division], are not likely to see front line fighting for sometime again in my opinion.