Stan and Grace

G.H.N. 4-11-43          My Own Darling, I started writing you an ordinary letter last night but I thought that in the meantime I would write you this as these air-letters do travel quicker. When I started writing you last night I felt on top of the world but as I write this I feel down in the depths.   Yes, there is a good reason for my feeling this way.   I was expecting Eric and Bessie down to see me to-day.   It is my day-off and after waiting at the station for two trains to come in I came back to the hospital to find a telegram waiting for me from Eric, saying that Bessie is ill, so they cannot come. You can imagine my disappointment.   Somehow, I knew they would not come but I think that it is rather a coincidence that Bessie had to be ill the very morning they were coming to see me. Yes, maybe I do sound nasty saying things like that but a similar thing happened once before, before they were married.   However, I suppo...

2364226                                                                                        74 . Sergt Bristow S, Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces. 31 Oct 43         My Very Own Darling, Have just finished work a few minutes ago & thought I would write the letter I promised in the air letter which I wrote last night. I have just re-read your last air letter for the umpteenth time, it is so thrilling to think that you are bit by bit preparing the home that we have both talked, written & dreamed of this last...

G.H.N. 28-10-43    My Own Darling, I am committing a great crime by starting to write this letter on duty.   The truth is that I have nothing to do for the next ten minutes so I thought I start this.   We are “taking-in” once again so I guess we shall have plenty to do during the coming week.   We are usually quite slack the first day. I have received your letter dated October 14 th .   The mail position has certainly improved this last fortnight.   I was very sorry to read that in future your air letters will have to be curtailed to one a fortnight.   I know that you will make up for then in your ordinary letters.   I look forward to your letters so much, Darling. 30-10-43 My letter writing was interrupted the other day by the telephone ringing and a voice at the other end saying “This is casualty speaking, we are sending you an acute appendix.”   We do not seem to have stopped taking cases for long, ever since.   Howev...

2364226                                                                              72 (I think!) Sergt Bristow S, Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces. Wed'y 27 Oct 43 My Very Own Darling, I am on duty all night to-night and so I thought I would start this air letter to you.   I shan’t finish it until to-morrow for the air mail delivery for this week has just arrived and so to-morrow there may be a letter from you.   Had one from home tonight in which Mother mentioned that you had received the stockings I sent to you.   I am interested to know what you thought of them, but I...

General Hospital, Nottingham. 27-10-43       My Own Darling, I do not know where you will be when these books arrive but wherever you are I hope that they arrive safely and that you find time to read them. I racked my brains but could not think of anything you would want out there. I know that you will not want more bulk than you can avoid to carry around with you so maybe when you have read the books you might care to pass them on to your friends. However, Darling, just do as you please with them. I only hope that they arrive in time for Christmas and I wish you as happy a Christmas as you can have under the circumstances. ‘Bye Darling, I want to post this parcel to-day and it is post time now. All my love, your own, Grace   xxxxxxx  

G.H.N. 24-10-43     My Own Darling, To-day is Sunday and it is such a beautiful day too.   The sun is shining but there is just a nip in the air – in fact it is just the sort of day for a long country walk.   As I have only half an hour off for lunch I can hardly go for a walk so I decided to start writing you a letter. I did not receive a letter from you at all last week but your Mother showed me one which she had received from you last Tuesday.   However, I am hoping that there will be one from you to-morrow. There is no fresh news to tell you since I last wrote.   I am still waiting for a letter from home to tell me whether or not Eric has arrived. I am reading a book called “The Last Train from Berlin”.   It is written by an American newspaper correspondent called Howard Smith.   He gives a very good account of life in Germany during the first two years of Hitler’s war against us.   He was the last American to leave Germany be...