Stan and Grace

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen. Med. Forces 4 Aug. 44 .                                                                            186. My Very Own Precious Darling, I didn’t manage to say all I wanted in my last night’s letter and so tonight I thought I would answer the sea letter which arrived yesterday. In your letter you make reference to moonlight bathing.   We went last night and are hoping to go again tonight, for its full moon tonight.   The advantage of moonlight bathing is that you needn’t wear a costume & I can assure you it is much pleasanter swimming i...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen. Med. Forces 3 Aug. 44 .                                                                            185. My Very Own Darling, The postman was very kind to me today and presented me with three letters, two of them to my great delight coming from you.   One was the sea letter which you wrote to me whilst you were in Edinburgh, whilst the other was an air letter dated 28 Jul 44.   The sea letter had taken only 3 weeks, so it didn’t do too badly. The third letter was from Mother telling me that my Grandad had died.   It's rather tragic f...

G.H.N.                                                            160 2-8-44 My Precious Darling, Two more air-letters arrived from you this morning one being dated July 23 rd and the other the 26 th .   Three letters in two days!   Good going isn’t it? I have started writing this in my lunch time and as we do not get much time for lunch I shall not be able to finish it. Nothing much has happened since I wrote you yesterday.   Just the usual “daily rounds and common tasks”!   Mr Allen was in a good mood this morning when he did his round as two of his ill patients are making satisfactory progress and believe me – having Mr Allen in a good mood is a lot to be thankful...

G.H.N.                                                                                           158 1-8-44 My Own Darling, A letter arrived from you this morning which Vera had posted on to me.   Your letters never fail to thrill me, Darling.   Though I am sure we are all ready to blame the A.P.O. for delay of letters at times we really ought to be grateful.   I do not know how I should exist without your letters to look forward to. Once again I am back on duty after a fairly quiet week-end.   On Saturday morning Robin and I went out and met an old patient of ours in town.   ...

  This photograph shows Stan's father, George, on the left and George's father (Stan's Grandfather), also George, on the right. George (senior) was born on 4 November, 1874, in Cranwell, Lincolnshire.  George's older brother, Charles had moved to Essex and married an Essex girl and i n the early 1890's George also moved to Essex.  Here he met Sarah Challis and they were married on 16 September, 1897. George and Sarah went on to have seven children.  George (junior) was the oldest.  George (senior) got a job as a 'chainman' on the railways and lived in several different parts of England, travelling with the job.  At some point before 1911 he left the railways and began working as a labourer at Frickley Colliery, near South Elmsall in the West Riding of Yorkshire. George was known to be very 'close' with his money, but all the time he was saving and in the mid-1920's he was able to buy the village shop and post office in Cranwell and return to live...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen. Med. Forces 30 Jul. 44                                                                             183. My Very Own Darling The A.P.O. have let me down again.   Sunday’s arrived again, but not the usual letter from you, so Sunday this week is more than a little dull. There’s nothing fresh to write about since I wrote to you a couple of nights ago. I had an invitation out to dinner at a Sergts’ Mess in the local town & had quite a hectic time – too hectic by the feel of my head this morning!!   They had a dance afterwards, but ...