Wednesday, 13 May, 1942


Home Forces

Wednesday evening

My Dear Grace,

When no letter arrived again this morning I was beginning to think that you had decided to devote your life to nursing and forget about me altogether!  I needn’t have worried, however, for I see by your letter, which arrived this afternoon, that you faithfully wrote to me on Sunday and that if I want to blame anyone, I must blame the postal authorities for holding it up so long.

You seem to have got me all wrong about staying in!  I wasn’t really staying in because I was feeling good – it was solely because I had no money!  Still, as you know, I can be good when I really want to be.

Here’s a bit that will interest you.  My pal & I were walking in the park here on Sunday evening when we stopped to listen to an open air meeting of the local Communist Party talking about a Second Front Policy.  Both my pal and I asked the speaker a question or two.  After the meeting a lance corporal came to me and asked me my name, saying that he thought he knew me.

Imagine my surprise when he turned up at my office next morning and said he was a member of the F.S.P. (army detective).

He asked Major Foot, my boss, if he had ever had any trouble with me as I was getting rather ‘bolshy’ at a meeting the night before!!

That’s just an example of the “free” England in which we live. -  And Major Foot hasn’t half pulled my leg about it, too!

Apart from that narrow escape from 18B Regulation and deportation to the Isle of Man, nothing very interesting has happened. 

I went to the pictures last night but it was a –xx—awful show so I won’t tell you what it was.

Tonight I am staying in and thinking of you, at the same time saving a couple of bob, which will take us to the local “hop” (perhaps!!) when I come home.

I have just crossed no. “13” off my calendar and see there’s still another 16 days yet.  How slowly the last seven seem to have crawled by!

If I am lucky I might get ten days leave so we really can look forward to a gay time.

Well my darling it’s supper time.  One of my “slaves” has just reported that my fish and chips are waiting in the Mess so I suppose I had better go and claim them before someone else gets designs on them!

For now you have my written love.  In 16 days time – who knows! 

Lots of love from Stan xxxx 

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