Sunday, 26 July, 1942

Home Forces

Sunday  

My own darling,

I realised that when I asked for that photograph you would quibble about it, but if you won’t give me a copy of it now, I shall get it in the end (even if I have to pinch it)!

It’s a grand day again today.  When the weather is like this it always makes me wish we were near to each other so that we could go out together and enjoy it.  I hope it is fine for the couple of days I am going to have with you down in Nottingham.  If there is anything I hate, its being in city on a wet day.

I am looking forward to a letter from you to-morrow morning.  I shall be more than disappointed, for if I don’t get one to-morrow morning, I shall probably not get one for another 14 days.

You see I am going up to the west coast of Scotland on Monday evening for manoeuvres which will last a fortnight & during that time it is very doubtful if we shall get any letters. – That doesn’t mean that you are excused writing to me for a fortnight, however.  I mean, imagine how thrilling it will be after not hearing from you for a fortnight coming back to billets to find half a dozen letters waiting for me from you.

I shall still be able to write to you I suppose, so for every letter I write to you, I shall expect one waiting for me when I get back.

As long as they don’t give me too much work to do, the next fortnight should prove interesting, both from a military and personal point of view, for the scenery in the part of Scotland to which we are going is reputed to be very fine.

Excuse all these mistakes by the way, but the Mess kitten – a little black thing – has been on my knee for the past ten minutes and every now & then she makes an effort to grab my pen.  The mice were beginning to eat all our rations & so we decided to get this (what we hope will be at any rate) live mouse killer.  Apart from the fact that she eats twice as much as the mice, the scheme is working well.  There was hell let loose in the Mess yesterday, when we put a couple of dead mice on the Sargt. Major’s plate alongside his bacon!!  I won’t tell you what was said – I think you’ve got a good enough imagination!!

Not a lot of news from the Grimethorpe sector to-day.  Have you any?  John & Janet were very thrilled about your letter.  Janet wrote to me the other day & said Vera had given Mother a very nice cardigan pattern.

Well, Angel, the clock says its post time, so I must go.

Don’t forget about the letters, will you, dear.

All my love, Darling.  Stan  xxxxxxx