Stan and Grace

General Hospital Nottingham 1 a.m. Dec: 30 th 1942    My Precious Darling, I suppose this will be the last letter I will write you before I am actually with you again on Friday.   Lovely thought!! When I kissed you Good-bye last time I never thought that we would have five more days together.   Of course, I hoped that we might but it seemed so improbable.   Now that we are actually going to be together again – well – it seems too good to be true.   There is only one snag – I might have a lecture.   I hardly dare look at the “Notice Board” for the new list.   I am hoping that one will not come out before Friday and then Friday morning I shall not look at it, so that I can always plead ignorance. You asked if father had arranged some conveyance to take us home Sat: evening.   Yes – he has arranged for a taxi.   Thank goodness!! I was pleased to hear that you managed to have a decent time at Christmas, even though you had to ...

Usual address Sunday evening       My Own Darling, I wonder what we shall be doing next week at this time?   Only another four days & I shall be home & then after another day we shall be together. Why can’t the time go much quicker. I’ve not much to tell you, to-night.   I’ve just finished work & am trying to get as much cleared up as possible so there will be no fear of some job cropping up at the last moment. I had another TAB inoc. a few hours ago & am just beginning to feel the effects so I really think the best place for me is bed. Am looking forward to a letter from you to-morrow.   I don’t think anything to this Christmas rush business.   It delays your letters too much for my liking.   It seems ages Darling since I had a letter from you. I know you won’t think much of this scribbled note but I thought I must write & let you know how much I am looking forward to the week-end. When you reply to t...

  Ward Castle 2                                                          Nurses Home                                                                                    General Hospital                                                                                    Nottingham                                         ...

Christmas night    11 p.m. My Own Darling, Despite the fact that I’ve been surrounded by people all day, I’ve felt rather lonely to-day, lonely for you and for home.   I suppose its a feeling everyone gets on Christmas Day.   I’ve just been wondering what you are doing.   Did you get anyone to relieve you to go to your dance? A week tonight at this time we shall be together, Darling, together for another five days of heaven.   No doubt they will fly past, but we can trust each other to make the best of them can’t we.   I keep wishing the week would fly past, but instead it just seems to crawl along at an indescribable rate.   Ah me!   What it is to be impatient. I feel tired tonight.   I got up at 6.30 this morning & helped to take coffee & rum round to the men in bed.   Then I worked in the cookhouse all the morning & helped to serve the dinner. We had a super dinner.   The conventional type you know, t...

Usual address Tuesday 11 p.m.       My Own Darling, Another three days nearer!   But how slow the time creeps by.   Do you find that too. I received your Christmas Box today, Dear.   It was grand of you to buy me such a marvellous present, but you should really have saved your money.   We shall need lots & lots one day, you know! I’ve written to Mother to tell her that I shall want to wear civvies next week for the sole purpose of wearing your gloves.   There is only one thing left now.   I shall have to get a commission, so that I can wear them every day!!! But seriously; you couldn’t have thought of anything better, for even if I don’t get much time to wear them in the next year, they will be extremely useful when I come back to England.   There now, look at me.   Talking about coming back before I have even gone.   That shows that I am not very interested in this cruising around at the Army’s expense. ...

Nurses Home General Hospital Nottingham Dec 22   12.30 a.m. 1942 My Precious Stan, I was awfully sorry Dear to hear how you have reacted to your T.A.B.   I only wish I was able to get to you and nurse you.   No – I don’t think I would excite you.   If you were really ill Darling and I was looking after you, I would be a nurse until you were well again. However, as I am not able to be near you in person you will have to be content knowing that my thoughts are continually with you.   I do hope that you will soon feel alright again.   Only another 10 days and we shall be together again.   I am getting impatient.   I suppose that our time together will go quickly again.   However the fact that we shall be together again is enough for now, or at least it will have to be. The Colonel seems very anxious to have you married.   How about yourself – what did you have to say about it all? Darling, I have a confession to make – I hope y...

Usual address Sunday   19.12.42* My Own Darling, I should actually be in bed tonight with you in your blue nurse’s uniform ministering to me!   I had a TAB inoculation yesterday & the result tonight is a temperature & a splitting headache. Still, I don’t think I should find your presence soothing – I always find it most exciting.   The result would be a still higher temp. I suppose. Did you get my wire yesterday?   I felt so excited that I felt I must tell you straight away, my Dear, & that was the only way I could think of doing so. Words cannot express with what impatience I look forward to 1 Jan 43.   A repetition of those last glorious five days was a thing I had dreamed of, but not dared to hope for!   I felt on top of the world immediately I heard & the Colonel said “Well, I told you I was going to give you another leave to get married, didn’t I?   Ah me!   Wishful thinking I suppose.   I can hear you saying ...

G. H. N. 19.12.42   1 a.m.        My Precious Darling, It was with “my heart in my mouth” that I opened your telegram at 1.30 a.m. yesterday.   Imagine my surprise when I read the contents !   Darling, it gave me such a thrill.   Isn’t it marvellous?   I can hardly believe that it is true – five more days together.   However did you manage it?   I am expecting a letter from you today or tomorrow telling me all about it. I received your letter at 6.30 a.m. yesterday.   I should have received it Thursday evening but you know what hospitals are like.   You said in your letter that you hoped I would not get too good at looking after dead people or I might forget how to look after you (or at least something to that effect).   Darling, do you think that possible? As a matter of fact we have a girl of twenty-seven who, I am sorry to say is dying.   She has an inoperable brain tumour. 2.45 a.m. Sorry dar...

  MISS G SKUSE NURSES HOME GENERAL HOSPITAL NOTTINGHAM DARLING HAVE GOT TEN DAYS LEAVE COMMENCING 31 DEC  ISNT IT GRAND CHRISTMAS BOX FIVE MORE DAYS TOGETHER LOVE = STAN +

Home Forces Wednesday   16.12.42 My Own Darling, I spent an anxious day yesterday waiting for a letter from you.   When one didn’t arrive on Monday I felt sure there would be one for me yesterday.   You can imagine my feelings when the post arrived & nothing came along for me! I immediately began to wonder if there was anything wrong.   I thought perhaps one of your irrational patients had bitten your hand so that you couldn’t write or something just as terrible had happened!! No, Darling, it wasn’t your fault I know – just the blankety blank Army Post Office to blame again.   It is annoying when you are waiting for a letter from someone you love very much & it doesn’t materialise, isn’t it? Yes, I bet you feel relieved now you have got the exam over.   They are apt to be worrying, I suppose.   Let me know the result as soon as you get it won’t you. We have had a bit of a flap on here for the past two days.   The Inspector Ge...

G. H. N. 16.12.42   1 a.m.     My Precious Darling, I received your last letter Tuesday morning.   I expect it will take our letters longer to come now that Christmas is coming, which of course, does not suit me at all. Receiving your letters means so much to me.   My world falls flat if there is not a letter when I expect one, so I console myself by reading your previous letters. So one day you will show me the letter I first wrote you, will you?   I have forgotten the contents of it.   I daresay I shall get a laugh out of it.   I did not think you would keep it so long. There are only sixteen more days Darling and I shall be going home again and I hope, you will be too.   Is it not a lovely thought?   New Year together!   Do you think that you really will manage 48 hours and if so how will you get home?   I thought that you were not allowed to travel out of a certain radius? Be careful won’t you Darling?   ...

Usual address Sunday lunchtime 13.12.42 My Own Darling, If luck goes with us we shall be together again at this time three weeks hence.   I am watching every little happening down here just now and wondering ”Will I manage it?”   The next three weeks cannot pass quickly enough, my Dear.   What do you say? The Sergeants’ Mess held a dance last night.   As it is more or less compulsory that one attends I put in an appearance.   Dancing without you, however, Darling, is nothing but a bore, & the more I see of girls in this neighbourhood, the more I thank my lucky stars that there is someone like you at home waiting for me.   I never knew that I could ever miss anyone so much as I have missed you during the past fortnight.   What ten months ago was just a friendship has certainly ripened into a really deep love, my Dear, hasn’t it? Yes, I agree with you, it is grand to be told that there is someone around, who really does love you.   ...

Nurses Home General Hospital, Nottingham Dec: 12.   12.30 a.m. 1942 My Own Darling, Once again I snatch a few minutes to write your letter.   I thought that once we had finished “take-in” week we would be slack for a while but we are just as busy. There is a patient dying to the left of me so don’t be surprised if this letter is very short.   However, I will make it last as long as possible. Well, Darling, that so and so exam is over at last. I am afraid that I don’t feel very happy about it.   (Sorry Darling, but that patient has just died – I will finish later.) Sunday   12.15 a.m. Phew! What a night last night was – However, here’s hoping to-night is going to keep quiet. My mind keeps jumping three weeks ahead.   I most likely will be fast asleep in bed at home.   Happy thought!   Unless, of course, you can manage your 48 hrs and then Precious, I might be in your arms. Darling, how I am longing to be with you again – to be clo...

Usual address Wednesday   9/12/42 My Own Darling, Your letter yesterday was the only bright spot in the whole day!   I wasn’t half in a bad mood with myself. I thought about you Dear, yesterday & wondered if you were having your exam & how you were doing.   When are the results made known by the way. I had a letter from home this morning, but there was very little news in it.   Mother said she & Janet went to Barnsley on Saturday morning to see “The Young Mr Pitt” & so Janet didn’t get up to see Vera, & there has not been another meeting of the “Mothers Club” & so there was nothing to interest you in the despatch!! Everyone at No. 19 wished to be remembered to you, however, & when you next write home, you might tell your Father that the watch is still going which he mended for me. Well, Darling, I have been back just a week, but how much longer it has seemed.   Those heavenly nights we spent together, although every litt...

G. H. N. 12.30 a.m.   Wednesday    My Precious Darling, I received your last letter Monday evening.   I had a busy night Monday with only half an hour to spare so I thought you would not mind having your letter one day later, so I did half an hours cramming and am writing your letter to-night (Hope you can make sense of the above paragraph.   When I re-read it – it sounds a bit mixed up). However, the first part of the dreaded exam is over.   Thank goodness! We take the second part (the oral) at 5 p.m. – or thereabouts – on Friday.   The paper was alright at least two questions (one upon cancer and one upon intestinal obstruction) were passable but the third one was dreadful.   I think that hardly anybody has made anything of it.   I am living in hope that the surgeon is in a good mood and feeling lenient when he marks the papers – or else!! And now I will get away from exams for a while. Your letter cheered me up no end.  ...

Usual address Sunday   6.12.42 My Own Darling, I thought I would snatch a few moments during my lunch “break” (I won’t say “hour” because it never is!) to write an odd line or two to you in the hope that it arrives to cheer you on your way at the start of another week. Well, Darling, you have been back over a week now & I suppose therefore you will have more or less got back into the hum-drum existence of the G.H.N. Speaking for myself, although the five days seem more like years, I have had my time filled in to catch up with work left undone while we were together. I am not going to make any rash promises, Angel, but as things stand at the moment I should not be at all surprised if I don’t manage to “wrangle” a 48 hours leave sometime during 1 – 5 Jan!   Would you mind having to say “Goodbye” to me again?   I don’t think you would, would you?!! As I said in my last letter, however, things seemed to have slacked off a bit here – so “Here’s Hoping”. BUT...

The constant search for paper to write on - tonight Grace is using letter-headed Hospital notepaper! Ward Castle 2 Nurses Home General Hospital Nottingham Dec. 6, 1.30 a.m.  My Precious Darling, What a lovely long letter I received this morning (sorry, I mean yesterday)   I would like to write you at least twelve pages back but I really have not the time. We have been so busy since Tuesday.   Wednesday night was hectic.   I stopped working once, for 10 minutes, and that was to have a cup of coffee and two biscuits. Thursday night was a little better, I managed to get about half an hour with my lecture book. We have not had a case in to-night – so far – but there is plenty of time for one to come in before 8 a.m. We have three irrational patients in – one to the right of my desk – one to the left – and one in a side ward.   I have to be popping in to her every five minutes or so, to see that she is not hopping out of bed.   Ah me – it’s a...

Castle Ward                                                                                           G. H. N.     12. 5 a.m.                                                                                                3.12.42    My Own Darling, By now you will be back in Norfolk and I suppose, fast asleep in bed, your leave will be over and be just a memory, but what a memory!   Those four days we had togethe...

Usual address Wednesday  2/12/42 My Very Own Darling, Here I am back in the Army once more – no longer an individual, but just one of the cogs in the vast machine. I will say that I feel a little better to-day after a good day's work than I did just hanging about Grimethorpe without you.   My thoughts have kept straying to a certain place to-day & at the moment I am thinking of you just getting up ready to start another night’s work, & wondering whether you will be writing one of you sweet letters to me, during the dark (knowing a nurse's life, I won’t say “still”) watches of the night. The train journey down here was rather dreary.   I left home at 1 p.m. & got into the Mess at 10.30 p.m.   I whiled away the nine hours reading “Purposes of Love” & alternatively thinking of you - & me & how much like the story in the book our lives had been during the past week!   I wonder what would have happened if I had read the book before y...