Monday, 15 March, 1943 - Stan's letter

Sargt. S. Bristow                                                                                     (4)
2364226
Headquarters
9 Corps Signals  (Rear)
British North African Forces

Monday, 15 March 43

My Very Own Darling,

The atmosphere in this billet is not very good as far as letter writing is concerned tonight.  In one corner all the people who like classical music are gathered around one wireless whilst in the other corner a wireless set is churning out hot jazz.  If this letter is at all up to standard it will be quite a triumph for my powers of concentration, I can tell you!

Life is apt to be very boring at the moment.  I have not much work to do & so it gives me time to think of England & you & despite the fact that they are always grand thoughts, it always ends with my realising how many miles are separating us & how many months it is going to be before we see each other again & so on & so forth & I find myself feeling quite miserable.  There is nothing like work for keeping one’s mind off things is there?

How are you finding the time is passing?  Every hour seems like a year to me.

To-day has been the first fine day for over a week & so I took the opportunity of doing some washing!  I had quite a bit to do but the sun was quite hot & so it soon dried.  I can’t say that it was a good advert for my patent washing soap when I had finished it, but it was not bad to say a mere man had done it.

I did not really ought to be letting you into the secret that I can wash, did I.  You might be dragging me in to do some when we are married.  A dangerous precedent, don’t you think?

I have not received any more letters from you since I last wrote to you, but am counting the days to the time when a bunch do arrive.  I think that your letters are thing I miss most of all out here.  When one got out of bed in England one had the happy thought that the postman would at least bring you a letter, but that chance is not so strong now.

Talking of writing letters, will you please notice that there is a slight change of address?  By the way there is an airgraph system from England to here, but not vice versa as yet.  You can write to me much quicker that I can reply to you, therefore.  Are you jealous?

Am pleased to hear that there is a chance of your brother getting home for a much-needed leave next month.  I hope he manages it.  I wish I had another leave to look forward to next month.

Grimethorpe may be a very dirty, poor place & all its name suggests, but, Darling, in the past 14 months it has come to mean all that is grand & thrilling in life to me, for it is there that we have spent our happiest times together.

I sent a postcard to your Vera the other day & said to her that although the buildings out here was splendid in their architecture, it would be grand to see some of the dirty streets of “Grimey” instead!  I hope Vera is getting a bit better again now, by the way.

I hope you are not worrying about me, too much, Angel.  I am getting on O.K. & but for the fact that I feel so far away from you, my work at the moment is not very much different to what it was in England.

I will write a much longer letter in the week when things are a little quieter, Darling.  It is about time I went to bed.  Wash days are rather tiring, aren’t they!!

Keep loving me won’t you, Dearest.  All my love, Stan.   Xxxx

Both Stan and Grace wrote letters on 15 March.  For Grace's letter, scroll down on the main blog page.