Tuesday, 20 - Friday, 23 April, 1943

General Hospital   
Nottingham

20. 4. 43                                                                                                    No. 16

My Very Own Darling,

At last!  The end of a perfect day (I don’t think).  Whew!  Its been hectic.  It has been so hot too.  However, all good things come to an end.

It is now about 9.30 p.m.  The evening is cool and very quiet.  I am now sitting in the sitting room with the window wide open and looking out over the green fields and thinking, Darling, of you.

Yes, my thoughts are always of you Dear, at this time of night, wondering how and where you are and wishing and wishing ........  You know too Dear what I wish.  It seems ages since we last saw each other – I wonder how long it will be before we see each other again?

I suppose I had better stop being sentimental however and write you something cheering.

Just one moment, I really must stop writing and do the “Black-out”.

By the way, I am still at Selston but have put the G. H. N. address on my letter as I am expecting going back any time now.  I am definitely not going back this week.  I suppose that I will be back when this reaches you.

Nurse Farrow has arrived in the sitting room complete with sewing.  She is sewing her “trousseau”, or at least, she is with my aid.  She has seen some of my (well, I will leave you to guess what she has seen) and so decided that she too would start “sewing”.

Kit has now arrived and Farrow and Kit decided that they would start singing – just to give me inspiration Darling – although I must admit that some of the songs bring back many very pleasant memories.  The one they are singing at present is “She is in Love with a Soldier” – how true.  Another one is “Wrap yourself in cotton wool”.  There are many others too but as you know which songs we associate with each other I will not bother putting them down.

Darling, I have decided to send you the promised photograph.  I do hope it gets to you alright and does not finish up at the bottom of the ocean.  I am so glad I have your photograph.  Even though, in my opinion, it does not do you justice.  You stand on my dressing table and say Good-night and Good-morning every day of my life.

And now, Dearest One, until tomorrow “Good-night Sweetheart”

23. 4. 43   Good Friday

On the 21^st I received your Airgraph and on the 22^nd you Air letter.  I sent you an Airgraph yesterday, as I suppose you will receive it long before this.  It is lovely receiving your letters, Dear, and two in ten days – they were worth waiting ten days for too.

I had a letter from home this morning.  Vera said that your Mother had an Airgraph from you two days ago. There was not much other news from Grimethorpe.  There is really nothing much of interest in Grimethorpe for me now.

We are all having an extra half-day for Easter.  I have got ½ day Sunday and day off Monday.  I suppose I could go home but travelling on Easter Sunday will be no joke and the buses from Doncaster are so unreliable on Sundays, normally.  I have weighed up all the Pro’s and Con’s and decided to stay in Nottingham.  Kit and Farrow are off on Monday too, so we will find something to do.

Do you know, we have just asked Sister for the wireless on so she said “Well Nurses, you must have it on very low as people passing will say “Fancy having the wireless on and its Good Friday.  The Nurses there cannot be up to much.”  So now you know, Dear, what we dreadful Nurses are like.

We have not got our holiday list up yet so I don’t know how much longer they are going to keep us in suspense.  Not that it really matters – this year.

Kit and I went to the nearest cinema yesterday – 2 miles away and saw “Topper Returns”.  Have you ever seen a “Topper” film?  I think they are quite good.

Yesterday Kit and I had a day off together and we went to see a film in town.  It was Conrad Veidt and Vivien Leigh in “D

ark Journey”.  It is an old film I believe but quite good.  It is about the end of the last war.  Did you know that Conrad Veidt died last week?  I guess I know what your answer to that will be too.

We were going to go into Derbyshire, we are just on the border of Derbyshire out here, you know.  As it rained all day we decided to go to the flicks instead.

And now my Dear, time is very short, so I suppose I had better bring my letter to a close.

I cannot think of anything else I want to tell you either.  Oh Yes, just one thing Darling – I still love you as much as ever and am missing you more than ever.  It is the same old story is it not?  But to me and to you always new and sweet to hear.

I really must say Au Revoir, Darling.  I am, yours for always, Grace   xxxxxxxxx

P.S. Aren’t I honoured, Sister Kirk has given me an envelope to put my photo in as I had not got one large enough! !  I suppose she guessed it was to you.

 

Note: I was wrong in my assumption of 2 March (Two Precious Pictures).  Clearly, Stan did not take this photograph with him when he left the UK.  He mentions in an earlier letter from North Africa that he has "six Graces looking at him from the frame on his desk", so he must have taken the smaller photos shown on the post of 13 January, 1943, and framed this one when he received today's letter.