Sunday, 16 May, 1943 - Stan

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Segt. S. Bristow                                                                                      (24)
Headquarters
9 Corps Signals (Rear)
B.N.A.F.

Sunday, May 16^th 1943

My Very Own Darling,

At last this part of the war is over!  A step in the right direction, my dear, isn’t it?  We were travelling towards Tunis in convoy the other morning when an officer came along & said “It’s all over – Jerries packed in!” and I could not help wishing that those words referred to the whole of the war and not to just the North Africa Campaign.  I am so anxious for the war to finish so that I can get back to work and to your arms once more.  There will be so much to do & say & so, so much time to make up, won’t there, Darling?

On the day that Tunis fell & for the two days immediately afterwards, I saw sights which made me feel really proud to have had at least some small part in this campaign.

It was amazing to see hundreds and hundreds of German and Italian troops swarming on lorries & driving themselves back to captivity, or else marching along back from the front – and the war.  Some of them were singing & happy to be out of the war, whilst others retained their arrogance & sat in the lorries looking as though they still were members of the “master race” as Hitler liked to refer to his men, instead of men of a vanquished army, an army which had collapsed in a fashion which amazed even the German officers themselves.

All these stories of the Germans defending Tunis to the last bullet is a lot of nonsense, in my opinion.  All along the road were huge dumps of ammunition & petrol, untouched & ready for us to take over.

Staff officers of the German & Italian Army drove up in their cars to prison camps, got out & gave themselves up, while the whole regiment marched in with a complete regimental band, which proceeded to entertain the prisoners when they had settled down in their prison camp.  What a war! !

Now that the fighting is over we are allowed to let you know where we have been putting ourselves since we arrived here so if you borrow an atlas from somewhere you will be able to see from the places I am going to mention, that we have covered a good few miles, the latter part of 473 miles in 37 days creating a record in the matter of advancing against an enemy fighting every inch.  During that period our linesmen laid out 1500 miles of telephone wires.  Some going, eh?

After leaving Algiers we travelled through Algeria into Tunisia & stopped at LE KEF for a little while.  (I mentioned that journey in an earlier letter).  I was present then at the battle when the Fondouk pass was forced & PECHON taken.  This allowed the 8^th Army to advance up the coast almost unhindered, you will perhaps remember, & capture Sousse & SEAX.  I then passed through GAFOUR & BON ARADA to MEDJEZ EL BAB & then “on to Tunis” (to quote Montgomery)! !

I shall have to give you full details of the last battle when I get home, but I can tell you now that it was the most terrific attack the British Army have ever made.

So you see we have not been exactly wasting our time, have we?  As I said in my last letter, we are now enjoying a “scenic rest” near the shores of the Mediterranean.  It was a grand sight the first time we saw it after our long journey through the hills looking cool, green & refreshing in the sun!

Well, Darling, that’s about all that's fresh & as the time is getting on I am afraid I shall have to finish writing for now. 

I thought you would like to hear once more the old – but always evergreen – news of how much I am loving you, my Darling.  I am just living for one day & one day only & that's the day when I shall set foot in England once more & find you waiting there for me, ready to give me all the love that you are storing up for that happy day.

Keep smiling Darling.  All my love.  Yours Stan  xxxxx