Stan and Grace

G. H. N. 31-7-43    My Very Own Darling, I was very pleased and thankful to receive your cable this morning.   Mother posted it on to me as soon as it arrived.   As I had not heard from you for some time I was getting very worried and I know your Mother was too.   A letter also arrived from your Mother this morning telling me that she had received your cable. Look after yourself, Darling. I have not much news for you from this part of the world.   Life is pretty much the same.   I am settled down to hospital routine once again.   In fact, I feel that my recent holiday is part of a dream now.   I feel that I have not been away from the place for two minutes. However, I have quite resigned myself to the fact that there will not be another break until after September. Sister-Tutor decided to take a weeks holiday but she left us all a pile of home-work to do. It has been terrible on duty since I came back.   It is so hot. ...

G. H. N. Thursday   29-7-43 My Own Darling, Here I am, once again writing to you from Nottingham.   Kit and I arrived back at 7-45 last night, feeling just like grease spots.   It was so hot and travelling does not improve matters. Your Mother and mine wanted to do a spot of shopping so they both escorted me into Doncaster.   I really did not mind coming back this time.   It was not a bit like coming back last year, when we had spent that marvellous time together. We were very disappointed when we arrived here as Kit has been put on night duty.   It is most unfair really as we have only seven weeks to go to our “Final” and nobody can swot on night duty. We were hoping too, to do our night duty together.   As you can gather, I am on day duty and have been put back on the ward that I was on before I went on holiday. I was doing junior staff nurses duties but Matron informed me this morning that she wanted me to staff on there as the staff n...

2364226                                                                                        (41) Sergt. S. Bristow Unit Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Central Med. Forces July 27 th 1943     My Very Own Darling, What a grand day it was yesterday.   First came the news of old Musso’s snake dance* and then in the afternoon along came the postman with two letters from you, dated 7 and 12 of July respectively.   What more could a bloke want, failing of course the news that he was coming home to be with you? I am so glad to hear t...

Grimethorpe                                                                                 (45) 26-7-43      My Own Darling, By the time you receive this letter I will once again be established at the G.H.N. On the whole I suppose I have had quite a good holiday, rather quiet, of course, but considering everything I have no cause to complain. The weather has been good too.   I only wish my Darling, that you had been here to share everything with me.   Who knows though, if the war continues to progress as well as it has been doing this last week or so, you may...

Grimethorpe                                                                                  (44) Friday, July 23rd My Own Darling, Having had a rather busy day I thought that I would write a few lines to you. This morning Kit and I went down the village and did the weekly shopping and Kit went home on the 1 p.m. bus.   She might be coming over again on Monday as I think that your Mother is going to sell Kit her bike.   Your Mother did offer it to Wendy Carter however, so we are waiting until to-morrow before we shall know definitely. Kit and I went to Sports Day on Wednesda...

  ETAUUBB   23 JULY       GRACE 56 BRIERLEY ROAD GRIMETHORPE BARNSLEY VERY HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU DEAREST AM FIT AND WELL STAN BRISTOW It is interesting to see the reverse of this Cable & Wireless telegram form.  It has nearly 200 standard phrases, from "Many thanks for your letter" to "The Lord bless and sustain you in your loss", any three of which could be combined into a telegram for a charge of  2s 6d.

Grimethorpe  20-7-43   My Own Darling, After having paid a visit to the local “bug-hut” and having paid a visit to number 19   I thought that I would write a few lines to you. The following is Kit’s impression of Grimethorpe Empire Palace:- “Upon entering the said building my eyes immediately flew to the opposite wall which was green and mouldy.   Whilst sitting in the “dress circle” I looked down upon the “orchestra stalls” with the elite of Grimey in them and I had an urge to join the children in the “fourpennies”.   They were having a good time playing “tigs” as only Grimey kids can.   Then the picture started amid “whoops”.   The show continued, prompted periodically by a deep male voice which boomed forth “Be quiet”.   The place has an aroma of its own which is undistinguishable.   However, I managed to escape without collecting any live-stock which I am sure must roam around such buildings.” Of course, I quite agree with Ki...

Grimethorpe 17-7-43                                                                                                            (42) My Own Darling, It is very late – 11.45 p.m. and I have just returned from number 19.   Your father escorted me nearly as far as the “Manor Inn”, together of course with Kiltie. There was a beautiful full moon shining and it certainly was a lovely night or to describe it better – a romantic night.   How I wished that you were walking by my side, Darling.   As that could not be I decided that I would pen you a few lines to let you know how much I still love you.   No Precious, I do not think it is possible to te...

An entry on Stan's service record notes: '14 July 1943   Entered Sicilian Theatre of Operations’ 2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow                                                                  38 (I think) Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Undated         My Own Darling, As I write this the sun is just setting on the Mediterranean & tinting everything around with a deep orange, and altogether making a brilliant picture. At the moment I am sitting on the deck of a ship – No!   Not the ship, this one is not going to carry me home to you, but just across the Med to Sicily.   What a pity isn’t it?   Still its a step i...

Grimethorpe                                                                                           (41)? 14-7-43      My Own Precious Darling, I have not much to report to-day but I will give you an account of my day's doings. I have been a good girl to-day and have been taking Mother out.   I went with her to Hemsworth Food-Office for their Ration cards for next week.   We then went to Fitzwilliam to see my Uncles and Aunts (I have two of each living there). Aunt Ada said that as soon as you returned from North ...

Grimethorpe Monday   12.7.43 My Very Own Darling, Once again I write to you from “mucky Grimy”. I wrote you an ordinary letter this week-end which was posted this morning.   I could not get hold of any Air Letters in Abertillery. The most thrilling part about coming home again was that there were two letters waiting for me from you and the lemons .   The lemons had arrived Wednesday morning.   Mother said that five were in good condition and six had to be used immediately as they were getting soft.   Only two were bad.   The parcel too was in fairly good condition.   I think that we ought to say thank you to the Army Post Office for delivering the goods and you know how I would like to thank you for them don’t you, Darling?   As it is I am afraid that you will have to be satisfied with a thank you on paper and one large extra kiss on the end of my letter. Mother said that Dad has been ill in bed (I did mention it in my ordinary letter)...

  Preceded on 9 July by heavy bombing of strategic targets in Sicily by air, on 10 July the Allied landings began on Sicily, taking troops from North Africa into the European theatre of the war and beginning a 'new front'.   In spite of the positive tone of this newspaper cutting from the Coventry Evening Telegraph, things did not go as planned for the Allied forces.  At this point in the war, this was the largest amphibious landing ever attempted.  Commandos had been landed by glider during the night and few found themselves where they should have been.  The landing craft began to arrive on the beaches in the early morning and in many places this was chaotic.   Many lessons were learned from the Sicily landings which informed plans for the Normandy landings a year later.

ABERTILLERY                                                                                                  39. Friday.   9-7-43 My Own Darling, This morning Kit and I made a special journey to the general post office of the above town, to get some Air Letters.   Believe it or not – they hadn’t any.   Consequently I am having to write you an ordinary letter until I can go home and get some Air Letters. We have not been able to go far to-day as the weather is not too good.   We are going ...

2364226                                                                                                  36. Sergt. S. Bristow Unit Headquarters 15 L of C Signals B.N.A.F. Thursday, 8 July, 43 My Very Own Darling, The Army Post Office certainly excelled itself this week!   I actually got your letter written on 28 June 43 last night.   Nine days isn’t bad going is it?   And as you remark in the letter, these Air letters are much better than airgraphs.   The latter means of correspond...

ABERTILLERY                                                                                        38. 7-7-43        My Own Darling, Here I am trying to write you once again bit it is almost impossible.   These Welsh people – can they talk!   Yes, I know that I can do my share but I cannot get a word in here.   Not that I mind – I like listening to them. This morning we went mountaineering I think that I told you yesterday we were going to.   Don’t ask me how high we climbed I tried to find out but nobody seemed ...

ABERTILLERY                                                                                        (37) WALES          6-7-43 My Own Darling,   As you can see from the above I am writing this from Wales.   I posted an ordinary letter to you last Sunday telling you about the beginning of my holidays. Kit and I caught the 8.51 a.m. train from Doncaster yesterday and arrived at Kings Cross at 12.30 p.m.   We were met by an Aunt of Kits who took us to lunch and showed us a few sights of London. Of course,...

  Readers will have noticed that we have not heard from Stan since his letter no. 32 written on 25 June.  As his next letter will be numbered 36, we have to assume that numbers 33 to 35 have been lost or perhaps never arrived.   However, life is not standing still for Stan in Tunisia. Even before the Allies had successfully ejected the German and Italian armies from North Africa, a debate was taking place amongst Allied leaders about what the next step should be.  Should we hold North Africa but concentrate all our efforts in planning and launching an attack on German forces in Northern France, or should we follow up the success in North Africa with an attack on Italian forces in the Balkans or against one of the Mediterranean islands: Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily or Crete?  This would be the first step in aiming to knock Italy out of the war. At this time fighting was only actually taking place in Russia, on the Eastern front, and Russia was desperate for the...

  Grimethorpe                                                                                 36 July 1 st  1943 My Precious Darling, This is the first night of the first day of my holidays. I thought that I would like to write you a few lines Dear before I finally retired for the night. Kit and I left Nottingham at 10 a.m. and I arrived home at 3 p.m.    Of course, you know what it is like – my first day at home – we women seem to have so much to talk about. As I wanted to shampoo my hair almost as soon as I arrived I did not get up to 19 but shall be going up to-morrow. Mo...