Tuesday, 27 July, 1943

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 that you enjoyed your stay in Wales.  It sounds as though it was a most energetic holiday, too.  I have seen enough of mountains and hills to last me for a long time, although the hills of Africa don’t look as beautiful as the hills of Wales, I don’t imagine for one moment.  I agree with you about Welsh people being good talkers.  The majority of those I have met have been able to talk themselves well up in the Army – yes, they’ve always been competing against me!

You made me feel quite jealous when you wrote of cider being drunk in a country pub.  Just now it is terribly warm and I could just manage a pint of cider!  Ah me!  What trials and tribulations we soldiers are undergoing and what sacrifices we make!

Pleased to hear that the lemons arrived quite safely.  Yes, we must hand a bouquet to the Army Post Office this time.  You appear to have been luckier than Mother, who tells me there were only two good ones in her box.  Still it was a matter of the luck of the draw, I suppose.

Just had to break off typing this letter as we had a visit from a couple of Italian fighters who decided to machine gun the immediate surroundings.  They dived out of the sky and kicked up a hell of a fuss for a couple of minutes, but all is quiet now.  That’s more than I can say for our nights.  I have got a heavy ack ack gun outside my bedroom window and every time the damned thing goes off, my blanket jumps off also.  I think the gunner is after a stripe, for he fires at anything and everything which might be passing our way.  Still we are managing to keep bright and cheerful through it all and, as our billets are some two or three miles from the town, we get a good view of the proceedings without any danger to ourselves when the enemy raid the place.  It’s better than a Crystal Palace fireworks display.

I am still working 12 or 13 hours a day and so have not had time to get around the town as yet, so I cannot give you any description of it.

This is the first letter I am addressing to Nottingham again since your holiday. How’s life going down.  Not too well I expect.

Sorry to hear that your Dad had been in bed again.  What did surprise me most, however, was that Vera had been up to our house with you on one afternoon.  It sounds as though she is making some rapid strides.  Mother said she was quite thrilled about it.

In her last letter, Mother was saying how much she enjoyed you going up to see her and that she had been giving you odd bits of material to make things with.  I am so glad you both get on so well.  It is a grand feeling for me to know that.

Glad to hear you have got your cover completed.  You must be getting quite a collection of things now.

Well, Darling, the Colonel’s calling me to do something and there’s not much more room so I must go.

All my love, Darling.  I know you are loving me as much as ever.

Always yours  Stan  xxxxx

*  I'm not sure what Stan meant by "old Musso's snake dance", but this cutting from the Yorkshire Post dated 26 July, 1943, shows that Mussolini had 'resigned' as Prime Minister and Secretary of State, with the King of Italy taking direct command of the armed forces.  It also shows the progress that Allied troops had made in Sicily, with the Axis forces being driven to the Northern end of the island. 

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