Undated, probably Wednesday, 14 July to 22 July, 1943

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 in the right direction.  It will bring us about 300 miles closer together.

We have just come on board together with our lorries and other paraphernalia, & having got settled in our sleeping quarters I thought I would start writing this letter to you.  As its rather hot below deck, I decided to come up here to do the job.  You’ll have to excuse pencil, but my pen has run dry.

I haven’t the faintest idea how long it will be before you get this letter, but I hope it won’t be too long because I know you will be inclined to do a spot of worrying when you don’t hear from me for some time.  I just had time to drop a short note to Mother this morning before I left, but of course couldn’t say what was happening to me.  I had only one air letter form so I couldn’t write to you both.

I had a grand send-off this morning for two of your letters which have been outstanding for so long, arrived & although the news was in some cases a little out-of-date the little pieces which never fail to give me a thrill were there.  It’s grand to know you are still loving me, Darling.

Well, after just over four months, I am leaving Africa.  Like all the rest of the blokes I am not sorry either, for Africa is an uninviting country, except for the scattered towns, the people on the whole most dirty, & of course the big thing is that we are opening another front, much nearer the enemy’s doorstep.  In my own mind, I don’t think it is THE second front, but it is a good sign.

How was the news of our landing in Sicily received in England?  I suppose everyone was frightfully bucked.

Well, Darling, it’s getting dusk now, so I think I will pack up until to-morrow morning.  I’ll write a lot then, as I don’t suppose the Army will want me for anything to-morrow!  Goodnight & lots of love.

I’ve been on the scrounge this morning and managed to get some ink from one of the sailors.  I don’t like using a pencil, do you.

We were off very early this morning & when I came up on deck, one of the best sights I have seen for sometime greeted me – Africa receding into the distance & gradually sinking below the horizon.  We all say the same thing to one another – “I hope that's the last I see of the ------ place!!”

We have now got the open sea in front of us now.  How I wish that we were sailing West out of the Med & to home instead of North!

Having nothing to do after breakfast we just sat & watched the destroyer which is looking after us ploughing its way back & forth across our course, almost like an old sheepdog keeping its flock together.

This ship, by the way, is one of the Henry Kaiser ships (you know he is the bloke who builds a ship in a day!)  it is quite a good ship too, although the sailors on board don’t like it because it is welded & not rivetted.  Pure superstition I suppose.

We have all got comfortable bunks – no monkeying about with hammocks like the last time I was on a ship!  Much more civilised than a hammock, too.  The rations are simply smashing, but then perhaps we have struck lucky, for this ship has shortly returned from a visit to the USA & so we are eating American rations – extremely nice cream crackers and cereals, etc.  Still, I suppose we shall be on hard rations once we arrive in Sicily.

The sea is lovely to-day & I am sitting here imagining myself on a Mediterranean cruise with you by my side & lots of well dressed men & women around us.  I wonder if we will rise to the dizzy heights of cruises, etc., when we are married!  Nothing like having high ideas, Darling, is there?  I am always thinking of & planning for the day when we will be together again with no war to separate us.  I must admit I get a great kick out of it, although I know lots of my thoughts are too high to reach in reality, but still, there’s nothing like trying!!  especially when I shall have you to urge me on.

Another stop!  Someone wants me to make a fourth for a game of cards, so I will continue this a little later.  Bye Bye!

20 July 43     

Well Darling, I have not been able to write any more of this letter for several days – there has been so much to do.

We landed on the Island without mishap, although there was one narrow escape.  We sailed into the harbour we were scheduled to land in & found that the enemy was only a mile from the shore.  Consequently they started shelling us & we had to turn round & beat a hasty retreat to a safer harbour.  Luckily there were no casualties & so all it did was provide us with a bit of excitement to bring to a close what would have been a very quiet journey.

Well, I am established now in what was up to the time of our arrival a civil building.  I have got an absolutely grand office & so I am quite happy.  Of course there is heaps to do & so I have not yet had a chance to look around me.  Sicily has lots of Roman remains, etc, so I shall have to have a scout around when I am not busy.

22^nd July 43

Dear me!  This letter is all “bits & pieces”  I don’t seem to be allowed to settle down to a really long spell of writing.

Today I discovered that we can send telegrams from here “subject to the sender’s risk” & so I immediately despatched one to you & one to Mother.  I wonder if you will get them?  I just addressed yours to “Grace” in order that your Mother wouldn’t get a sweat on if she happened to get hold of it!

By the way, we have now been told our new address.  It is just the same with the exception of the fact that for “BNAF” substitute “C.M.F.”, which means Central Mediterranean Forces.  I hope the mail from you won’t be too much delayed because a letter from you always cheers me up, no end, Darling.

When you receive this your holiday will be a thing of the past & you will, I suppose, be settled down to some extra hard studying.  It’s a terrible life isn’t it?  I also suppose you are walking about with a sore neck again the results of not having worn a collar for so long!

I am anxiously awaiting the news of your adventures in Wales.  How did your three weeks stay in Grimethorpe go down.  I should imagine it was apt to become rather dreary.  Grimethorpe gets like that – although I must confess that during the past 18 months I have not thought so.  To me Grimethorpe in the past 18 months holds so many happy memories.

Well, Darling, I could go on writing for a lot longer, but this letter is already a week old & so I had better not hold on to it any longer.

So, ignoring superstition about the no. of this page I will close. 

Remember, my Angel that I am still loving & caring for you so much.

All my love, Darling.  Yours Stan  xxxxx

 

#sicily1943    #royalsignalsWWII    #royalsignalsworldwar2  #soldierWWII

#WWIIlovestory   #worldwar2lovestory  #lovestoryinletters   #1940slovestory