Tuesday, 17 August, 1943 - Two Letters from Stan
Sergt. S. Bristow 46
Headquarters
15 L of C Signals
Cen Med Forces
17 Aug 43
My Very Own Darling,
I think your letters get more thrilling as time goes by. I can’t describe how much kick I get out of reading about your shopping expeditions and how you have bought yet more things which we shall both someday use when we have this home of ours that we are both planning.
You know I often lay in bed at night thinking of how I would like things to be in our home. I get all sorts of wonderful brainwaves, but I am sensible enough to know that you will have planned things yourself and anyway – we always do disagree on clothes and furniture don’t we? Remember those shopping expeditions to Leeds and Barnsley?? The last time we went to Barnsley, however, we did agree for a change. It was a most pleasant afternoon that, wasn’t it? I wonder if Harral’s have sold that canteen of cutlery yet? I certainly would have liked to have had enough money to buy it that afternoon!!
Another thing which is making me think is all these mystic allusions you keep making to material you have been buying for “specific reasons”. You certainly guessed right when you wrote “I have got you guessing on a few things”. It all makes me more and more excited about the day when I shall be home and by your side again. It will certainly be one of THE days of both our lives. I often wonder what it will be like, but only you and I will be able to realise how much that day will mean my Darling.
You’ve been holding out on me; by the way, haven’t you? Fancy hiding things from your future husband!!! I am afraid my Mother let the cat out of the bag. I was highly amused to hear that you and Kit had been to Barnsley to have your fortunes told! What is the world coming to? Did you find out anything interesting. Let me know please. I am simply aching to know if she told you there was a fair young lad in your life. Did she manage to put Kit on the right road for a boy friend? Tell her it is about time she entered this marriage market to. When we are married we don’t want to be entertaining aged spinsters, tell her!! Do you believe in this clairvoyancy Darling? I suppose you are like 90% of the rest of women, very susceptible to that kind of thing!! What I am interested in most is whether she told you when I should be coming home?
I had a grand send off this morning when I got two letters from you, dated 4 and 8 August. The mail is certainly coming along very well at the moment. Let’s hope it continues that way, for letters from you and the end of the war, Darling, are the only things worth living for just now.
You ask about the food? Well, if you had no teeth, didn’t like tomatoes and had not a tinopener, you would most likely starve!! But joking apart, it is quite good at the moment, although the appearance of tomatoes on the table (they are very plentiful out here) is apt to get a bit sickening, as is corned beef, never mind how it is served. Bread has taken the place of biscuits just lately, which is a blessing.
Well, my Dear; there is every indication of my finishing work early tonight and so I will write you a longer letter than this – although I won’t promise that it will come up to the length of the last sea letter I wrote.
Until then, Darling, I’ll say
Au revoir. You are simply grand to keep
loving me as you do. Always yours
Angel. Stan xxxx
Sergt. S. Bristow 47
Headquarters
15 L of C Signals
Cen Med Forces
9 pm 17.8.43
My Very Own Darling,
Just as I was sitting down to start this letter, the RSM shouted me to come out on to the balcony to look at the beauty of the night. Oh, Darling, it was absolutely marvellous! The moon is almost full & it has just some up from a sea which is absolutely void of ripples, leaving a golden carpet behind on the water. The sky is starry & the night is heavy with the peculiar scent one experiences out here. And as I stood on the balcony surveying the night I felt curiously alone & lonely for you Darling. How I wish that you were here with me to see all these wonderful things. England could never offer a scene like this one I have just been looking at.
Still, one never knows, my dear, if I manage to make a success of life after the war (and with you by my side urging me on, there is no reason to believe that I shall not) we may manage to come out here again. Wide steps have been made in travel these last four years & after the war one might look on a trip to the Mediterranean as one looked upon a trip to the Channel Islands pre-war.
On such nights as this (although at any time the Germans may pay us a visit) the war seems so very far away & one finds time amidst all the terror & destruction to pause & admire the beauty of things. The ruined buildings seem to melt away in the moon’s subdued light & everything takes on a pleasanter shape than it does in the harsh noon sun.
How I wish that we could be alone together in surroundings such as these, although as you can guess, Darling, as long as you were there, the time or place wouldn’t matter.
Nothing much has happened since I wrote to you earlier in the day, so I will describe the happenings of the past few days. I have moved my office & am now living in a house which used to belong to an Italian banker. It is a beautiful place & the room in which I work has a grand painting on the ceiling. If I need any inspiration during the day, all I need to do is to look up & there, staring at me from the roof are several nude women & cherubs & seraphims looking quite angelic. I feel it almost sacrilege to use bad language in their presence.
The garden is a wonder to behold. There are clusters of grapes mingled with yellow figs, whilst banana trees stand side by side with orange & pear trees. I hope we are here when the bananas get ripe. Its years since I tasted one!
On the way to my new abode we followed the BBC Recording Van along the road for several miles, hoping they would stop & commence operating, but we were unlucky!!
I am enclosing a couple of views of the last town we were in – a study in ancient & modern architecture. The cathedral is very very old & like all Italian work is very ornate. I don’t like the style personally. I don’t think it is as graceful as our Norman & Gothic building. The other view is the G.P.O. building, which is new. The only thing Musso appears to have done for the Sicilians is to put up impressive Government buildings like this one.
The news has come through to-day that Messina has fallen, so that means the Island is ours. Now for the next step – Europe proper & then – you! Ah me, roll on the day.
Your letters Darling make me so impatient for the day. I feel I should be at home helping you get all these things together – but I suppose I am doing a lot more use doing the little bit I am towards getting this war over.
I was not able to get hold of those snaps before we left Africa, Darling, so it looks as though I have seen the last of them. Don’t worry, however, I’ll get my photo taken again at the first opportunity.
I had a surprise a couple of days ago when I got a letter from you dated 26 May. It was one that had been addressed to 9 Corps Signals & had only just caught me up. It was the one containing the buttercup from Kit & Joyce. Tell them I was deeply touched by their thoughtfulness, will you? I wish I could manage to send some of the flowers that are blooming out here in return.
Midnight is creeping near Angel & I am afraid that I shall have to think about some bed. The clock soon creeps round to 7 a.m. if one doesn’t go to bed until after midnight.
I wish so much that I could hold you in my arms & sense the thrill of the touch of your lips & hands as I used to do & in return be able to give the same delights to you. What glorious nights they were, Darling, weren’t they - & only a prelude to the joys that have yet to come.
Keep on loving me Darling during these months that are between, just as much as I am loving you. We shall both have our reward when, with this war behind us, we shall be together once more & for always.
Always Yours Darling, Stan xxxx
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