Stan and Grace

Nurses Home, General Hospital, Nottingham. 29-9-43      My Very Own Darling, It is now three weeks since I received an air-letter from you and it seems like three months!   I suppose that you will not be receiving my letters either.   I wonder how old this letter will be when it eventually reaches you. It is my day-off to-day but it is not a very nice day.   It looks as if there might be rain any minute.   It is also Kit’s and Jean’s days off.   We went looking around the shops this morning but there is nothing much that we can buy these days unless of course, one is a millionaire.   We shall most likely go out to the pictures to-night and that will be the end of our day off.   Yes, it certainly is a pretty miserable way of spending a day off but there is nothing else to do. Jean is lucky, her boy friend manages to come down about once every two or three weeks for her day off.   He comes usually when she is not able to...

 Over the last two or three weeks, Grace has been telling Stan about the deteriorating health of her Grandfather, John Walker.   John Walker was the father of Alice, Grace's mother.  He was born in 1864 in Cliffe Bridge, a small settlement just outside Barnsley, between Lundwood and Monk Bretton.  He started work as a miner, probably aged around 12, but in his early 20's he moved to work on the pit top, firstly as a labourer and later on the screens where coal was washed and sorted into size/grade.  By 1914 he had moved to work at Grimethorpe Colliery and became Screens Foreman, a job he held until his retirement. John married Elizabeth Ryder in August, 1887, and they had six children - Alice was their second child and the oldest of four girls. The photograph below was taken on Vera's 21st birthday on 4 July, 1936, in the back garden of 56 Brierley Road.  John is seated in the centre with his daughters Grace (left) and Alice and Hilda (right).  Jo...

2364226                                                                                                  60 . Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces Sep 23 rd 1943      My Very Own Darling, Along came another letter from you last night dated 5 th Sept.   Your letters are taking quite a long time to get here just now, aren’t they?   There's a lot of difference between the 7 days it took a letter to get to Africa and 17 days to Sicily, but I suppose as ...

G.H.N. 23-9-43    My Very Own Darling, I was so pleased to receive a letter from your Mother this morning enclosing a letter from you which you had written on Sept 4th. I was getting so worried Darling as it is quite a while since I had an air-letter from you. Of course I was not really surprised that I had not heard from you, as I put the absence of your letters down to the recent events in Italy.   However, your letter to your Mother explained matters so my mind is at rest once again for a short time.   I am pleased to be able to write and tell you dear that the first part of that awful exam is over at last.   We sat the written part Wednesday but the worst part of the exam, that of the practical and aural I take three weeks to-day. We had the medical and surgical papers yesterday morning and commenced at 10 a.m.   We had a break for lunch and started again at 2 p.m. upon our nursing paper.   We finished at 4 p.m.   I could hardly mo...

 On 22 September, 1943, Grace took her final exams.   It was quite a marathon, as the papers show: the candidates sat two papers in the morning, of one hour each.  In Paper 1 candidates had to answer two questions, one of which was compulsory.  In Paper 2 candidates had to answer two questions, one from each section.  They then had a break for lunch. In the afternoon they sat Paper 3, in which the first two questions were compulsory and they then had to choose two more questions from three alternatives. The candidates had to wait a further three weeks before taking a practical 'viva' exam - and then a further wait for the results. #1940snursinghistory  #1940snurse   #nursing1940s   #Nottinghamnursinghistory

Firstly, Stan writes an air letter, which should arrive more quickly. 2364226                                                                                                  57. Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces 20 Sep 43              My Very Own Darling, Back at last & no less than seven letters waiting for me!   How grand it was to read again of your doings & feelings.   Reading your letters is the best tonic I know. ...

G.H.N. 19-9-43                                                                                                                     (58) My Own Darling, Your two letters dated August 10 th and 5 th arrived last Wednesday but I have not had an air-letter from you for some time.   However, I suppose I will have one some time during the coming week and in the meantime blame the A.P.O. I hope you are receiving mine alright.   The time seems to go much slower when one does not receive letters – though on the whole we do very well. Time certainly seems to be dragging for me.   These last four days before the exam seem unending.   By the w...

G. H. N. 15-9-43         My Own Darling, Your two “ordinary” letters dated August 10 th and 17 th arrived this morning.   What long ones they were too!   I was asked if I had received a newspaper when I opened the one consisting of eighteen pages. Thank you also for the picture postcards which you enclosed.   I am getting quite a collection of them now. I was pleased to hear that more of my letters have arrived.   I thought that you should have received more than you said in your air-letter.   I was also pleased to hear that the letter containing the buttercup had arrived. I wrote you an ordinary letter four days ago enclosing a few sprigs of white heather that Nan had sent me.   I hope it reaches you safely. When I receive your letters telling me of all the beautiful sights which you are seeing it makes me long more than ever to be with you, Darling.   However, as you say, we might manage to take a holiday and visit...

 The last we heard from Stan was on 6 September, when he was on a ship going back to North Africa.  What is happening to Stan and why are there no letters from him? Stan's record of his war service notes that from 5 - 19 September he "Attended No. 2 MEOCS - Found not suitable".  This was an officer selection process which, as we have seen, involved him travelling to North Africa - away from the active front - taking part in the selection process and then travelling back.  During this time there are no letters from Stan, so presumably they were not allowed to write. Stan was not promoted to be an officer.  He always liked to tell an amusing story and said of this experience that as part of the process he had to see a psychiatrist, who went through a word association test with him.  Stan said that he knew that he had failed when the psychiatrist said "Fish" and Stan's immediate answer was "Chips"! At this time the Army was still highly class consciou...

G. H. N. 9-9-43      My Own Darling, As I managed to get home Tuesday evening and it was my day-off yesterday, this is the first opportunity I have had of replying to your letter which arrived Tuesday morning.   It was dated August 28 th so it had only taken ten days to come. I think that you must have posted that letter in a hurry Darling, as you had forgotten to sign it, unless of course you had signed a business letter in endearing terms instead. Everybody here heard the good news of Italy’s surrender last night. What a difference it will make, you might be home for Christmas after all!   Whenever you come Dear, it will not be too soon for me. When I was out Monday morning (the 6 th ) I saw this card and thought that I would like to send it to you.    Hope you do not think it too sentimental. Enclosed also is a sprig of heather.   Nan sent me a large bunch of it from the Pentland Hills.   Now do not ask me exactly where they...

 In Stan's letter yesterday (6 September) he mentions "our successful landing in Italy".  What is happening and what is the position of the Italian government? The British 13th Corps, part of Montgomery's 8th Army, crossed the Messina Straight on 3 September after an advance bombardment which proved to be unnecessary.  The Germans had already with drawn and the Italian troops offered no resistance.  However, further advances were slow, as the German army, as they retreated, demolished roads and bridges in the mountainous region of Calabria - the 'toe' of Italy. On 8 September, Italy's government surrendered and realigned with the Allied forces.  However, this did not mean an end to the fighting, as it left Italy occupied by the German army.  Hitler ordered a staged withdrawal to the northern Apennines based on a series of defensive lines.  The first of these was to be the Gustav line, running from south-east of Pescara in the East to the rivers Rapido ...

2364226                                                                                        55 ( I think! ) Sergt. S Bristow 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces Sep 6 43        My Very Own Darling, As you can well imagine I have been thinking of you lots today.   Another month has passed, another month nearer to our ultimate goal, which I am sure has been brought nearer by our successful landing in Italy.   How will the Italians react towards this latest step of ours? I have talked with quite a lot of Sicilians, who after...

G.H.N.                                                                                                    (55) 4-9-43     My Very Own Darling, I was so pleased to receive your cable this morning.   As your letters have not been arriving so regularly of late I was getting worried about you.   I suppose that by now you will have received my letter telling you that I am perfectly well and on duty again.   I hope that you did not worry Darling, as it has only been a slight illnes...

G.H.N. 1.9.43       My Very Own Darling, The beginning of another month!   As each new month starts I wonder what new events there will be.   September seems to be rather an eventful month, does it not?   Another two days and it will be four years is since this dreadful war started.   Such a lot seems to have happened since that day.   It makes me wonder how long it will be before Hitler and his cronies are put down for ever.   Not much longer, I hope.   I am longing so much for you to come home, Darling. This afternoon Jean and I decided to do a bit more shopping.   We can use our new coupons now you know. The first thing I bought was something for our home Dear.   It was a bath towel.   Even such things are on coupons now so I could only get one.   However, every little helps. Believe it or not I actually bought a new hat!   I thought that it was abought time I went out looking respectably dressed. ...