Tuesday, 13 June, 1944 - Two Letters

2364226
Sergt. S. Bristow
Headquarters,                                                                     161.
15 L of C Signals
Cen Med Forces

13 June 44

My Very Own Darling,

Just received your letter written on Invasion Day.  It was funny, you started your letter with exactly the same words as I did on mine to you.  Yes, it certainly was a momentous day, falling as it did on the 6^th.

I knew you would be excited, Dear, for it brings the end of the war much closer.  Progress is a bit slow at the moment, but I think that it will speed up a bit once we get the better of the Jerries engaged in the immediate surroundings of the beach-head.

I heard about the show that you went to see on “Invasion Night”.  It came to the nearby town, but I didn’t manage to get in to see it.  Don’t run away with the idea that all our shows are like that, dear, because they aren’t.  If you get a couple such shows in one year, you are very lucky!  These “Big Names” make such a fuss when they come out here, but they don’t come very often.  No, it is the small troupes of “unknowns” that the average soldier has to thank for his entertainment.  I think Leslie Henson only played two places in Italy!

Now that the Invasion is in full swing I was wondering whether you were busy.  Have you got any of the troops back from France?  I hope that it will not interfere with your holiday, Dear.  I should imagine that you are always more than ready for that three weeks break.

I had a letter from Mother today, too.  She was of course very enthusiastic about the invasion.  She also mentioned that Dad was off work and in bed.  He apparently got up in the middle of the night and had a slight seizure.  The doctor claims that it is due to overwork, so I hope he takes things steady when he goes back.

I have gone all athletic this week & up to now I have spent about an hour bathing every afternoon.  Despite the increased activity at the front, life has been extremely quiet around this district of late.  I must admit that after the 13-hour working days which I was having at the beginning of the year, it is a pleasant change.  I am therefore making hay whilst the sun shines.

I can’t remember if I told you in my last letter that I went to a football match between two local teams on Sunday evening & the crowd got so excited that they started fighting amongst themselves and held the game up for half an hour?  It was an amazing game!  They managed to restore order & restart the game & then, to crown it all, I’m blowed if the referee didn’t faint; whether from fright or exhaustion I don’t know!!  I’ve never seen anything like it before.

Well, its time to say “Bye Bye” again Darling.  Keep loving me, won’t you my beloved.  You mean everything to me and I love you so very much.  My thoughts are always straying to you and wondering how much longer it will be to that happy for which we are both waiting.

Always yours, Stan.   xxxxxxxxxxxx

G.H.N.                                                                      (138)

13-6-44

My Precious Darling,

A letter arrived from you this morning.  It was the one you wrote me on the sixth Darling – just a week ago today.  As you remarked – it was a memorable day!  Everything seems to be going according to plan too.

I am writing this letter under great difficulties.  It is eleven o’clock at night and there are three other people sitting on my bed as well as myself, one of them being Kit, another one being Robin – an Irish girl.  Between them they make more chatter than enough and Ivy and I are trying to write letters.  It is impossible to turn them out because the more we tell them to be quiet the more noise they make and the more determined they are to stay and torment us.

I received a letter from your Mother yesterday.  She told me about your Father having had a cerebral haemorrhage – at least that is what I think it has been.  I am very sorry Darling but he has been doing so much work recently.  He really ought to cut a lot of it down and look after himself a bit more.  However, your Mother said he was much better when she wrote to me.  I think that if he goes steadily now he will be alright.

Since Saturday we have been very, very busy – as you will guess.  It was 10.30 p/m when Sister and I crawled off duty on Saturday night.  We do not mind though, the boys that we are nursing are worth all we can give them – they are a grand lot.

We are using the new drug Penicillin you know.  We are waiting to see the marvellous results – we hope!

I guess that is enough ‘shop’ for one night and if I want to finish this letter before the lights go out I will have to be saying Good-night.

I still love you my Darling and still longing, more and more as each day passes to be in your arms again.  Maybe some day soon – who knows!

Ever yours, Dear, Grace   xxxxxx

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