Stan and Grace

  This photograph shows Stan's father, George, on the left and George's father (Stan's Grandfather), also George, on the right. George (senior) was born on 4 November, 1874, in Cranwell, Lincolnshire.  George's older brother, Charles had moved to Essex and married an Essex girl and i n the early 1890's George also moved to Essex.  Here he met Sarah Challis and they were married on 16 September, 1897. George and Sarah went on to have seven children.  George (junior) was the oldest.  George (senior) got a job as a 'chainman' on the railways and lived in several different parts of England, travelling with the job.  At some point before 1911 he left the railways and began working as a labourer at Frickley Colliery, near South Elmsall in the West Riding of Yorkshire. George was known to be very 'close' with his money, but all the time he was saving and in the mid-1920's he was able to buy the village shop and post office in Cranwell and return to live...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen. Med. Forces 30 Jul. 44                                                                             183. My Very Own Darling The A.P.O. have let me down again.   Sunday’s arrived again, but not the usual letter from you, so Sunday this week is more than a little dull. There’s nothing fresh to write about since I wrote to you a couple of nights ago. I had an invitation out to dinner at a Sergts’ Mess in the local town & had quite a hectic time – too hectic by the feel of my head this morning!!   They had a dance afterwards, but ...

G.H.N.                                                   157 28.7.44 My own Darling, I received a letter from you yesterday which Vera had posted on to me.   Enclosed was another photograph.   Thank you for it Darling.   I think that it is quite good but not as good as the two previous ones. Everything is much the same here as when I last wrote you.   We have had one fresh lot of patients in but it has not made us too busy.   Sister has been in a very good mood since I returned which helps to make life much more pleasant. The weather too has improved I am very pleased to say as it is my week-end.   I have definitely decided not to go home for it. Last night was my evening off so a friend and I went to the...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen. Med. Forces 27 Jul. 44                                                                             181. My Very Own Darling, I really am on top of the world!   The reason?   I’ve had two more letters from you to-day.   Four in three days is really just what the doctor ordered.   A grand tonic, Darling, especially when administered by such a charming nurse as yourself. I was happy to hear that you had received a couple of the “snaps” OK and that you thought they were OK.   I agree with you when you say that one of them...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen. Med. Forces 26 Jul. 44                                                                             181. My Very Own Darling, Tonight I thought I would answer the second of the two letters which I received yesterday.   I haven’t any fresh news, but I think I can find enough to fill an air letter with.   Perhaps I shall have to fill up space by telling you how much I love you and how much you mean to me, but I am sure you won’t mind that, Darling, will you? Most of the letter was about your visit to your sister-in-law.   I f...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen. Med. Forces 25 Jul. 44                                                                                            180. My Very Own Precious Darling, A wonderful thing happened this morning – the postman brought me no less than three letters & much to my delight two of them were from you.   So, as you can guess, I have been in high spirits today. What a difference your letters make to my dreary life, my Angel.   I can’t imagine how I should have carried on without them.   However low my mood is, a letter from you always cheers me up. And of course when it includes such thrilling news as that about your being busy sewing for our home, well it is really exciting...

G.H.N. 24.7.44                                                                                               (155) My Very Own Darling, Back again at the old G.H.N!   I arrived back at about 7.45 p/m yesterday feeling tired and dusty.    I then had to unpack and collect all my odds and ends of belongings that I had left with various people. Ivy then made a cup of tea, which was very much appreciated and I eventually retired to my bed at nearly midnight.   Needless to say I slept like a log after all the disturbed nights I had had with the baby. This ...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen. Med. Forces 23 Jul. 44                                                                             179. My Very Own Darling, It’s been sweltering today, and now even though it is evening & I am sitting on my bed with only a short pair of pants on (a fine sight, too, I might tell you!), I am sweating like anything. Another Sunday has come and gone, Darling, and we are another week closer to our meeting.   Tonight I am in a really optimistic frame of mind, for although one cannot judge what’s actually happening in Germany at the presen...

56 Brierley Road, Grimethorpe, Nr. Barnsley                                                                         (155) 22.7.44 My Very Own Darling, I thought that I had an air-letter left and did not realise until after the post office was closed that I had not and so Darling – it will have to be a sea letter. Well – the end of my holiday has arrived.   It is now Saturday night and I return tomorrow.   I am not sorry really – there are too many happy memories here for me.   Also I have more time for reminiscing and I find myself missing you so much Darling that – well – its almost unbearable. I feel that pa...

Grimethorpe                                                                       (154) My Own Darling, I hope there will be enough space to say all that I want to say in this letter.   I came to the end of my letter last night before I realised it. First of all I must give you your Mother’s message.   She has been up this evening with the twins.   She asked me to tell you that a telegram came for your Father this morning to go to Cranwell.   Your Grandfather, I understand, is worse.   Your Mother thought that this letter might arrive before her own. I am sorry Darling about your Grandfather but in his conditio...

Grimethorpe 19.7.44                                                                                (153)   My Very Own Darling, Another letter arrived from you this morning.   Though it is now turned midnight I felt that I would just like to write a few lines to “my man” before I retired. I have been writing to Matron a friendly little letter you know, to tell her that I shall be returning to the G.H.N. next Saturday!   Remember the time when you wrote her, Darling? I have been visiting your old school again to-day.   Connie, the baby, your Mother, John & Janet and mysel...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen. Med. Forces 19 Jul. 44                                                                             177. My Very Own Darling, No more letters since the two I had on Sunday, but as that’s only three days ago, I suppose I shouldn’t grumble, should I?   We’ve had quite a batch of sea mail in this past few days, however, & that means newspapers and books.   The last two evenings I have been very busy devouring the “Sth. Elmsall Times” & “Doncaster Gazette” & getting all the local scandal – at least the part that’s printable. ...

Grimethorpe 18.7.44                                                                                (152) 12 M.N. My Precious Darling, I was very pleased to receive a letter from you this morning.   I somehow thought that there would be one.   You wrote it eight days ago.   Really the A.P.O. have excelled themselves recently.   Your letters are always very dear to me – especially when they have been written fairly recently. Believe it or not I have been to pay a visit to my sister-in-law at Sunny Bank Farm.   Connie wanted to meet her, so, together with the baby we went this ...

Grimethorpe 17.7.44                                                                                          (151) My Own Darling, Monday morning usually brings a letter from you but the postman decided to pass me by this morning.   However, there will probably be a letter from you tomorrow. Not much has happened here since I last wrote you.   Not that one expects much to happen in Grimethorpe! Yesterday I spent most of my time sewing.   I was making pillowcases.   “Not exciting” you will probably say but I got quite a thrill...

234226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces 16 Jul 44                                                                                        176. My Very Own Darling, Sunday again!   This day has come to mean two things to me, firstly the end of one week and the start of another which will bring you and I nearer together; and secondly mail day. The A.P.O. didn’t disappoint me today, neither, Darling, for besides your letter of 11 Jul there was an absolutely grand sea letter written a month earlier.   It ensured t...

Grimethorpe                                                              (150) 15.7.44 My Precious Darling, A letter arrived from you yesterday.   As it was quite late when I arrived from 19’ last night I decided to postpone my reply until to-day.   You had written it on July 7 th so it had only taken a week to come. Darling, I do look forward to your letters so very much.   I still miss you terribly and how I am longing for your return.   I guess you long to be home as much as I am looking forward to you coming.   When I sit at this kitchen table with the old clock ticking away and everything else very quiet (it is now 11.15 p/m) my mind goes back eighteen m...

234226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces  14 Jul 44                                                                                                                           174.                                                  My Very Own Precious Darling, I haven’t much fresh to write about, but as I have these snaps to send you, I thought I would spend half an hour writing to you.   I always feel happy, Darling when I am putting my thoughts on paper for you. ...