Thursday, 12 October, 1944

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

12 Oct. 44.                                                                          220.

Hello, my beloved Darling,

There’s not a more contented bloke in Italy then yours truly today.  The reason?  Why I’ve had two more letters from you to-day.  Fancy five letters in five days.  What could be better?

It looks as though your tussle with the Ministry of Labour is going to end in a fairy story manner.  It will certainly be pleasant for you if you can manage to get the Barnsley vacancy.  Your parents especially will be pleased.  I’m anxious to hear the result.

I agree entirely with your views on the furniture situation, dear.  Good second hand stuff will be far better than the utility type stuff.  And it will be such fun scrounging round shops looking for bargains, as long as we haven’t too much opposition.  I suppose there’ll be hundreds more with the same idea.

I don’t quite follow what my cardio-whatever-it-is might be and I don’t want to ask anyone for fear it should be a secret between the two of us!  Will you enlighten me?  Anyway, as you remark, we’ve both stood a few strains during those delightful late night episodes.  I often wonder if my willpower will be as strong when I get back.  Personally I hope there won’t be need for me to exercise it for very long.  My ambition is to make you my wife as quickly as possible (subject to your agreeing, of course and you will, won’t you?)

It's funny that you should mention the last time you darned my socks, for only two nights ago whilst having one of my periodical kit clearances, I came across a pair of socks which you darned & which I haven’t worn since.  An unromantic thing like a pair of socks brought back to me a very happy fireside episode.  I wish we were enacting it again this evening.

That’s one thing you won’t do on Sundays when we are married Darling, darn socks on Sundays!  I know much pleasanter ways of passing Sunday evening and you know too.  No, I don’t mean entertaining relatives!!

Still, before all this can happen, I must get home and believe me I’m trying hard.  Wishing doesn’t seem to make it so, as a song tries to tell us.

Absence has made the hearts grow fonder, however, as you remark in one of your letters.

I love you so much my precious Darling and am simply living for that happy moment of reunion.

Always yours and your husband-to-be  Stan  xxxxxxxxxxxx