Stan and Grace

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals                                                                                      113. Cen Med Forces 18 Feb 44 My Very Own Darling, At last the Army Post Office seem to have got back into their stride again, for the air letter which they presented me with today left England only six days ago.   I wish they’d keep it up. So today you will be back at Grimethorpe for a few days.   I am pleased that you are managing to have Kit and your other friend over for a few days.   It will not make the ...

Grimethorpe                                                                                 (99) 17-2-44 My Own Darling, As you can see, I am at home once again.   I arrived yesterday at 3 p.m., as usual – frozen and tired.   However, after an early night and thirteen hours sleep – without waking once, I am once again feeling full of beans. An air letter arrived for me yesterday before I left.   It was written on Feb 6 th . I am so sorry Darling, that my cable did not arrive on our anniversary.   I tried to time it so that it would.   I hope it arrived soon af...

G.H.N.                                                                                                    (98) 14-2-44 My Own Darling, Your letters dated Feb 2 nd and Jan 6 th (a sea letter) arrived yesterday. Thank you for all the birthday wishes Darling. I am so glad that my letters have started arriving regularly again.   I know how anxious I get if when your letters are delayed so I have an idea how dreadful it must be for you – stuck out there too. There is only one more night for m...

2362226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces                                                                            112. 13 Feb 44 My Very Own Darling, Sunday once more and the end of another week, a week which finished very pleasantly for along rolled a letter from you this lunchtime.   Quite a recent one, too, for it arrived in eight days. There was also one a couple of days ago, in which you mentioned that the powder and lipstick had turned up, appropriately enough on your birthday, too, I noted from the date.   I was pleased to hear that it seemed alright.   ...

G.H.N. 12-2-44                              2 a.m. My Very Own Darling, I hope that the mail situation has improved since I last heard from you.   The postman still continues to call regularly over here. I posted you a sea letter a few days ago but I suppose it will be some time before you receive it. Only four more nights to work and then – home for six days.   We now get six instead of five nights off each month.   It is also Kit’s nights off and Ivy’s - a friend of ours.   She is coming home with us.   It is Kit’s birthday whilst we are at home so Ivy is staying with Kit and I am going to Sutton on the Friday.   We are all going over to Grimethorpe on the Saturday. Kit is going back home the same night and Ivy is staying until Tuesday – when we are due back. I am really due on day duty when we come back...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces                                                                  111. 9 Feb 44 My Very Own Darling, Once again I am a happy being!!   Within two days I have had three air letters and one sea letter from you, so the long wait I was complaining about in my last letter has had its reward.   Letters from you Darling are the best and most effective tonic I could wish for. The air letters were the ones you wrote at Grimethorpe during your nights off & as you can well guess, Darling. They made me feel very nostalgic.   To be at home with you once again is my one long dream, ...

General Hospital Nottingham 6-2-44                     11 p.m. My Very Own Darling, My mind has just been travelling back to exactly two years ago to-night.   At this moment I was probably dancing in your arms, I cannot remember whether or not you had told me your name.   Yes, I had made a few enquiries from various people as to who you were and all about you.   They had also pointed out your Mother and Father to me, so you see, I knew more about you before we met than you knew about me. I went to that dance with the full intention of enjoying it – and I did.   Little did I realise that night that it would alter the whole course of my life. If I remember we talked about two arm chairs at the front of a blazing fire and the wireless playing soft music.   What else we talked about I do not remember.   A lot of nonsense I guess. But it was a very pleasant...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces                                                                            110. 6 Feb 44. My Very Own Darling, I have managed an afternoon off today, as a sort of celebration, but as it is a rotten day (hail, snow & rain is beating against the windows) I am spending the time lazing on an armchair in the Mess, listening to the wireless & drowsily dreaming of you. About this time a couple of years ago, I was just setting out to take you out for the first time.   As I dashed down for the bus (late as usual) I wondered whether y...

TELEGRAM This telegram, from Grace to Stanley has been wrongly addressed to: '2364226   Bristow   HQ 15 Docks Sec I.E.   C.M.F'     and later re-directed to 15 L of C Signals.  Although dated 1 February, it was initially postmarked 6 February and re-postmarked 10 Feb.  The address, in pencil, is not in Grace's writing, so she must have given the address verbally and at this point it was wrongly written down. NOTTINGHAM 1 FEB I WISH WE WERE TOGETHER ON THIS SPECIAL OCCASION ALL MY BEST WISHES FOR A SPEEDY REUNION FONDEST LOVE DARLING GRACE SKUSE

G.H.N.                                                                                (96) 3-2-44 My Very Own Darling, Your letter dated Jan 1 st and your air letter dated Jan 25 th arrived yesterday.   The latter you hoped would arrive on Feb. 6 th but the A.P.O. must have worked overtime as it only took a week to come. Darling, you sent me a beautiful letter.   I agree with you when you say that our love has grown stronger in the last years and into something really deep.   It is something that I have never experienced before and would never have believed that a love such...

G.H.N.                                                                                                    (95) 2-2-44 My Own Darling, When I arrived back here thirty-six hours ago, waiting for me was a letter from you and also a parcel. First of all I will thank you for the parcel.   Darling, I have not seen such powder and lipstick for a long, long time.   The lipstick I have tried and find that it is just right.   The powder I have not opened yet but I think that it will be the rig...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow, Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces                                                                            109. 2 Feb 44 My Very Own Darling, Good morning and a very happy birthday!   I feel almost a happy man again.   After waiting for a fortnight, which seemed like years and years, your letters have started arriving again.   One was dated the 15 th and another the 18 th .   What has happened to those you have written to me between 9 and 15 Jan, only the Army Post Office knows.   I suppose they’ll turn up eventually. Darling, your letters ar...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow, Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces                                                                            108. 30 Jan 44 My Very Own Darling, At last the weather is beginning to get warmer.   It was quite pleasant strolling along the jetty this lunch time.   The sky was cloudless & its deep blue reflected in the calm waters of the sea to make a brilliant contrast to the background of whitewashed villas & narrow streets of the town. As I walked back to the office I felt that all that was needed to make life pleasantly bearable was a letter from you. ...

G.H.N.                                                                                          (94) 30-1-44 Sunday, 11.15 p.m. My Own Darling, I thought that I would write you a few lines before I retired for the night.   Your parents and the twins have been up for supper and have just gone.   Of course Kiltie came as well.   I think that as usual a good time was had by all. Those “nights off” have been a bus man’s holiday for me, as the second morning at home Father developed Duodenitis which is inflammation of part of the ...

Grimethorpe                                                                                 (93) 27-1-44 My Own Darling, Once again I write to you from Grimethorpe.   I arrived here at 3 p.m. yesterday feeling exhausted.   As I retired to my bed at 7 p.m. and slept soundly until 9 a.m. I feel quite refreshed and energetic to-day. The picture “The Lamp Still Burns” is showing in Nottingham this week and a friend and myself wanted to see it so we had to get up at 2.15 p.m. on Tuesday.   We were both very disappointed with the picture.   It is supposed to be a tribute t...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow, Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces                                                                            106. 25 Jan 44 My Own Precious Darling, This may reach you around about our anniversary (God and the Army Post Office willing!!), a time when the thoughts of both of us will be more than ever closely allied. Looking back, Darling, it seems so wonderful to realise that we have weathered the last couple of years and that our love has developed into such a deep and thrilling institution, especially when one remembers what you were – a very stubborn (but exceedingly ...