Stan and Grace

G.H.N. 30.3.44 My Own Darling, I received a letter from you yesterday dated March 22 nd .   The letter I received previous to that was dated March 11 th , so where the letters are you have written me between those dates only the A.P.O. knows. One paragraph in your last letter referred to a letter you had written on March 20 th – not yet received.   I am anxiously awaiting the “sermon” as you chose to call it and wondering what it can all be about. However, I am used to waiting now so I guess I shall have to curb my curiosity for a while. I received a letter from home this morning.   Vera is about to “go all glamorous” by having her hair permed.   Mother has managed to get hold of a pair of Irish linen sheets for me.   I am afraid that my tastes in linen as in everything else are rather expensive!   I would rather have a small stock of good things than a large stock of inferior articles. There was only one other item of news from Grimethorpe, ...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters                                                                                 128. 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces 27 Mar 44      My Very Own Darling, The Army Post Office rose to unprecedented heights yesterday by delivering an air letter to me five days after you had posted it.   It was, to use an Americanism, a new all time high!   That’s the quickest I have ever received a letter from you since I left England.   It is grand to get letters so quickly, isn’t it?    Your letters are always interesting, b...

G.H.N.                                                                                (112) 27.3.44 My Own Precious Darling, I have not much to write to you about except the weather which for the last few days has really been glorious.   One can hardly realise that less than a month ago it was terribly cold and everywhere was covered in snow.   Now flowers are popping up everywhere, buds are showing on the trees and it is so warm.   I played my first game of tennis this afternoon or at least the first for two years, so I guess I shall be feeling slightly stiff to-morrow. Stand...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters                                                                                 127. 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces 24 Mar 44 My Very Own Darling, Work’s finished for another day and before I turn in for the night, I thought I’d write an odd line or two as promised in my letter of two days ago. You made me really jealous dear when you told me how you were sitting in front of a blazing fire listening to the wireless.   I longed to be by your side, able to put my arm round you and tantalise you as I used to do when we were together.   ...

G.H.N. Friday                                                                                            (111) 24-3-44 My Very Own Darling, Your letter dated March 11 th arrived this morning.   It looked very battered so I don’t know where it had been on its travels.   It was a letter from you Darling so it did not really matter what it looked like. Yesterday was my half-day so a friend and myself went to the “Flying Horse” for tea.   Yes, we really must go there for dinner some time when you come home. Pleased to hea...

2364226 Sergt S. Bristow Headquarters, 15 L of Signals Cen Med Forces                                                                            126. 22 Mar 44 My Very Own Darling, I didn’t manage to get down to writing to you yesterday evening, so I thought I would utilise my lunchtime today. By now you should have got my “sermon” of two days ago and have digested it.   I hope that I didn’t put anything in it that has annoyed you. Well, as you see by the date, to-day is my birthday.   I didn’t realise that it was so until about 11 a.m. this morning when I started dating some letters I had writte...

G.H.N. 21.3.44 My Very Own Darling, Not having heard from you for about a week I am wondering how you are.   I know that it is silly of me, I also know that I do extremely well for post compared with some people but Monday or Tuesday usually brings with it a letter from you, Dear. However, I will wait and see what turns up to-morrow – if anything.   I do hope that you are well and don’t forget to “stay wrapped up in cotton wool”. Last Friday night the Aural Dept. staff held a dance in aid of a bed for Malta’s new hospital.   I went but was not very thrilled with it.   The band could have been an improvement.   A dance too Darling is not the same these days without you.   We have a lot to make up, haven’t we – after the war! In yesterday’s paper I read that some big-wig at “Rolls Royce” had prophesied that the war would only last another two months.   He is hopeful!   I only wish that we could beat the Hun in just two months – what do y...

2364226 Sergt. Bristow S, Headquarters 15 L of C Signals                                                                                      123. Cen Med Forces 20 Mar 44 My Very Own Darling, Yesterday was about the most spring-like day we’ve had yet, and at lunchtime I was sitting in the window bottom in the office taking full advantage of the sun, dozing a little and dreaming a little.   All I needed to feel really contented was a letter from you.   I had been sat there for only a few minutes when lo and behold, along came the Post N.C.O. with two lett...

 On 18 March, 1944, Vesuvius, the volcano situated on the Gulf of Naples on the west coast of Italy, began to erupt.  Stan was stationed about 160 miles away in Bari, a town on the east coast of Italy (although he was not allowed at this time to tell Grace where he was).   Many years later, he told me that he remembered the motorcycle despatch riders "coming in, covered in ash". This is how the eruption was covered in the Daily Mail of 20 March, 1944.

G.H.N. 16.3.44 My Precious Darling, An air-letter arrived from you this morning and one also arrived two days ago.   The former was dated March 6 th .   Just ten days to come.   I love receiving recent letters from you dear.   Your letters too are so vivid and interesting – and Darling, every word is dear and precious to me. To-day has been my half-day.   I have not done anything of interest.   At the moment I am sitting at the front of a blazing fire, the wireless is playing some of Beethoven’s music and I am wishing that you were sitting here by my side. How I long for the day when we can sit in our own home & just you and I and listen to our own wireless – that will be the day! Since you wrote your last letter another ten days have passed.   Ten more days off our period of waiting.   Oh Darling, it seems so long at times, doesn’t it? – this waiting.   It must end some day and then that will be when we shall really star...

G.H.N                                                                                           (108) 13-3-44 My Own Darling, First of all I must congratulate you on getting your African ribbon and medal.   I intended doing so in the letter I wrote you yesterday but found myself at the bottom of the last page and I had talked of nothing but what I had done over the week-end.   Dreadful person when you really know me! I must say that the very least you all deserve is a medal.   You ought to ask those in authority if they ca...

Doncaster 12-3-44 My Very Own Darling, As there is fifteen minutes to go before this bus leaves Doncaster I decided that I would start this letter to you. I posted an ordinary letter to you a few days ago, so you might receive it eventually, though I must admit the A.P.O. are doing very well these days. As you can guess I am sitting in a ‘bus bound for Nottingham – or at least – this one is going to Mansfield but I suppose that it is taking me most of the way to Nottm. I am just returning from my week-end off.   I arrived home at 7 p/m Friday and left home at 3 p/m today. There is not much news for you from Grimethorpe.   Friday evening I did nothing much at all – just talked and talked to Mother and Vera and retired to bed fairly early. Saturday morning Mother and I went to Barnsley.   We looked at some very nice second hand silver and thought that I would get some cutlery for your birthday.   Silver, I mean.   I like it better than chrome ...

2364226                                                                                                       121. Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters           15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces 11 Mar 44 My Very Own Darling, I wrote you a ten page sea letter last night, the first for quite a time, but I thought I would ramble over a few pages of air letter tonight, especially as I received a letter from you this afternoon, & have something new to write about. This “Flying Horse” place you have mentioned once or...

Nurses Home,                                               General Hospital Nottingham 8-3-44 My Very Own Darling, I posted you an air-letter yesterday but thought that I would write a sea letter to-day as I know how I like receiving sea letters. Believe it or not Darling, the last sea letter I received from you only took two weeks to come.   I received it yesterday together with an air letter which you had written the previous day.   (The day previous to writing the sea letter, I mean). So your Adjutant is returning to England.   He certainly deserves to if he has been abroad six years.   Gosh!   I bet he hardly knows whether he is on his head or his heels.   I should think that by now he will have covered most of his journey. How I wish you were coming with him.   What rejoicings there would be! I hope the photo you wer...

2364226, Sergt. S. Bristow, Headquarters, 15 L of C Signals, Cen Med Forces                                                                            120(?) 6 Mar 44 My Very Own Darling, The last couple of days seem to have gone very pleasantly.   All I seem to have done is welcome the Post N.C.O. and read your letters.   I’ve had no less than six in this period.   Three of them were very nice sea letters, the last but one month old, and three air mails.   So I feel on the top of the world today. It is really heaven Darling to know that I have you and all your love.   It is forever ...