Stan and Grace

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen Med Forces                                                                            146. 9 May 44 My Very Own Darling, It is too good to be true!   Another letter from you yesterday which took only six days.   I shall never grumble at the APO again!! I see that like me you are counting the months as they pass. I do so wish the much talked about second front would start.   If we could get cracking in Europe it would be very encouraging wouldn’t it?    I hope that once our troops have landed on the continent it won’t be a l...

2364226                                   Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals                                                                                       144. Cen Med Forces 6 May 44 My Very Own Darling, It has been oppressively hot all today and I am just spending the last hour before turning in on the balcony of the Sergts’ Mess. The sky is as only a Mediterranean sky can be – a deep purple, bejewelled with hundreds of twinkling stars, while up over the whitewashed houses the moon is r...

G.H.N.                                                                                                               (125) 6-5-44 My Very Own Darling, I had just finished writing your letter yesterday when your parcel of almonds and “Yanks” arrived.   Thank you Darling.   They are delicious – especially the sugared almonds. As I shall not be going home for a few weeks I have parcelled half of them up to send to your Mother.   It is so good of you to keep sending me these things.   I ...

G.H.N                                                                       P.S.  Almonds have just arrived.  Will write                                                                                                                    again later. 4-5-44              ...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals                                                                  143. Cen Med Forces 4 May 44 My Very Own Darling, Your letter describing your two days at Grimethorpe arrived last night.   You certainly seemed to have had a really lazy time.   Fancy spending so long in bed!   Good to tell I wasn’t around to drag you out walking or on a trip to Leeds or Barnsley!!   You were never allowed to spend so much time in bed when I was at home – rather it was the other way round; I wouldn’t let you go to bed.   Remember all those heavenly nights & mornings, Darling? Your new cousin...

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals                                                                            142. Cen Med Forces 2 May 44. My Own Precious Darling, After two or three days of cold weather when a blustering wind blew lots of dust round and generally made things uncomfortable, I am pleased to say the sun is shining once more and (going back to Sunday School days) “all is calm and bright” as I sit here in my favourite lunchtime haunt amongst the rocks. So you are “having a go at making some Baby clothes”, eh?   You made me go all hot & cold when I read about it!! ...

G.H.N. 1.5.44 My Own Darling, What a climate ours is!   Yesterday was a beautiful day and quite warm but today it is very windy and just like a March day.   However, it is not raining so that is something to be thankful for. I have just seen Nan off on the bus.   This is the first chance I have had of seeing her since she came down to Nottingham a fortnight ago.   We went to the “Granary” for tea – remember the place?   We then decided to go to the pictures and saw Mary Astor and John Bales and several other famous stars in “Thousands Cheer”.   It is an American film and was chiefly about the American Army.   The Colonel’s daughter entertained the troops and fell in love with a private.   It was quite a good show. Kit is on day duty at last, for which she is well and truly thankful, though the   Sister is on holiday and Kit is having to do her duties which she does not like.   She never gets off duty before 9 p/m unless it is h...