A love story in letters played out against the backdrop of the Second World War between Chris Barker, a solider in North Africa, and Bessie Moore, a Morse code interpreter at the Foreign Office in London.

Compiled by Simon Garfield and adapted for radio by Sara Davies

Produced by Gemma Jenkins

A small blue box opened in 2008 revealed a wartime world of love, longing and frustration.

On September 5th 1943, Chris Barker, a Signalman stationed near Tobruk decided to write to a former work colleague, Bessie Moore, back in London. The unexpected warmth of Bessie's reply changed their lives forever.

Chris and Bessie's love letters first appeared in Simon Garfield's book To The Letter, they have toured literary festivals as part of Letters Live before getting their own book, My Dear Bessie, published this year on Valentine's Day. Show less