Sunday 18 July 43

9.15 p.m.

My dearest Maz,

So very many thanks for your letter which arrived on Wednesday after being forwarded on from Langholm – Yes, it really was a superb leave and will rank probably until the next as one of the very best, won’t it?  I have thought so much of you and Pari this week and do hope the weather was kind to you and that you had some good days out.

The first 4 days of the week here were simply appalling it just never stopped raining, and the whole camp was just a sea of mud, but these last 3 days have been lovely, hot and sunny.  During the week I’ve been very busy and have been working up ‘til about 7.30 or so most evenings, the chief job I’ve been on is ‘camp improvements’, making pathways, cleaning drains etc, I must say the last unit here left the camp in a simply shocking state but now it’s 100% better, though there is still a lot of work to be done.  On Sat morning I had a wire from Eileen requesting a phone number to ring me up – I had a chat with her at 7.45 yesterday evening and she told me that her ‘stirring up’ which I had advised her to do, had borne fruit and that she hopes this week to be interviewed at Group HQ with a view to training properly as a watch keeper – it will certainly add spice to what must be a very dull existence at Stad and I hope her interview goes favourably.

I’ve enjoyed this week-end as much as any I’ve spent up here since I joined the 7^th.  Yesterday Stan Lockyer and I cycled over to a golf course at Powfoot (6½ miles from here) where we borrowed clubs, had 13 excellent holes, tea and then cycled quietly back here.  This afternoon we repeated the performance, but this time we played 6 holes after tea.  The course is not at all bad and is quite well kept, there are only 13 holes, the other 5 having been ploughed up, but its excellent value and *** and much needed exercise.

The news continues to be good and after only a week’s fighting in Sicily to have captured 1/3 of the island and taken 30,000 prisoners (what are they going to do with them all?!) seems a really first-class show.  The Russians also seem to be doing great things – everything, touching wood, really does seem to be going in our favour now.  I’m getting so impatient, as must many millions of others for the war to end and now see the beginning of the end seems to be here – great show.

I spoke to Robin the other day about the disability of the Bty Captain going on a course at Larkhill on our new equipment and this seemed this morning to have borne fruit when I saw my name down for a course beginning 28 July and ending 15^th August – however he told me later on this morning that he had put someone else’s name down for it as he would want me here when our new stuff starts arriving, it is thought roughly about that time.  Anyway I shall get one of the courses later on I hope and it will mean a couple of short week-ends at Oxford Road which is a great thought.

This camp is pretty deadly but fortunately I’m very busy so don’t really mind so much and this golf course will make all the difference to the weekend.

There is, unfortunately a Regimental Mess where the atmosphere tends to get a trifle strained at times and after listening to the news at 9 pm I come up here, don my jacket and write and read.  Please thank Pari for his most welcome letter and tell him that I shall be writing to him either tomorrow or Tuesday.  Maz dear I must away to bed as I feel a wee bitty tired after cycling some 30 miles in the last 2 days and playing about 36 holes.  Am so looking forward to hearing from you on Tuesday – much love and God bless, love to Pari and the Elli.

Yours ever affectionately

Peter.

In envelope addressed to Mrs Gerald C Benham, 5 Oxford Road Colchester Essex.

Postmarked LOCKERBIE DUMFRIES 19 JY 43.           (2)