Otterburn

Saturday 21 Aug 43

My dearest Maz,

So very many thanks for your long, interesting and most welcome letter which reached me on Thursday via various post offices!  I was so glad to hear that you are really feeling better and have recovered from your nasty attack of flu!  What a great standby your USA trip is, I should have given a lot to have heard your conversation with Yank Tommies and high ranking officers!  I was so sorry to hear about poor old Aunt Beth, she has been having a rotten time recently, incidentally it was she who gave me that cigarette case which is, alas! under new ownership now.

The last few days have gone very quickly owing primarily to the fact that we have been very busy and have been out on the ranges most of the time.  This afternoon and evening were to have been our first ‘lull’ for some time and John Handford and I had worked out a programme comprising lazy time ‘til 4.30, tea ‘til 5, bath and change and then cinema at 6 ocl for which we had booked seats, dinner, phone calls and letter writing and so to bed!!  Everything went initially according to plan and at 6.30 we were just witnessing the start of ‘Arabian Nights’ when a shocking fellow appeared and bellowed out ‘all 16 Bty officers wanted at the Bty Office – to a chorus of much bad language we filed out and found Robin waiting for us with a completely changed detail for tomorrows Regimental exercise involving our going out at 5 am!

You really would have thought they could have let us have proper orders before, they had all this morning and this afternoon, as it was it has meant that I have been rushing about ever since and it’s now nearly 10 pm and I’ve only recently put down a spot of dinner.  Jack Tabor, for whom I have deputized this last 3 weeks arrived back from his course this evening so I shall now be able to give my undivided attention to my own job.

At tea-time yesterday the Adjutant was asking if anyone played hockey in the Regiment as Scottish Command were asking for a list of players (with qualifications) – I think he thought I was pulling his leg when I gave him my name.  Anyway I’m hoping the outcome may be a good game or two – I must, when we get back to Hoddom, get down to a spot of real training – if I can get a game or two for Scottish Command it will certainly be a welcome break.  My phoning has of course had to be cancelled until tomorrow evening when I very much hope to get through to you.

I came across an old friend of mine here a couple of days ago – a captain by the name of Sheath.  I knew him in Scotland when we were up here before.  He was in the 2^nd Bn Hampshire Regt in our Brigade and was one of the lucky ones when they lost over 500 out of 700 in their epic battle at Tebomba.  He was lucky that he was badly wounded in the face during the battle and was carried away in the last truck to get back before the Bn was surrounded.  He and I got very friendly on our way back and we had a long chat about this and that.  I noticed he was still wearing his Hampshire Regiment flash, no-one he told me would make him remove it.

We leave here on the evening of the 25^th and do an exercise which, odd co-incidence brings us back to that well-known spot Hoddom Castle in the a.m. of Friday 27 Aug 43.  I’m hoping for a quiet game of golf over next week-end.  Well Maz dear, time draws on and I must to bed, do I shan’t feel at me best tomorrow morning when I’m woken up.  Much love to you, Yes I too have thought of that wizard weekend we had together at Dunkeld.  My love to all

Longing to see you again.

            Yours affectionately as ever

                        Peter

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

Postmarked OTTERBURN NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE dated 23 AU 43.         (8)