Hoddom Castle

Tuesday 14 Sepr 43

My dearest Maz,

So very many thanks for your long and interesting letter which reached me this morning, I was so delighted to hear all your news and must also thank you, and Pari for your sound advice re my position in the Regiment with which I entirely agreed – you are quite right, annoying though it would be, it would do no good to put up an unsporting effort if someone else gets the Battery – so far no-one has been put up for the job and as the CO arrived back from a day or two away this evening I expect we shall soon know who it’s to be – general opinion seems to be of the opinion that, as no one has been selected from here yet, it must be someone from outside the Regiment – time will tell.  Since Thursday I’ve been on a local M.T. course (on vehicles by way of explanation of the letters MT) and it is very interesting, we finish tomorrow.  I had to break off from the course on Saturday morning and the whole of Sunday and spent those days doing further ‘recces’ for the exercise which starts on Thursday and finishes on Saturday afternoon, I hope.  I got away just after 3 on Saturday afternoon and went in with Stan and two others to Carlisle where we had a very enjoyable afternoon and evening – I had my hair cut as soon as we got in there and the others went off to do a spot of shopping then at 5 ocl we all met at a spot called the Silver Grill (a sort of Heal and Robarts) where we had a good high tea prior to going to see Judy Garland and Van Heflan (?) in ‘Presenting Lilly Mars’ which was very good.  It was after 9 when we got out and we had a few quick ales before they shut and got back here at 11 ocl – a good time having been spent by all.  After all the great expectations which the surrender of Italy seemed to mean it looks as though we shall have some very tough fighting to do before it’s all over in Italy.  The Russians seem to be performing miracles and there seems to be no stopping them – long may be the good news from that front continue.  I have just returned from a concert given by the Battery for the Battery this evening, it was quite a good show, a trifle amateurish but they had only been rehearsing it for 3 or 4 days, everyone thoroughly enjoyed it though, and it made me think of the 10 Bty concert which you came to when you were up at Dunkeld, the crowning thing of the big sports day – fortunately it wasn’t quite so hot this evening and we didn’t sit and drip as we did up in the balcony that night, do you remember.

Leave is now looming up on the horizon and am I looking forward to it – yessir!  I am so longing to see you all again – it already seems a lifetime since our last leave – it’s nearing the 3 month mark now.

Maz dear there’s very little more news and I must be closing – you will be interested to hear that I’ve got to do umpire again on this next exercise – good old stooge, that me!

Much love to you.  Please thank Pari for his letter and also Elli for his prompt dealings with my insurance – I will write to then both just as soon as I get the opportunity, so longing to see you again.

            Yours ever affectionately

                        Peter

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

Postmarked LOCKERBIE DUMFRIESHIRE dated 15 SP 43  (11)