Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Sunday 7 October 45

My dearest Maz

 Many thanks for your most welcome letter written on Tuesday and for yet another consignment of ‘illustrateds’ – I was, as always, most interested to hear all your news and to hear some of the details of Pari’s release which seems to have gone very smoothly.  I hope Brian’s cold didn’t materialise!  Nothing very thrilling from this end since my letter to you at the beginning of the week – no social or entertainment activities and one game of hockey only which we played yesterday – it was a League match against an Army Troops Coy RE who we beat 7-1, the game was not so one sided as it sounds and there was some good clean hitting and open play – my eye was rather well in and I put 4 into the net.  Quite a few of my friends here said goodbye during the week, leaving to be demobbed with groups 17, 18 and 19.  Amongst them Tim Roberts who place as GSO 1 Ops will not be filled – we have also lost two of our original mess members, they will all be civilians by the time this reaches you.

The first 5 days of this coming week are likely to be very busy ones for me – both my G3s are away, one left yesterday on 14 days compassionate leave and the other is on a short leave over here.  When Harrison comes back from his short leave I am due to change my job and will become G2 Training and Air – the latter for which I will have to receive some special training, will mean my being attached to a RAF Group out here for one week and then on 29^th October I am due to go on a two week’s course in Air Support at the Rhine Army School some 50 miles East of here.  It seems rather absurd to get down to something new after 6 years but it may have its interesting side and anyway won’t be for very long.

I am very undecided what to do today, later on this morning I shall walk up to the office and probably after tea shall go along and watch the final of another tournament they are having today – starting at 11 ocl it takes too long and I decided against playing in it.  Between lunch and tea I shouldn’t be a bit surprised if I don’t get a spot of shut-eye!

Table tennis had got a big hold in G branch now and great keenness is shown by all.  In my absence the ladder was started and they drew for preliminary positions – I was no 11 but by dint of a few games played am now no 1 and have constant challenges to ward off!  We have a match on Tuesday evening against another branch which should be great fun, we have some quite useful players and our Chief Clerk is a member of the Corps HQ team.  I am now half way to the next leave period and am looking forward to it –yessir.  I must now slip along and get myself organised for the office – Much love to you and to Pari and Brian here’s to the next 2 months going past very quickly.

            Yours as ever

very affectionately

                        Peter

In envelope headed ‘O A S’ addressed to Mrs Gerald C Benham, 5 Oxford Road Colchester Essex.

Postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 734 dated 8 OC 45.  Signed P.C. Benham.    

On front of envelope Written Oct 7^th 1945 rec Oct 10^th 1945 (9)

On back of envelope Major P.C. Benham, G Branch, HQ 1 Corps District, BAOR.