Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Sunday 4 November 45

My dearest Maz

Your second letter this week reached me this morning and I was delighted to hear all your news.  I am very much looking forward to the arrival of the cake, many thanks in advance!  On Tuesday your letter written last Friday arrived containing, inter alia, the news about John having to go to Norway – it made me simply furious and is yet another example of what one has to contend with these days in the army, it is one of the more scandalous things, pure breach of promise, I’ve heard for a long time.  I’m glad to hear that you have started to drive again – is there any news of the new car yet?  I was so very sorry to hear about Frank Grimwade, probably though a good thing in many ways, but Mrs G will be very lonely without him, won’t she? 

I can’t quite make out why they wouldn’t allow my vote in the local elections, I am on the register and, I should have thought, was entitled to a vote, by proxy or otherwise, whether I was in the Borough or Timbuktu – I just can’t fathom the way these things are run.  How some-ever I was very pleased to see in yesterday’s Daily Herald (a revolting bolshie rag) that Colchester was NOT one of the towns captured by labour, though they had eight gains – I wonder who they were and await details of those who got in, with great interest.

You certainly had an ‘old fashioned’ day at Clacton and I was most interested to hear about David, he is very wise to try and stay in the Air line as there will always be an opening there and he really isn’t trained for very much else, is he?

All being well I’m hoping to get my leave at Christmas time, won’t it be wizard if I do.  My course, which was due to start on 11^th Nov has been postponed yet again and is now due to commence on 9^th Dec and finishes on 21^st Dec.  I have been told that I can go on leave as soon as the course is over and am trying to get a vacancy which would mean my arrival back home on the 23^rd or 24^th.  I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to anything quite so much.  I haven’t been home for Christmas since 1939.  Only 7 more weeks to go.  I have, on account of my change of job, been very busy this week, mostly picking up the threads, but I’ve managed to get 2 excellent games of hockey, apart from these I’ve done absolutely nothing interesting, no films no ENSA shows.  The first game was on Wednesday up at Rhine Army HQ, the big trial match.  The ground was rather bumpy but considering this and the fact that 22 players had been gathered in from miles round, the game was an excellent one.  I played ‘fairly’ well, not as well as I should have liked but scored 2 fairly good goals and am hoping for the best.  The team won’t be announced until Tuesday as 8 Corps weren’t represented in our trial and held one of their own in Hamburg yesterday.  I met no fewer than 3 of my old Uppingham contemporaries playing, John Singleton who was in the team in 1934/35, and two Fawcus brothers, one of whom played a really first class game in goal.

On Thursday the second game was against the local General Hospital side, in the final of the Iserlohn Knock Out Cup.  It wasn’t a very good game as we were far too good for them, leading 5-0 at half time and the play in the second half deteriorated a lot, and we won 6-0 (3).  I had a most unfortunate little accident just after the second half had started.  One of the opposition caught me across the leg with his stick and I can only think that a piece of flint must have been embedded in his stick, as something punched a neat hole straight through my stocking and deep into my leg – the MO packed it with sulphamide (?) and put a clip across it in lieu of a stitch.  He took the clip off yesterday and I’m pleased to say it has now almost completely recovered.  Still no news about demob though one rather brighter thing is that Group 21 (Officers only) not due to be completed until 22 Feb is now going to be out by 12 Dec which is bound to have its repercussions on later groups.  I am duty officer all day today, rather sad in view of the weather, no wind, no cloud and just the day for some good outdoor exercise.  Well, little Maz, I must bash on with a few outstanding jobs I suppose so that I start the week with a clean sheet.  My love to Pari and Elli and my thanks to them both for their many welcome letters. 

Much love to you, Maz dear, am so longing to see you again next month all being well

            Yours as ever

very affectionately

                        Peter

PS.  I hope the big sale was more successful than the gramophone!  Eileen said she saw some of the things in Dansie’s window – she should have gone to the sale and bidded some of the prices up!!

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

Postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 734 dated 5 NO 45.  Signed P.C. Benham.    

On front of envelope Written Nov 4^th 1945 rec Nov 7^th 1945 (13)

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