Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Tuesday 4^th December

11.30 pm

My own most precious darling,

I’ve just got back from Solst where I had dinner with Freddie Self – a very pleasant evening we had too.  It’s about an hours run from here and I arrived plum on the dot at 7.30, a couple of quick gins and then a jolly good dinner, followed by a long natter and a game or two of shove halfpenny and so back here.  Yesterday morning saw Leonard Olney back off leave and since his return I think a spot of reaction after my flat-out fortnight must have set in – I just haven’t been able to settle down to anything – reaction is the secondary reason though, the primary one being the ever increasing proximity of the Great Day – it’s getting most thrillingly near, isn’t it?  If, in the unlikely event of there being no cancellations, I actually arrive on Sunday 16^th, then there are only 12 more days to go!!  What sheer joy it is to think about it.  I decided last night that to bed early was the order of the day, so having completed my hockey article I was in bed by 9.30 and asleep at 10.15, a record for me for recent nights, I felt all the better for it this morning when I woke of my own accord at 7.45!  No letters from you yesterday or today and since Sunday my only mail has been a letter from Brian, who very kindly did a bit of ‘form finding out’ for me when he was in London some days ago, one thing he told me which took a considerable load off my mind was that Gibson & Weldon’s return to London next year – I had a horrid feeling that they were going to stay in Guildford and I couldn’t for the life of me see how I was going to get back and forth for 4 days each week over a period of 6 months, it was quite a major headache, but all is well now though the journey up and down to London is a sweat but has one advantage which I remember of old, namely that one can cover quite a lot of reading in the train.  I must admit that these last 2 days have been about as dull and colourless as anything one could imagine but the end of the week should be very different – hockey on Thursday Saturday and Sunday and a table tennis match on Friday evening, this will be our first match in the newly formed inter branch league – a league which I reckon G branch should win.  There was news today of our Christmas cards and I have ordered a swift two dozen, amongst those which I will send from us both will be

Bill and Dorothy

Grannie Ethel

Barbera and Hervey

The Kings

Sansoms

Stanley Leaning

Major Leanings

That will be a start and I’ll let you know later who else I’ll be sending joint ones to – but you needn’t worry about the above, they will be coped with.  Now my angel, to bed and may the morrow bring with it one of your wizard letters – I can hardly wait ‘til Sunday(?) week to be seeing you again.  Oh!  I’m just longing for it – God bless you, dearest heart, always.  All my love is yours and I’m thinking of you – Yours only yours

            for ever

                        Peter

In envelope headed ‘O A S’ addressed to Mrs Peter C Benham, 9 Vint Crescent Colchester Essex.

Postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 734 dated 6 DE 45.  Signed P.C. Benham.     

On front of envelope 4 Dec.

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