D -42.

Chad picture with “Wot! 6 more weeks?”

Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Thursday 31^st January

10.15 pm.

My own most precious darling,

I’m writing this in the lounge of the Officers Hotel, The Hague, after a long but pleasant journey here.  In all we covered about 240 miles through Herford, Osnabruck, Euschede, Zutphen, Apeldoorn, Utrecht.  5 of the BAOR Humbers brought us here and we came in convoy – average speed about 35 mph even with a half hour break for coffee and doughnuts in the YMCA place at Rheine.  We left at 10 ocl and were here at 5.30.  The team is about 15 strong and we shall probably all play in two out of the three matches.  Just for your interest I enclose a copy of the arrangements made for the tour.  Coulson, an Irish International for many years had to cry off at the last moment and I’ve been ‘appointed’ captain of the team, rather a sweat as any speech-making which has to be done will fall on me!  Tomorrow morning we are going to have a run around on the local field, followed by a conducted tour round the City by one of the Dutch Under Secretaries!

Did my letter to you last night sound the most awful piffle?  I’m afraid it probably did as I was feeling anything but sober – we all went along to the Rhine Army HQ Club after dinner where I had several gins followed by two champagne cocktails!  I might say that the concentration put in on that letter was something terrific!  After dinner tonight several of us decided to go to see a film (‘Waterloo Road’ was on) but when we got there we found that you had to have purchased a ticket well beforehand and the place was packed out.  Instead we walked up the main street and back and I’ve just come up from the bar where I smoked my last cigarette of the day and had one glass of beer.  I’m afraid the evenings are going to be a trifle hectic so my letter writing programme is to write to you on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and when I get back to Iserlohn on Monday night.  I’m just longing to see your letters waiting for me, it makes getting back really worth while.  Darling one, I would have given anything to have had you with me today, and every other day too, the country we came through (it was a very similar one to your journey to Germany, wasn’t it?) was very varied, from the comparatively hilliness round Osnabruck to the absolute pancakishness of Holland, especially the stretch between Utrecht and here.  The whole tour seems to be extremely well organised and our rooms are ‘de luxe’ – I am sharing one with Freddie Self who goes straight from the Hook to Harwich on leave on Sunday night, would that I was coming too, but 6 weeks isn’t long to wait, just 42 days and all being well we shall be shall be together for always – as the times gets really near, so does my impatience and longing for it increase correspondingly.  Dearest heart and must away to bed for an early night (while I can!).  God bless and keep you – I love you oh! so terribly much and you are never out of my thoughts.  ALL my love is yours, only yours

            for ever and

always

                        Peter

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

Postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 376 dated 3 FE 46.  Signed P.C. Benham.     

On front of envelope 31 Jan.

D -43

Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Wednesday 30^th January

10 pm.

My own most precious darling,

I’m actually up at Bad Oeynhausen, but not having written last night felt I must pen a few lines to you and hope that there is a post from the Mess in the morning.  After a very hectic morning I left Isulohn at 3 pm picked up Freddy Self and another bod at Soest and arrived up here at 7.30 pm to find most of the other members of the team assembled here and having very much of a ‘pre-tour party’!  We have just come back from the ‘21’ Club and I’m now smoking my 10^th and last cigarette of the day.  F. Self is sharing a room with me and is fast asleep.  I was delighted this a.m. to receive your Friday letter and to hear, inter alia, about Bill and Dorothy’s supper with you, and the prospect of a Lois (thawed out!) visit to you the following evening.  Many thanks for your letter, darling.  We leave hear by cars at 9 ocl tomorrow morning and should arrive at The Hagueround about6 or 7pm – it promises to be an excellent tour and I’m much looking forward to it.  After a very busy day yesterday in the office I set sail for Witten at 6.30 and was at Peter Royle’s Mess at 7.20.  After an excellent dinner of soup, hare and real cream sweet, we settled down to a really terrific natter and it was 10.30 and time for me to be returning before I knew it.  I learnt many interesting things about the 17^th between the time I left them and the Victory March through Tunis in which the 17^th took a prominent part.  I didn’t get back ‘til 11.30 and was so tired that I just dropped into bed and was asleep in no time.  Darling, in just on 6 weeks now I shall be putting in the most historic phone call ever and there is no thought in all the world which gives me such a thrill as that.  It is all getting so wonderfully close now, and when next I’m back to the old office on Tuesday the days will be numbered in the 30’s – throughout the next 5 days you will be, as always, so very constantly in my thoughts, and I will write to you just whenever I can, and am I longing for my return and the little ‘pile’ of letters waiting for me, yessir!  Angel one, I must into bed now and to sleep, and must say goodnight and God bless you for always – you are forever in my heart and I love you more than I can ever tell you in words – may my dreams be just of you, all you.  ALL my love, dearest heart, is yours, and yours alone.

            for ever and always

                        Peter

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

Postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 830 dated 31 JA 46.  Signed P.C. Benham.   

On front of envelope 30 Jan.

D -45

Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Monday 28^th January

6.45 pm.

My own most precious darling,

There promises to be rather a long ‘session’ this evening as 5 stalwarts from D Mess are coming over at 8 ocl to play us at Table Tennis – we shall get a proper hiding but they are bringing their dart board with them so perhaps we may get our own back at that!  Many thanks, darling, for your Thursday letter which arrived this morning – I was delighted to hear that Joan is coming to spend a few days with you – it will certainly be a pleasant change – please remember that I shall expect to hear some very good stories as a result of her visit!  I’m so pleased you had such a good day at Mersea, the two children sound most attractive – Sorry to hear that Lois has been in poor form, very trying and always the same when things go quite wrong.  I entirely agree that we must join the Officers’ Club, I will go up and see Ladlow when I get back to make the necessary arrangements.

Slight item of news which will give you, I hope, something of a minor thrill – they have been and gone and awarded me a MBE!  I was told about it this afternoon and saw me name in print, Peter Carr Benham etc (Colchester) in the London Gazette dated 24 Jan I think it was – Lois will no doubt say ‘I told you so’ but you can tell her to stuff it because there were only two for our G Branch (an OBE plus mine) and there honestly was nothing automatic about it and though I says it as oughtn’t I did put in quite a lot of hard work between D day and VE day.  Angel girl, I fear I must pop along and wash before dinner so will say, au revoir for now.

11 pm.  Back again darling after a very enjoyable evening – as things turned out we were only beaten 3-2 at Pingers and then suffered a heavy but hilarious defeat at darts – Ted Wasdell and I won our games and we were 2 all with one game to play – our no 5 is almost a non-player so didn’t get much of a look-in – we then played 2 doubles matches winning one and losing one.  It was a good evening though and everyone enjoyed it.  Tomorrow I’m going over to Dortmund for the evening to have dinner with Peter Royle, we shall, I hope, be able to have a real good natter.  You will be pleased to hear of a considerable reduction in smoking on my part these last few days – I’m now down to 10 per day and don’t find it the strain I thought I would – I’ve been doing it since last Wednesday!  I’m afraid there is very little else to report so will close down now but will be back with you again tomorrow night.  Could you let Lois know about the MBE as I shan’t be writing her a special letter – Dearest, dearest heart, God bless and keep you always – I live only for March and to see you again and be with you for ever – ALL absolutely ALL, my love to you, now and for ever and always.  I shall be yours, just yours darling

                                    Peter

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

Postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 734 dated 30 JA 46.  Signed P.C. Benham.   

On front of envelope 28 Jan.

D -46

Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Sunday 27^th January

10 am.

My own most precious darling,

Two things prevented my writing to you last night, first a farewell party in the evening at which though I was very far from being tight, I had my fill and when I returned I felt so weary that bed was the answer and secondly I shan’t be up at the office ‘til after 11 am by which time I shall have missed the post and you would be receiving two letters at once, instead of one good long ‘un which I shall write throughout the course of today – it is lovely out, similar to all the days we’ve had this week, very sunny but not quite so cold.  I hope it continues like this and the grounds in Holland thaw out a bit before we play on them at the end of next week.  I didn’t have much time for anything but work yesterday and got through a lot before I left the office at 6.15.  Then I came back to the Mess, had a good bath and changed, dinner and then out to the party at the Club – it wasn’t a ‘demob’ party but a friend of mine who has been promoted to half Colonel and goes down to Brussels as the chief copper – I need hardly say that he’s a regular.  Leonard Olney went down to Brussels yesterday for a short leave and won’t be back until Wednesday, so I shall have a lot of extra work to do between now and then – when he gets back I’m off the BAOR HQ where we ‘assemble’ on Wednesday evening and then go by car from there to Holland on Thursday – I’m looking forward to it a lot.

The brightest spot in all yesterday was the arrival of your Monday letter, which, as always, I read with great interest and for which many thanks.  You can get right up off dem bended knees momma, cos I ainta got no intention what-so-ever ob bringin’ ome anyting dat ainta absolutely necessary, no sir!  No, I promise that only the absolute essentials will show themselves at the flat – the first consignment of books will be on its way today.

You certainly had a good long lie in the other morning, and why not.  If you had nought to do and it was such a foul day outside then I reckon you were very wise – make the most of your chances now ‘cause soon we shall both of us have to be up bright and early – I might say that I wasn’t up ‘til 10 past 9 this morning, but I hadn’t got the excuse that it was a miserable day!

I have just spent a super 33 1/3 pfennings and feel a whole lot better – I heard rather a pretty little Somerset tale the other day but you will have to imagine the dialect – ‘where be you off to, George?’  ‘I be a going off on my honeymoon, Bill’.  ‘Be you a going to Paignton, George?’  ‘No Bill I be going to stick un in just as it is!’  Well on this high literary note, I will say au revoir for now, angel, I must away up to the office but will be right back with you on my return.

6 pm.  Well, it’s not quite ‘on my return from the office’ but I’ve not let the grass grow under my feet and did NOT sleep this afternoon!  I didn’t get back from the office ‘til just after 1.  I had a long chat with the Chief of Staff who is leaving us at the end of this week – in many ways I shall be sorry when he goes – it was very useful to have someone in high places who took an interest in hockey, but as I’m going shortly myself it couldn’t really matter much less – he has, I’m afraid, rather got the sack and is going, much against his will to Malaya – no promotion or anything like that.

After lunch, in a fit of glorious energy, I donned my shorts and sweater and went out for a long training run – when I got in I had a good hot bath, by which time it was 4.30 and a cupper was the order of the day.  I’ve since then written to Brian, sending him a cheque for £2=15=6 insurance money and I asked him to let you have the receipt.  I have also written to Gerald and Lois, to the former in reply to a long and very pleasant letter on the subject of futures etc which I had from him yesterday – most encouraging but no figures as to salary were mentioned.  I told him that when I get home we will have a day at  Walton when we can discuss all the various office problems and how much they will pay me – It would be better that way than fixing things at the office where one gets countless interruptions and damn all settled.

When I got to the office this morning my clerk handed me a good fat letter from you.  I was delighted to get it and laughed me ‘ead orf at your story of the tramp, I hope your surmise when he started putting his boot back on again proved correct.  What a busy little bee you must have been the other afternoon, shifting all that coal about, very arduous work – The cleaners didn’t waste much time doing the jacket and trousers, did they.  Many thanks for having them done for me.  You are very wise to be getting a pinstripe from Smith’s, it will, as you say, last you for a long time – I seem to remember you talking about £26 for a suit when I was home – so it can just come out of my account being the other half of the piano money.  That, with your Pitlochry tweed, will set you up in real pansy form for next ‘season’ – No, you haven’t told me about ‘Farewell Campo 12’ before, it sounds excellent.  Is it one you’ve bought before or have you got it out from Smith’s?  I really must tackle Lois and Gerald before I come back, on new names for them Magra and Pari are too bloody stupid for words, aren’t they?  What are your suggestions chum?  I have permanently dropped Elli, which was also stupid.  My programme for the next ¾ hour is work, then dinner, followed by a trip to the cinema where I’m going to see Gordon Harker in ’29 Acacia Avenue’ then back here to resume and conclude this letter to you – sorry it’s in so many parts but you know how it is.  So for now, my love, au revoir, I’ll be back.

10.15 pm.  I’ve just got back from the film and I must admit that I’ve seen many worse – I laughed like a drain at many of the double meaning phrases – the board of censor’s must be very pure minded, do I can’t see how it ever got past them – it was one of the most sex-ridden performances in a subtle way I’ve seen for a long time – one of the neatest phrases just before an engaged couple went up to spend the night together was the likening of the ‘trying’ period of engagement ‘to driving a car with the accelerator and the brakes both full on’, ‘animals’ the chap said ‘don’t get engaged, they just get right on with the job’ – this last brought the house down!  I went to the film with an OU friend of mine in the Mess – I think we just got back in time as it is now pouring with rain – I only hope it doesn’t turn to snow.  Well, Angel, I think the time for bed is at hand and I’ll begin to close down for the night.  Only 46 more days – it’s a thought which I just can’t get out of my head.  Oh! darling, I love you so awfully much and we must make every day of our life together just the happiest in the world.  God bless you, dearest girl, and keep you – you are never out of my thoughts and for ever and always I shall be as I am now, yours, only yours

            with ALL my love

                        Peter

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

Postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 734 dated 28 JA 46.  Signed P.C. Benham.   

On front of envelope 27 Jan.

Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Sunday 27 January

My dearest Maz

Another solid week nearer the 14^th March and it has been a very varied one too.  The cake is still going strong though it has almost had its day now, it really is a real beauty.  Many thanks for your two letters, dated 17^th and 21^st – I am glad to hear that the drawing room is finished.  I should love to have seen you and Pari sitting in state in the kitchen – I hope Eva’s visit was a success, and that the Filbert was in better form than the last time you met him!  You and Eileen seem to have been terrific Aunt Kates with the fudge – Eileen reported feelings of near sickness the other day due to too much of it!  I hope she makes a dollop for me when I come back.  Yes, I saw the notice about the memorial service for Hugh – many thanks for the cutting ‘Monty plans his Germany from sick-bed’ – though I hadn’t seen it in print, the repercussions have been felt down here and several minor flaps have arisen therefrom.  I’ve seen two films this week, but at the private cinema ‘studio1’- the first on Monday night was a German film in agfacolour (much easier on the eyes than technicolour) – the film was made in about 1940 and really wasn’t bad at all – no sort of propaganda about it and quite a normal sort of love story plot – I couldn’t of course follow the words, though I knew by the actions what was going on!  The other film I saw was ‘Over 21’, a very poor American film with earnest young and not-so-young officer cadets addressing fellow cadets on America’s war and peace aims – Irene Dunne was the only bright spark about it.  Our weekly inter-branch table tennis match was played on Wednesday evening against Welfare, whom we beat very soundly 9-1 on their own table – our number 5 lost one of his two matches.  I had a hectic evening on Tuesday – I was due for a ‘poker’ evening with several chaps in the mess and just before dinner was invited to play in an ‘exhibition’ table tennis game against the local German team.  I told them I was already otherwise engaged for the evening but would help them out by coming along, playing my game and then departing.  I played a chap who hadn’t got much of a clue beat him 21-9, 21-8 to make the score in the match 3-3 and went back to the poker game.  I had to spend the whole of Friday up at Paderborn (about 60 miles from here) where in the morning and afternoon I was sitting on a Board to determine whether or not a certain range is safe, and in the evening I had to give a lecture to some 40 students of the BAOR P.T. School on Hockey – it went down really quite well and I was asked to go again next month which is always a good sign.  When I got back to the office late on Friday evening I found a signal in from Rhine Army saying that I had been chosen to play for BAOR in the forthcoming tour in Holland.  We assemble at HQ BAOR on Wednesday, spend the night there, then go off by car at 0900 hrs on Thursday.  We play games on Friday Saturday and Sunday in Amsterdam and The Hague then come back on Monday – provided the weather is good it will be great fun, and will make a very good break – if I get half a chance I will try and stop at Apeldoorn on my way through and call in on the Van Dyckes.

Leonard Olney went down to Brussels yesterday on short leave and won’t be back until Wednesday so I can see myself in for a couple of very hectic days.

There hasn’t been a cloud in the sky all this week but it is still very cold and both the hockey games arranged this week had to be called off as the ground is as hard as iron, rather a pity in view of this tour but after lunch today I went out for half an hour’s run, followed by a good hot bath, and I now feel fit for anything.  Reading the papers at tea-time I saw sorry to see that the U’s got a trouncing, but what an amazing effort young Barnard put up when playing for the Arsenal v Leics – 3 goals – good going.  Only 46 more days, Maz, and I’ll be right home for good – the latest ‘gen’ on my relief is that he will be coming in on about the first March if not before, so, all being well, there’s no chance of my being ‘frozen’ again.  I just can’t tell you how much I look forward to the day when I hand the whole of my ticket in at ‘the North’ – we will have several ‘demob’ celebrations!  Now I must away as I’m going to see Gordon Harker in ’29 Acacia Avenue’ this evening.  God bless you, Maz, and much love to you.

            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 28 JA 46.  Signed P.C. Benham.   

On front of envelope Written Jan 27^th 1946 rec Feb 1^st 1946 (5)

D -48

Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Friday 25^th January

10.45 pm.

My own most precious darling,

Not only am I writing on your paper, I’m also smoking one of your cigs – what a lovely surprise packet it was to find on return from the Training Centre at 10 pm – many thanks, you wizard, for everything – you must be psychic (?) – I finished my last 2 oz tin of Players De Luxe yesterday.

I had quite an enjoyable and successful day – it was very cold but brilliant sunshine when I left here at 9.15 but we ran into one very bad 20 mile stretch of fog just about half way which meant I arrived some 15 minutes late for the Board, convened to say whether or not a proposed range site was safe, but it couldn’t have mattered less, as, for the same reason, two of the other members were later than I was – I had a very good lunch in the Trg Centre Mess and afterwards we all went out to examine the proposed site – we finished just before tea and at 5.30 I duly presented myself at the PT School where I was treated like a junior king!  The lecture to some 40 students seemed to go down fairly well, lasted well over the scheduled time and was greeted at the end by what I like to think was spontaneous applause.  I decided not to stay to dinner and we hit the road at 7.20 and I reckoned we would be back at 9.30 – (I had laid on sandwiches and a thermos of tea for my return), but the same patch of fog was hanging around and I didn’t get back to the office until 10 ocl, which under the circs wasn’t bad going – I went up to the office with two main objects in view (a) mail and (b) to see if there was any news about the tour in Holland.  I was thrilled to find your parcel there, (that old tin has done yeoman service!) and I also found letter from Lois and Gerald.  Just to add to the more pleasant things, I found a long signal from BAOR giving the team selected for the tour – and I’m pleased to say that yours truly has been chosen.  We go up to Bad Oeynhausen on Wednesday and by car from there to Holland on Thursday playing matches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon, and back on Monday – I only hope the ground thaws out a bit as it should be great fun.  Since Wednesday I have cut my cigarette consumption to 10 per day – it makes me wonder how many a day I really was smoking before, anyway 10 a day isn’t too bad, and I don’t find it very difficult to do.  Well, my little angel, I must to beddy-byes (sorry!) and must say bon soir et au revoir.  God bless and keep you, my dearest heart, always.  Don’t forget that every minute of every day, you are in my thoughts and that I love you terribly, terribly much – again a thousand thanks for the parcel.

Yours, with all my heart

            for always,

                        Peter

In envelope headed ‘O A S’ addressed to Mrs Peter C Benham, 9 Vint Crescent Colchester Essex.  Postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 734 date missing.  Signed P.C. Benham.  On front of envelope 25 Jan.