Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Sunday 13^th January

My dearest Maz

I have two most welcome letters to thank you for this week and also Picture Post and Illustrated.  Many thanks.   I should love to have seen John Stevens as the Fairy God Father at the party and can just imagine his look of slight bewilderment.  The items listed by John Van Dyke are short throughout the world and if anyone could produce a couple of hundred cycle tyres in Holland now, he would make a fortune!  Our tour in Holland is scheduled for 31 Jan to 4 Feb but whether (a) it will come off or (b) I am asked to play, remains to be seen – If I do go on it there may well be an opportunity of visiting Apeldoorn.  It has been very mild here most of the week but there have been some terrific gales.  The week seems to have gone by fairly quickly and the main reason has been that I’ve had plenty to do to keep me busy in the office and have had some function or other most evenings during the week, including two most successful Table Tennis matches.  Tuesday was really the big night, when the undefeated Corps HQ team met the other team undefeated in the League, 1 Corps Signals.  The first match had ended in a draw 3-3 some 3 weeks ago, so it wasn’t surprising that about 100 spectators rolled up to the YMCA to watch the fun – I played no 5 and we played in the order 1, 3, 5, 2, 4 and 6.  When my turn came to play the score was 1-1 and the excitement was running high!  I lost the first game but won the next three fairly easily to put our side in the lead 2-1.  There was terrific handshaking etc after each game – true table tennis style!!  With the last game to play we led 3-2 and our no 6 gave us a win, result 4-2 in our favour.  The other match was on Friday night when G Branch played and beat 8-2 the Pay boys who hadn’t been beaten – for an inter branch game it was very good value and I think, despite two lost matches over Christmas, we can win that league as well.  Monday evening saw yours truly as duty officer and on Wednesday I had Freddy Self over to dinner with the primary object of discussing the hockey meeting at BAOR HQ which he attended for me.  We had a very cheery evening.  Yesterday I went to see the first film since my return, National Velvet, not a very good story but good colour and good acting.  I have nothing at all fixed for today – I had breakfast in bed at 9.30, up at 10 and it’s now nearly 11.30 and I must nip up to the office to see if there is any mail and generally what’s happening.  For the rest of the day my programme is letter writing and reading of me law book, then very early to bed.  I will continue after lunch.

Later.  Have just had tea and didn’t do all the things I had planned for this afternoon by a long chalk.  I did 40 minutes reading on my bed and must have fallen into a very sound sleep as the next thing I knew was Dick Jesson coming in to announce the time as 4.30 and time for tea.  After lunch there was a most extraordinary blizzard – it only lasted about 20 minutes, long enough for it to settle though and everywhere is white now.  You really are a brick to look after Eileen so well, she loves coming round and it makes just all the difference for her.  I am counting the days before my return for good in March, working on March 14^th as the magic date and it is only 60 days off now, just over 8 weeks – it seems hardly possible after so long in the Army and it will all seem very strange at first.  All being well John will be a civilian again by now and I shall be very interested to hear the latest form on demob suitings etc and how he takes to ‘learning’ and his Gibson’s course.  I have a nasty feeling that by the time I pass through the demob ‘sausage’ machine they will have run out of suits etc, but I may be wrong!  Now, Maz dear, I must try and make up a little of the time I lost by sleeping this afternoon.  Here’s hoping that the next 8 weeks just flash past – much love to you and to Pari and Elli.

            Yours as ever

very affectionately

                        Peter

P.S.  Sorry to see that the Us got beaten yesterday – I’m sure they didn’t lack Pari’s support.

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

Postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 734 dated 14 JA 46.  Signed P.C. Benham.   

On front of envelope Written Jan 13^th 1946 rec Jan 17^th 1946 (3)