D -57

Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Wednesday 16 Jan 46

6.45 pm.

My own most precious darling,

I had a very hectic day both yesterday and today in the work line, so I left the office reasonably early tonight and thought I would get down to a letter to you before dinner and resume again afterwards.  I haven’t heard from you since Monday so I expect tomorrow with bring forth a letter or letters from you, they have rather taken to arriving in pairs recently.  The reason I had more to do than usual these last two days was that Leonard Olney was away at the Skiing Centre and I had to play all his courses queries – a job which grows daily instead of diminishing.  We had got a game of mixed hockey arranged for this afternoon but the ground is absolutely frozen solid and it had to be called off.  It is bitterly cold here and I’m afraid we are in for a wallop of snow at any minute – as long as the boilers are OK in the Mess I can’t say I mind it very much as my room keeps beautifully warm, but if the boilers go, brrrr, it makes me shiver just to think of it!

The garage situation is now all fixed up – last night I sent of a cheque for £1=17=4 being payment up ‘til 13 Feb and I wrote to Barclay’s instructing them to add 15/2 to the monthly payment making £8=2=0 per month in all.  Lumm, my batman, has just brought in my hot water so I suppose I must get down to a good wash and then away to dinner, after the which I’ll be right back, darling one with thee. ARYCP.

I’ve just finished a rather scruffy dinner which on paper doesn’t sound too bad, soup, meat and veg, choc pudding, but I would rather have on ‘tray’ supper of yours than 100 of our mess efforts.

I had a long talk with John Stevens on the phone this morning, he got back yesterday and honestly our conversation might have been recorded for a comedy show.  He is going up to Hamburg for a few days at the week-end and is calling in here for a cupper on his way through on Saturday morning – every time I said ‘well John, I’ll see you on Saturday’ with a this-is-the- end-of-the-conversation tone of voice he said ‘oh! ’Peter’ – ‘yes’ from me – pause ‘oh! Peter jolly good show you’re your being out in March, and I say Eileen did look nice at our children’s party’ etc etc!  I nearly had hysterics!

I had a most pleasant surprise visit yesterday afternoon – the ‘first’ of the ‘few’ of my old 17^th Field Regt friends I’ve met since I left them, apart from Ian.  I don’t think you remember him very well as he was in Peter Pettit’s Battery up in Scotland and didn’t join 10 Battery until we were in N. Africa – he replaced Roy Oddie as B Troop commander – a very nice chap by name Peter Royle.  He was in here visiting another branch and saw my name on the door – you could have knocked me over wiv a feaver when he walked in – apparently he was wounded in Sicily and came back to England, he is now commanding a Battery (he was still a Lieutenant ‘til quite recently) not far from here.  He is coming over to have dinner with me on Friday night and I’m looking forward to having all the gen on the 17^th after I left it.  Darling one, a couple of things before I forget and which I know you won’t but thought I’d mention (if you see what I mean), (a) my 3 pairs of flannel trousers to Thomas’ for pressing and (b) a trip to ******** re the cloth for those two suits of mine, he only has another 8 weeks in which to remove his digit! Though I shan’t be suit less as I shall have, all being well, a magnificent pinstripe in which to disport myself.

I did a quiet 1½ hours study last night – I find it quite interesting but it is too early to say whether the knowledge gained is ‘sticking’ – one won’t really be able to tell properly until one has had a week or two at Gibson’s which reminds me that I must write and ask them for details of my course, days, hours etc – It will all seem just like a dream, the hours I spend with you like a wonderful dream always, when I get back home for good – it hardly seems possible that in 8 weeks time, after all these years, I become just plain Mr. Benham again.  Now, my angel, with the watchword ‘press on regardless’ ringing in my ears, I must away.  Thank goodness I can now say ‘this time a fortnight ago’ and think myself at home in so doing – 1/5^th of the time has gone by already – whoopee!  Dearest girl, God bless and keep you always, I love you so terribly terribly much and always will, 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 734 dated 17 JA 46.  Signed P.C. Benham.   

On front of envelope 16 Jan.