D -53

Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Sunday 20^th January

5.30 pm.

My own dearest heart,

The most hectic part of my last Sunday duty has now come and gone and since tea-time I’ve been able to settle down to letters to Lois, and Douglas Goodbody, the Secretary of the OU Hockey Club.  He had written asking me to play for the OUs v School on 9^th March which I told him I just couldn’t quite make!  I said I would play, if required, in 1947 with an eye to a pleasant outing with you including dinner at the University Arms on the way back.  I’ve no doubt that Brian will oblige with his car for such a worthy occasion.  There hasn’t been very much happening today – the odd phone calls but enough to prevent one from settling down to anything – since four ocl though the phone bell hasn’t gone (I’m touching wood hard!) and as I say I’ve been able to get shot of one or two items.

This morning much to my delight, there was another letter from you, the third day running, written on Wednesday for which many thanks.  In your opening remarks etc I was reminded by such phrases as ‘lack of news’ of my letter to you written on Thursday night – if yours was newsless, I might as well have sent you a couple of blank sheets of paper!  A letter from you makes so very much difference to the day.  I’m sorry to hear how cold it is with you, it is just the same here but central heating in the Mess and offices plus a lot of bods makes everywhere pretty warm, with you, alone in the flat, and coal running short, it almost makes me weep to think of it.

I don’t know how soon the telephone system BAOR to UK will be working, when it is, I shan’t waste my time, believe me.  I will try and give you some warning of when I’m likely to be getting through – I shall have thousands of things to say to you but will probably be completely tongue-tied when it comes to the point!!

8.15 pm.  What an absolute closet I was to talk about how quiet things were – a bloody great long signal came in and that was that pro tem.  I had got it sorted out by 6.45 when I had to whistle down to C Mess, wash and change, then walk to the Officers’ Club where Geoffrey Lamb was holding his farewell party – I left the club at 7.40 rushed back to the Mess, quick dinner, put me battledress blouse on and hopped into the truck I had ordered at 8.5 and so here I am, not bad going I reckon.

I had a reply to my letter to the post-war grant people this morning, sending me a couple of forms to fill in and notes on how to fill them in.  The main item is that I have to produce written evidence of discharge from the Armed Forces – I shall fill in the forms and bung them off and forward partics of discharge later when in the words of the notes my ‘application will be expedited’!  Hope so.  Anyway I will fill them in tonight and hope for the best.  I was most interested to hear the advice given to John by Gibson & Weldon’s – no office work but plenty of reading.  I think when I get home and between then and 9^th May I will have to do some reading every day except for our holiday in Scotland and at Easter – our holiday must be 100% free from worry and it must be our second honeymoon in every sense of the term.  2 hours a day before we go, two hours a day when we get back and a full day i.e. 9-12.30 – 2-4 (too long really for extensive reading) between Easter and 9^th May – though I think a lot of reading with no variety at all is a bad thing.  Working for my inter I never used to work after 10 ocl at night – by that time I found the old brain quite incapable of grasping any more, and to go on longer than that did far more harm than good.  This afternoon I wrote off a quick warning order to Mrs Wilson at the Royal, booking a room there provisionally from Wednesday 27^th March to Wednesday 10^th April – right bang in the Spring and all being well roughly a fortnight after I get home – I hope you approve and I’ve pointed out that the dates may have to be altered slightly nearer the time.  I’m getting so terribly excited about it all, darling, our real start in life together, that I can think of little else, and long for it more than I can say, if only I can always make you as happy as I want you to be then I ask for nothing more, because it is only when you are happy that I can be, when we both are then the sun shines every day.  God bless you, precious girl, and keep you.  I think of no-one but you and love you with all my heart more than I can say – only 7½ more weeks, Yours, with ALL my love, now

            and 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 dated 21 JA 46.  Signed P.C. Benham.   

On front of envelope 20 Jan.