D -49

Chad drawing  with “Wot!  Forties already?

Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Thursday 24^th January

11 pm.

My own most precious darling,

My programme didn’t quite go according to plan this evening though I wasn’t late back from the office and put in a spot of work before dinner – afterwards several of us went along to Studio 1 where we saw Irene Dunne (she was good) in a very poor film called ‘Over 21’, mixing comedy with the typical Yank war aims and idols served up by elderly chaps graduating from Officers schools addressing other graduates on passing out parades, the only thing missing was Shirley Temple inspecting the cadets!  Otherwise today has been like any other day plenty of work to do etc, just the same old routine.  The one bright spot was the arrival of your Sunday (0040 hrs!) letter for which my angel, many thanks.  I hope the face is better, I want to see that unblemished peach bloom when we meet in London in 7 weeks from today, so stop dat squeezin’ momma, lay de tweezers down!  As for say ‘when you’re here I don’t have time to dilly dally on such things’ – well, well, well!  You certainly have got a shoe problem on your hands (sic!) and I don’t honestly know what to advise you to do – as you say once you get one pair of Baber shoes then you will have to go on getting them, and I can’t help feeling you would be wiser if the Thurston pair is the only uncomfortable one you have, to cut your loss and not wear them again – and this seems to be the course provided the others give you no pain when you wear them – I can’t help wondering what rake off from Baber’s your chiropodist friend gets – perhaps I am maligning her, I wonder?  Anyway you want to work on the principle that comfort is the essence of the contract and the curing of the toe.

Poor old Bill is having a bad time of it, though he has the advantage of being a qualified accountant but I’m afraid his profession more that any others, must be a very difficult one for those who have been in the Services.  Reason, of course, being that Accountants at one time were reserved up ‘til 30, if not all the time, any rate up to 35 – look at the Russel Wrays and Algy Goddards and the host of other fit and comparatively young men which go to make up Bland Fielder and Co.  Lawyers, conversely, are in very short supply, hence my hope that the exam standard won’t be too high, and desire to take it at the earliest opportunity – the longer one leaves it the lower the percentage of passes.

The ‘green book’ is on its way at last, as will shortly be a consignment of books, they are wrapped up and the parcel now needs a label etc.  Tomorrow I have to go over to Paderborn to sit on a Board convened to say whether or not a certain area is suitable for construction of rifle ranges a long and tedious procedure – at 6 ocl I have to give a lecture on Hockey at the Rhine Army School of PT – I shan’t be back until about 10ish but shall call in at the office to see whether there has been any mail from you.  The days are ticking past now and we now have the same length of time ahead as we had a fortnight before I came on leave and now, if you see what I mean!  I can hardly wait for it all, hardly wait for the days when the words ‘to have and to hold’ will be true for ever – then at last will we know the meaning of real happiness and days together when we need no longer say ‘this is our crowded hour, eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we part’ – how strange to start with it will it all be, how wonderfully strange, how I hope and pray that the Fates are kind to us – we start off with the best advantage in the world, that we love each other and are so very much part of each other – it must always stay that way – God bless you, angel heart, and keep you – it won’t be long now and bash on the day when I press button A; 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 734 dated 25 JA 46.  Signed P.C. Benham.   

On front of envelope 24 Jan.