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)