D -46

Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Sunday 27^th January

10 am.

My own most precious darling,

Two things prevented my writing to you last night, first a farewell party in the evening at which though I was very far from being tight, I had my fill and when I returned I felt so weary that bed was the answer and secondly I shan’t be up at the office ‘til after 11 am by which time I shall have missed the post and you would be receiving two letters at once, instead of one good long ‘un which I shall write throughout the course of today – it is lovely out, similar to all the days we’ve had this week, very sunny but not quite so cold.  I hope it continues like this and the grounds in Holland thaw out a bit before we play on them at the end of next week.  I didn’t have much time for anything but work yesterday and got through a lot before I left the office at 6.15.  Then I came back to the Mess, had a good bath and changed, dinner and then out to the party at the Club – it wasn’t a ‘demob’ party but a friend of mine who has been promoted to half Colonel and goes down to Brussels as the chief copper – I need hardly say that he’s a regular.  Leonard Olney went down to Brussels yesterday for a short leave and won’t be back until Wednesday, so I shall have a lot of extra work to do between now and then – when he gets back I’m off the BAOR HQ where we ‘assemble’ on Wednesday evening and then go by car from there to Holland on Thursday – I’m looking forward to it a lot.

The brightest spot in all yesterday was the arrival of your Monday letter, which, as always, I read with great interest and for which many thanks.  You can get right up off dem bended knees momma, cos I ainta got no intention what-so-ever ob bringin’ ome anyting dat ainta absolutely necessary, no sir!  No, I promise that only the absolute essentials will show themselves at the flat – the first consignment of books will be on its way today.

You certainly had a good long lie in the other morning, and why not.  If you had nought to do and it was such a foul day outside then I reckon you were very wise – make the most of your chances now ‘cause soon we shall both of us have to be up bright and early – I might say that I wasn’t up ‘til 10 past 9 this morning, but I hadn’t got the excuse that it was a miserable day!

I have just spent a super 33 1/3 pfennings and feel a whole lot better – I heard rather a pretty little Somerset tale the other day but you will have to imagine the dialect – ‘where be you off to, George?’  ‘I be a going off on my honeymoon, Bill’.  ‘Be you a going to Paignton, George?’  ‘No Bill I be going to stick un in just as it is!’  Well on this high literary note, I will say au revoir for now, angel, I must away up to the office but will be right back with you on my return.

6 pm.  Well, it’s not quite ‘on my return from the office’ but I’ve not let the grass grow under my feet and did NOT sleep this afternoon!  I didn’t get back from the office ‘til just after 1.  I had a long chat with the Chief of Staff who is leaving us at the end of this week – in many ways I shall be sorry when he goes – it was very useful to have someone in high places who took an interest in hockey, but as I’m going shortly myself it couldn’t really matter much less – he has, I’m afraid, rather got the sack and is going, much against his will to Malaya – no promotion or anything like that.

After lunch, in a fit of glorious energy, I donned my shorts and sweater and went out for a long training run – when I got in I had a good hot bath, by which time it was 4.30 and a cupper was the order of the day.  I’ve since then written to Brian, sending him a cheque for £2=15=6 insurance money and I asked him to let you have the receipt.  I have also written to Gerald and Lois, to the former in reply to a long and very pleasant letter on the subject of futures etc which I had from him yesterday – most encouraging but no figures as to salary were mentioned.  I told him that when I get home we will have a day at  Walton when we can discuss all the various office problems and how much they will pay me – It would be better that way than fixing things at the office where one gets countless interruptions and damn all settled.

When I got to the office this morning my clerk handed me a good fat letter from you.  I was delighted to get it and laughed me ‘ead orf at your story of the tramp, I hope your surmise when he started putting his boot back on again proved correct.  What a busy little bee you must have been the other afternoon, shifting all that coal about, very arduous work – The cleaners didn’t waste much time doing the jacket and trousers, did they.  Many thanks for having them done for me.  You are very wise to be getting a pinstripe from Smith’s, it will, as you say, last you for a long time – I seem to remember you talking about £26 for a suit when I was home – so it can just come out of my account being the other half of the piano money.  That, with your Pitlochry tweed, will set you up in real pansy form for next ‘season’ – No, you haven’t told me about ‘Farewell Campo 12’ before, it sounds excellent.  Is it one you’ve bought before or have you got it out from Smith’s?  I really must tackle Lois and Gerald before I come back, on new names for them Magra and Pari are too bloody stupid for words, aren’t they?  What are your suggestions chum?  I have permanently dropped Elli, which was also stupid.  My programme for the next ¾ hour is work, then dinner, followed by a trip to the cinema where I’m going to see Gordon Harker in ’29 Acacia Avenue’ then back here to resume and conclude this letter to you – sorry it’s in so many parts but you know how it is.  So for now, my love, au revoir, I’ll be back.

10.15 pm.  I’ve just got back from the film and I must admit that I’ve seen many worse – I laughed like a drain at many of the double meaning phrases – the board of censor’s must be very pure minded, do I can’t see how it ever got past them – it was one of the most sex-ridden performances in a subtle way I’ve seen for a long time – one of the neatest phrases just before an engaged couple went up to spend the night together was the likening of the ‘trying’ period of engagement ‘to driving a car with the accelerator and the brakes both full on’, ‘animals’ the chap said ‘don’t get engaged, they just get right on with the job’ – this last brought the house down!  I went to the film with an OU friend of mine in the Mess – I think we just got back in time as it is now pouring with rain – I only hope it doesn’t turn to snow.  Well, Angel, I think the time for bed is at hand and I’ll begin to close down for the night.  Only 46 more days – it’s a thought which I just can’t get out of my head.  Oh! darling, I love you so awfully much and we must make every day of our life together just the happiest in the world.  God bless you, dearest girl, and keep you – you are never out of my thoughts and for ever and always I shall be as I am now, yours, only yours

            with ALL my love

                        Peter

In envelope headed ‘O A S’ addressed to Mrs Peter C Benham, 9 Vint Crescent Colchester Essex.

Postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 734 dated 28 JA 46.  Signed P.C. Benham.   

On front of envelope 27 Jan.