D -13

Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Friday 1^st March

6.30 pm.

My own most precious darling,

I am entirely at a loss for words, just about as completely deflated as I could ever be.  Your Monday letter arrived this morning and I’ve read it, not once, but scores of times – an unkinder letter could never have been written, but, my darling, it was I know entirely deserved, and as long as I live I will regret many of the things I must have said, were they so very terrible?  I can’t say any more, except to hope and pray that before I leave here on Sunday the 10^th I shall have had at least something from you to make my journey back the thing I’ve longed for it to be.

It’s been a bleak and cheerless day here and last night we had another heavy fall of snow – it put paid entirely to our hockey, not only today but on Sunday, and all the arrangements made have had to be cancelled which always takes a long time, and I’ve had another big job to do for the Chief of Staff.  Darling, if I don’t whip off I’ll miss me dinner, so will away til later.

8 pm – Dinner wasn’t exactly a banquet.  Old ditch water, stewed meat and tinned veg bread and cheese!  The bread and cheese wasn’t too bad.  Yesterday was the same as any other day and it was after 7 before I got away from the office and then, as the busses weren’t running I had to plod my weary homeward way through the snow.  After rather a late dinner I was inveigled into a game of poker, not the usual crowd, and fortunately the stakes were almost negligible – I say fortunately, because, though we played for nearly 3 hours, I just couldn’t pick up a card, but only lost 7/6 the whole evening.  I had a good shop yesterday and brought up my entitlement of clothes etc – I got one pair of gloves, two small sheets, one towel and a pair of pyjamas – I have parcelled them up and they will be away tomorrow a.m.  I had a most regrettable accident with my sweater (a good opportunity arose for me to wear it) the other day, alas it got wet, and somehow when we got back after the game to the changing room, it found its way to the floor (jumped right out of me ‘ands, mum) where, as bad luck would have it, it collected an ‘orrid patch of red stain.  I am sending it back by registered post tomorrow and would be most grateful if you would take it into Thomas’, telling him that the marks are floor stain.

Darling, I can’t write any more tonight, but will write at length tomorrow when I’m hoping and praying that I hear from you.  God bless you and keep you, my dearest heart, I love you so very much and nothing will ever alter that,

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 2 MR 46.  Signed P.C. Benham.    

On front of envelope 27 Feb.