Author Archives: The Bay Museum

Col R.J. Kentish

To Capt Scovell,

Hove,

Brighton.

Dear GJS

Very glad indeed to get your letter and to hear that you are recovering.  I heard from Miss Pearce to the effect that you were Hors de Combat, but I hope that by now you are quite well.  Your letter of the 10th December only reached me to-day, Jan 16.

I am glad to hear you are pushing along at York.  I had heard it before from many sources that the Northern Command was the best trained command of any at home.  This is not surprising when one remembers the General at its head and his staff lieutenants at his elbow.  It is strange your mentioning that you have a splendid institution in the shape of an N.C.O.s School with the best regular N.C.O.s as instructors.  I say it is strange because I am at present the commandant of a similar institution here in the 3rd Army.  I shall have next course 150 Captains and 150 Coy Sgt Majors 1 from each battalion in the 3rd Army.  We train them all the points to which you refer and in addition we teach the officers the traditions of the old British officer class and what it means to belong to the British Army of to-day.  I have the most extraordinary able staff of officers, gathered from all the regular battalions in the Army.  Everything is run on lines which I am sure would gladden your heart if you could see the School.  We have a corps of Drums here which keeps up the martial spirit and incidentally raises the tails above the head.  We finish up our work every day with the March-Past to the tune of “The British Grenadiers”, the school March-Past and also ****** March-Past of The Royal Irish Fusiliers (not the 87th!! Let the General see how I have been *******).

I have Heskith Prichard, the Novelist and also the Sniping expert here running the 3rd Army Snipping School.  I teach the students everything which it is possible to teach in the short period of 4 weeks.  Lectures on Moral, Leadership, Esprit de Corps, etc.  These are delivered by me.  Other lectures are given by some of the best men in the British Expeditionary Force out here, irrespective of Army.

Sir Douglas Haig is not altogether in favour of Army Schools as he prefers the Divisional Schools.  I told him, however, when he came to pay me a visit, that Divisional Schools are impossible for the New Armies and especially the Territorial Divisions: they have no instructors who could teach and without good instructors these schools lose all their value.

Your story about Madame Caillaux is excellent and I have added it to my list of “Bonnes Histoires”.

I am due for leave now.  I have not, however, taken it because I have felt that there is no reason for my going on leave.  I would, however, gladly come and spend a week or say four or five days with you in Northern Command.  If by so doing I could be of any service to you in the way of lecturing etc. you can let me know.  I will come although I loathe the sea.

I am absolutely up to my eyes in work and cannot write any more.  My best to the General and Lady Wilner and good luck to you.  I *** *** general’s letter. I will answer.  I am taking the whole of the A Sergeants of the III Army next course (161) & the C.O.s in batches of 20 for a week at a time to see the system & to get the spirit.  My lectures can be obtained from Gale & Polden.  I have now altered views; they are possible on the lines now being attempted.  I am helping them all I know on frid

 Week.  They are delivered on active service.

Yours ever

RGK

Lieut Col.,

Commandant,

3rd Army Infantry School of Instruction

16.1.16.

I am sending you a copy of Trench Orders and Wolseley’s Maxims, also a copy of the Syllabus of our work here which may be of interest to you.

Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Friday 4 Jan 46

My dearest Maz

This must I’m afraid be only a very short letter just to announce my safe arrival in the early hours of today after a very unpleasant journey, and more important to thank you for everything you did for me when I was home – I’m afraid I never thanked you nearly enough for so many things – your wonderful Christmas present, the meals I had with you and above all for the way you have looked after Eileen when I’m away, no one has/does appreciate it more than she, and yet my thanks were so very inadequate I’m afraid – it was a wonderful leave and I loved seeing you all again, and look forward to March a whole lot.

To Calais the journey went smoothly, I met my two mess mates at Victoria and we reached Dover at 1.30 am were up again at 6 am and, after a smoothish journey were at Calais at lunch time on Wednesday, but it was the train journey which was the unpleasant part – fortunately we got a carriage to ourselves and we left Calais at 6.30 pm, arrived 4 hours late at Brussels for the tea halt and 9 hours late at Wezel, (on the Rhine) for our first square meal since the previous day – it was 6 pm Thursday when we reached Wezel, and we finally got to Munster at 10 pm! and we didn’t reach the mess til 1 am today – some journey – thank goodness its my last return-from-leave trip ever I hope.  I will be writing more fully on Sunday – I’m so looking forward to hearing from you, your cigarettes, the oranges, and the mags were absolute Godsend during the journey.  Yes, it was grand to see you again and the next and final stop now is March, roll on March.  Much love to you, Maz dear, and to Pari and Elli.

            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 * JA 46.  Signed P.C. Benham.      

On front of envelope Written Jan 4th 1945 [46] rec Jan 7th 1945 [46] (1)

On back of envelope Major P.C. Benham, G Branch, HQ 1 Corps District, BAOR.

Letter from Peter C. Benham to his wife.

Major P.C. Benham,

G Branch

HQ 1 Corps District

BAOR

Friday 4 Jan 46

10.15 pm.

My own most precious darling,

One whole working day has been and come and gone and has left me flatter than any pancake – I just could not take any sort of interest though towards the evening I was beginning to pick up the threads and I’ve no doubt that before long I shall get back into the swing of things.  I need hardly say that my one and only interest today has been centred on the question of demob and the latest gen, but during my absence very little has come in that I didn’t know before, but on my own very secret ‘net’ I have heard things which make it quite clear that my date of the 20th was a fairly pessimistic one and all being well I should be out within the first fortnight in March but you know what these things are and I think we should be unwise to bank on it – one encouraging thing is that I gather my replacement has been asked for on the grounds that ‘training’ will go on forever and someone, a regular, who is staying on must be trained in air matters, I am definitely NOT going on the Air Support Course!!  Otherwise nothing much has happened so far as I can make out.  I didn’t hurry up to the office this am and arrived there at about 9.45!  it’s been a bitterly cold day and I’m not sorry to be back in my own room which is beautifully warm, but this evening, much against my will, I was dragged along to a farewell party though I didn’t stay very long, slipping off early on the pretence that my long journey had completely exhausted me, and I must be early to bed!

There are a couple of things which I would be most grateful if you could do for me, the first is to let Nora King know, only if you see her, that the letters she gave me will be on their way to Hamburg tomorrow, a friend of mine is taking them up, the second is to tell Eric Brough that the 2 books I am anxious to get are WILSHERE’S COMMON LAW and RIVINGTON’S LAW OF PROPERTY – if you could let him know I would be most grateful, I ought to write to him but have a whole host of letters to write these next few days, several of my ex – 1 Corps pals wrote to me at Christmas including my old friend Charles Woodford who asked after you.

Darling I just can’t tell you how much I miss being with you at the flat but every nook, every cranny, is so engraven on my mind that I have only to close my eyes and I’m right there with you, it makes me a hundred times keener to get home, knowing what a heavenly place you have made of it.  You could never have been more wrong when you said to me one day ‘I’m afraid this isn’t what you expected when you came home’ – every second of our time I loved, never, never think I mind doing a few odd chores – I got a real kick out of the small things I did, even polishing the silver!  The things we did together which were complete heaven are far too numerous to mention but outstanding were our evenings by the old fireside, our parties in the flat and that wonderful dance at which I felt so very proud of my sweet wiz, you looked and were, so terribly sweet – if I had never seen you before I should have fallen in love with you all over again.  I’m just longing to hear from you, and know that you are being kept going as I am by the marvellous thought that in 10 weeks time, maybe less, our D day will be here, it seems almost too marvellous to be true, but there it is and roll on March.  Now dearest heart, I must leave you, I love you, darling – more, far more, than ever – thank you again for such a heavenly leave.  God bless and keep you always.  Yours and yours alone.  With all my love

                        for ever

                        Peter

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

Postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 734 dated 4 JA 46.  Signed P.C. Benham.     

On front of envelope 4 Jan.

On the back of the envelope Major P.C. Benham, G Branch, HQ 1 Corps District, BAOR

Letter from Peter C. Benham to his wife.

In the Train

Note carefully!  Thursday 7.30 pm.

My own most precious darling,

This really has been (is being, I should say) one hell of a journey and it looks as though we shan’t get back to the mess until midnight at the earliest.  I’m feeling pretty bloody at the moment and, but for the fact that we four from the mess have been together since DOVER I would be sunk into the depths of depression.  I didn’t reach LONDON until 9.45 after quite a comfortable journey and was at Victoria at 10.15 when I put the call through to you – thoughts of our next phone conversation have consoled me a whole lot during the journey.  After our chat I went along to the RTO’s office where I found Jack Behanell and Ted Worsdel turned up very shortly after.  The train left at 11.15 and we reached DOVER round about 1.15 – lorries took us up to the transit camp where we had a cupper and were taking over to our billets, and heard the glad news that reveille was at 05.30 hrs!  The 3 of us shared a room and I slept like the proverbial log until 6 ocl when we had to go over to the mess for a very unappetizing breakfast.  Finding there was a half hour after breakfast before we had a go down to the docks I had a wash and shave etc.  There were the usual long waits by the quayside but at 10 ocl the boat sailed and the sea was on the roughish side though nothing like so bad as when we came the other way.  On the boat we were joined by Henry Podmore another of the C Mess fraternity – he had gone on leave two days before us but had been well and truly mucked about since his return to Victoria on Sunday evening – the answer appears to be that one or two boats didn’t sail on Monday or Tuesday owing to fog and they have been trying to run extra boats on Wednesday to make up the balance of those still left in transit camps – very unfair of the likes of Henry who haven’t been allowed out of camp for 2 days just in case they could be squeezed onto a later ship – We got to Calais at 11.30 and put our watches on to 12.30 had lunch at 1 ocl and afterwards went to see a film which I had seen before called ‘Hangover Square’ fair.  We were told that owing to a pile-up of officers in CALAIS we should have to spend the night there and get a train the following evening.  Ted went to the Movement Control people and ‘bounced’ them into giving him 4 tickets for the MUNSTER train due to leave at 6 ocl yesterday evening but couldn’t get himself made OC Train which didn’t make any difference as the four of us have a very comfortable and warm carriage to ourselves!  I got off to sleep at 9 ocl and was woken at 03.00 hrs this morning with the announcement (a) that we were 4 hours late and (b) we were to have a hot meal – not a very good one as it turned out though we were very wise to have it as our next food was to come 13 hours later!  I was soon asleep again and next woke at 9.30 much to everyone’s amusement, so I had nearly 12 hours sleep and boy! did I need it?

The next delaying factor was at a place called SPYCK where the railway crosses the Rhine – they had ‘broken’ the bridge to let some large funnelled ship through and we sat there for 3 solid hours before we could cross, eventually arriving at WESEL just after 6 ocl for a hot meal – exactly 10 hours late and 24 hours after we had got into the train at CALAIS – we shan’t get to MUNSTER ‘til 10 ocl at the earliest and it will take at least 2 hours to get back to the Mess from there.  We are not very far from MUNSTER now and the train has pulled up for one of its inevitable stops and the time is 9.15 – I have read ¾ of Sava’s book and it is first-class, isn’t it?  Better, I think than the Healing Knife.  I just can’t tell you how simply wonderful the sandwiches and the coffee were.  I ate most of the sandwiches, one cheese biscuit and one piece of cake on the way from Victoria to DOVER last night (sorry, the night before last I should say) and they were marvellous and the coffee too.  As for the oranges and apples they saved my life completely and were used on many occasions when, due to the fug in the carriage etc, my thirst became uncontrollable – but, darling, I felt terrible when I thought of the hole it must have made in our joint and that it was your ration for some time.  We’ve just started up again and it’s no easy matter writing when the train is on the move so I will say au revoir until the time when I’m back in my own room when the atmosphere will be more conducive to the writing of the most important part of this letter, so ‘til then, my darling, TTFN.

1.15 am.  Back at last and in bed!  I got back at 12.30 and after a few sandwiches and some whisky feel much better – I’ve just unpacked and had a good wash and it won’t be long before I’m off to sleep.

Darling girl the more I think of the last 15 days the more certain am I that it really was the best ever leave – you just have no idea how much I love the flat – for our present wants it is absolutely ideal, and I can’t even start to thank you for the super work you have put in on it and for the million and one things you did for me when I was back – super food, wizard drink, and evenings alone with you which I wouldn’t miss for the world – you were quite perfect all the time – Oh darling girl, I love you more than ever and this last leave has brought it home to me once again what a wonderful wife I have – I’m sorry this letter is so scrappy but the circumstances aren’t what I would wish – I will write tonight (!) on better paper, in ink and more coherently – now I must bid you goodnight and may I dream of you – (I hate being in bed alone again) – God bless and keep you and again so very many thanks for being so wonderful to me.

Yours, with ALL my love for ever and ever, and already LONGING for the D day which is fast approaching,

                        Peter

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

Postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 734 dated 5 JA 46.  Signed P.C. Benham.     

On front of envelope 3 Jan.

On the back of the envelope Major P.C. Benham, G Branch, HQ 1 Corps District, BAOR

Letter to Rev Walters from A W Hanson

O Room

3rd Jany 16

Revd T.W. Walters.

Revd Sir,

            Just a few lines to let you know I am still well.

            We had a very nice but quiet Xmas under the circumstances.

We are still resting and awaiting orders.

Will you please pay Miss Roulston the money which is in the money club, due to me, I think it is somewhere about £1.

I trust you had a good time at Xmas and that the New Year will bring all early peace & reunion.

With kind regards to Mrs Walters & yourself.

            Yrs obediently

AW Hanson

In Green envelope addressed to Revd T.W. Walters, The Vicarage, Whitwick, Nr Leicester.  Angleterre.

Letter postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 138.  4 JA 16.

Postcard from Alan King to Harry R King dated 21 January 1916

The postcard is a photograph of Scrubbing fatigue of Royal Fusiliers taken by J.M. Flatan, 88 Ley St. Ilford.

Thanks for your letters I shall reply shortly.  In this I look much happier than I felt.  Hope you are both well.

Best wishes,

Alan

Addressed to Mr & Mrs H. R King, Munmore, Zion Road, Rathgar, Dublin.

Top of postmark unreadable.  Bottom ESSEX and dated 21 JA 16.

On a postit note attached is written Alan Howard King 3rd from left scrubbing table.

Diary of 2/4th Battalion The Border Regiment

1915.

1st December 1915. Headquarters and “A” “C” Companies arrived at Kamptee and relieved the 1/5th Buffs proceeding to Mesopotamia, 2 officers and 92 other ranks forming the Infantry Detachment at Fort Sitabuldi, Nagpur.

2nd December 1915. “B” and “D” Companies, under Major G.H. Heelis, arrived at Allahabad and relieved the 1/5th Hampshire Regiment, 2 officers and 104 other ranks forming the Infantry Detachment at Fort Allahabad.

At Poona, in spite of a number of men unavailable for parade owing to guard duties, very substantial progress had been made in the training of the Battalion.  Officers and N.C.O.’s had attended schools on instruction.  Platoon, company, and battalion drill had been well learned.  Preliminary musketry had been finished.  Table A had been fired, and a considerable part of the Battalion had completed Table B.  Scouts and signallers were trained.  Simple company schemes had been carried out, and the Battalion had learned how to look after itself in India.

14th December 1915. Lieut. E.C. Kinghorn proceeded to Mesopotamia and was attached to 1st Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry.

22nd December 1915.  Inspection of half Battalion by Brigadier-General C.G. Prendergast, C.B., G.O.C. Jubbulpore Infantry Brigade.

25th December 1915. Major F.W. Halton, T.D., appointed D.A.Q.M.G. 6th (Poona) Divisional Area.

Letter to Rev Walters from J Cato

On YMCA headed notepaper.

Pte J. Cato 22885

2nd Sherwood Foresters

6 Infantry Base Depot

France

Sir,

            No doubt you will think it strange of me writing to you but as Christmas is now approaching and I may be going further up Country would you kindly think of my little daughter which is at Whitwick.  I have nothing that I could send her for a Christmas Box in fact if I had shall never know where we shall be by then.  Splendid country out here hoping all are well at Whitwick.

Remember to Mother tell her am alright I have met several boys from Whitwick one from Golden Row Dumps name of Bice.

Wishing all a Merry Christmas at Whitwick.

From Cato J.

In YMCA envelope addressed to Rev Walters, Vicarage, Whitwick, Nr Leicester, Leicestershire.  England.

Letter postmarked ARMY POST OFFICE S.15  15 DE 15

PASSED BY CENSOR *** triangular cachet in red.

Letter to Rev Walters from J.W. Brotherhood

No 4564 A Coy 3 Plat

3/5 Leicesters

Wesleyan Chapel

Main St

Bulwell.

Notts.

Dec 30th 015.

Dear Rev Walters,

            You will see by my address that I have arrived at Fresh Billets.  Here it is a great deal better than where we were last stationed.  Bulwell is a small town, about 4 miles from Nottingham & we can travel there on the Tram for a 1d, so I think you will have an idea of the pleasant change from a camp 3 miles from “anywhere” to Billets in a Town, where, as you know, there is always plenty of life & enjoyment.

I would like to tell you also of how we spent Xmas here.

First of all, we Parade for Breakfast, & a right royal feast we had of Bread, Tea & Sausages (“not German”) & after Breakfast we had another Parade  & we went to church & chapel.

After coming back from Divine Service we again Paraded for Dinner, & such a Dinner that was set before us would have been the envy of many a cook.

We had Pork & Rabbits with a plentiful supply of Potatoes & Cabbage after which we had another course, Xmas Pudding, but during the few moments we had to wait while dinner was being served, we had a supply of apples & oranges, & a good time at pulling Xmas Crackers, which caused endless amusement.

After such a Dinner, we rested, & I can assure you that we needed a rest, but eventually tea-time arrived with Bread & Butter, Tea, & Pineapple Chunks & another display of “Cracker” pulling.

The Tables were then cleared, & we had a concert, at which I sang.

During the concert, we were regaled with, nuts, apples & oranges, Pldin, milk, & loose chocolate, Figs & Dates, Cigarettes & Tobacco, so you will see what a time we had.

It almost seemed like being at home.

Well Sir, In regard to myself I am still alright & it may be my pleasure in a week or more to come to see you again, when I shall be able to tell you something of our future movements.

Now I would like to say just few things about our soldiers.  First of all, there are no better class of men in the world than soldiers, & the soldier of today is a man of honour.  Mark you, I am speaking of him as a soldier, other elements of his life I leave out.  One outstanding fact of our men today is an eager desire to avenge themselves of their adversity.

Our men have fought & they will still fight.  The battle is not yet won, but it will not be long, especially when our men who are in training have entered the conflict not that those who have gone before us have not done their duty, but we are fired with an intense spirit of patriotism which shall never be ***** until the aggression of the German has been destroyed, & the world is liberated from the tyranny of might.  You tell our men of Serbia & Belgium, & you touch their heart cords, you arouse their ire, & receive such a vow of sacredness for the cause of freedom from them, that it makes one dread as to what will happen should they come to close quarters with the enemy.

Sir, We as soldiers will never rest until we have conquered & a ruthless foe subdued.  We are not out for personal gain; we fight not because we hate, but because we love.  Hamdrift is dead when it ceases to love ‘Freedom’, when it is unwillingly to battle for the right.

I say we fight because we love.  We love freedom; we cherish the sacredness of child life; We hold in reverence the name of matter, & honour the virtue of young girls & women.

Ah; We detest lust & vice, or if we can help it we will see that our womanhood is never ravished by the fiends of Hell, but that it shall be tended & cared for by the love of Heaven.  Sir, that is why we sacrifice.  Is not that fighty because we love.  We not only wait to save those who fought against us; to save them I say, from misrule & injustice.

I think I have said enough.  I do wish you may joy in life & I trust that the year that is just dawning may be a memorable in the annals of Whitwick Church.

I know you need much grace & wisdom, & I do pray God to be with you that He, directing you, may lead you on to great things in His Service.

Accept my humble wishes for ”A Happy New Year”

I remain

Yours very sincerely

J.W. Brotherhood.

In envelope addressed to Rev T.W. Walters, Vicar of Whitwick, Whitwick Vicarage, Leicestershire.

Letter postmarked Bulwell 30 De 15.

Letter to Rev Walters from A W Hanson

No 2346 Lc Cpl A.W. Hanson

“A” Coy 5th Leicester Regt

North Midland Division

Sawbridgeworth

Herts

Revd TW. Walters.

Revd Sir,

            I know you will be pleased to hear from me again & get our little bit of news, which now is not much as we are having such a quiet uninteresting time.

            Last Sunday week we had a journey by train back to Luton to complete our course of shooting.  Monday was a very bad day, snow & rain & the range was ankle deep in mud, but we stuck it out & finished about 5 o’clock in the afternoon & so were able to go back home on Tuesday.

It has been a very big disappointment to all having our leave cancelled & on top of that not being allowed to leave the village, however we put a bright smile on & tried to make the men as happy as was possible.  We had very good meals indeed on Xmas Day & also a Concert in the afternoon.  I did very little towards helping on Xmas Day because I was supposed to be off duty, but I had about 18 men at my table.

On Wednesday night about 12/45 I was woke up & told the Captain wanted on me, so I dressed & ran down to his house, & he told me that it was probable that a message would come thro during the night & we should have to move away.  He gave me a key of the house so that I could wake him up.  I then had to go & wake all our Coy up & I can tell you it took some little time to get some of them.  I finished at 3/30 & then went home & packed my own kit & then went out & had to walk up & down the road for the rest of the night.

About 9 o’clock in the morning the Captain sent me home to bed & I managed to sleep till 1.

In the evening I had to turn out again with a fatigue party helping to get the Hall ready for Xmas dinner etc.

It was 12/30 on Xmas morn when I got to bed & was up to go to the 6/30 service at Church.  I think there was only 7 officers & 9 men present out of over 1000 in the Battn.

Have no more news this time so must close wishing yourself & family & all the members of our service, the very best of health & prosperity during the coming year.

            Yrs obediently

Albert Will

In envelope addressed to Revd T.W. Walters, The Vicarage, Whitwick, Nr Leicester.

Letter postmarked SAWBRIDGEWORTH HERTS 23 DE 14.

Christmas card undated but signed L/Cpl A.W. Hanson