7th February, 1940
Mrs Kenneth Penman
MAYCOT
12 COMMONSIDE
KESTON
KENT
No. 25
B.E.F. S.I.F.
Feb 7th 1940.
Darling,
When I got in from guard just now Sergeant Ascolie was up in our billet, it was the first time I had seen him since his return. Actually he came back yesterday but I had not met him having been on the Gun Position during the last 24 hours.
I was so glad to hear he had managed to get up to Keston. I asked him how you looked and he said “As beautiful as always”. I meant of course did you look well, I told him I knew a lot more about how beautiful you were than he did, much to the amusement of the rest of those present. Mac wanted to know if it was giving Reg your address.
I am feeling a bit lonely tonight sweetheart, it’s nice though being able to talk to you, even though it’s only in a letter. I don’t think I’ve ever told you, when Vic left us, I became very friendly indeed with Eric Fermor, you remember. We were talking in whistles one night after lights out when he told me that he had met Pinkie (his wife) in Jersey. They have a little girls a year younger than Jill and live at a place called Harrocks near Brighton. I don’t…
…know how it is, but it is absolutely necessary to have a real friend. We are of course a grand company. If any one of us is short of anything at any time he can always be sure that someone will lend him or give him it.
Eric is a grand bloke, very witty and unassuming in a quiet way, and we did everything together. Early in January he was transferred to B.H.Q. and I’ve missed him very much. We used to lie in bed (we always managed to wangle adjoining beds in all our billets) and talk for hours about Jersey, and you, and Pinkie, and everything else in the world.
Pinkie sounds sweet but rather impractical. She didn’t approve of Eric digging holes in the ground, he is a Chartered Accountant and she didn’t consider that his capabilities were being fully utilized, so she actually had the cheek to write three times to the Secretary of State for War about it, with the result that Eric is now in the office at B.H.Q. separated from all his friends, and what I object to, from me–somebody’s just given me a piece of wedding cake, just a minute while I eat it,—hmm not bad; to continue Eric has made application for a course in the Pay Corps. He is too young for an RAF accountant commission like his brother was lucky enough to get, and it was Pinkie’s intention to accelerate this.
By the way Darling, I should mention, I don’t know if you ever see the Bromley Mrs. F .these days, but she and Pinkie are not the best of friends so I shouldn’t mention to her any of the above.
Funny thing, I feel much better now, although you’re so far away dearest, the mere act of writing to you does things to me. S’pose it’s ’cos I love you so.
Always and ever always,
Your own,
Kenneth.
XX to the spring.
Wednesday 7th February, 1940
February 6th-The “Careless Talk Costs Lives” propaganda campaign was launched in Britain. It was later decided that most careless talk was frivolous and information overheard assumed to be planted, leading to the cessation of the campaign.