14th February, 1940
ON ACTIVE SERVICE
Mrs Kenneth Penman
MAYCOT
12 COMMONSIDE
KESTON
KENT
No. 28
Gnr Penman 1440280
No 4 Section
194.60 HAA
B.E.F.
Feb 14th 1940.
Darling,
Excuse the formality of the above but it is our official address and has now to be placed on all correspondence.
Firstly Darling thank you so much for your No 21 dated 7/2 and I enclose a little French note Madame has given me to send to you. I think it’s rather sweet, this type of little stationary is much used by the French as a form of economy in war time. It seems very funny to see a French postman going from door to door with a bundle of what seem to be children’s stationary.
Our news about leave was a little too affirmative. Starting on the 21st of this month, two men…
…are leaving every third day. This is of course a great acceleration. I don’t think I am too optimistic if I say that I should become for Easter, which is of course very early this year.
I note, dearest, what you say about my commission and the infantry. You’re a darling to have such confidence in me. I’ll try to deserve it.
I adored the description of Jill’s new outfit. I long to see her in it.
The weather with us here is again bloody awful snow and yesterday there were 18º of frost. It’s bearable if it doesn’t hold up our leave again.
Darling heart, I can’t understand your reference to snipping, I have never sent them to you. I can only think they must have got into my letter by mistake in the censoring. Send them to me and I’ll try to unfold the mystery.
Ten of us went to our nearest large city, you will remember I went there last December about my teeth, yesterday evening to see an ENSA show. It was a concert party called “Happy Landings”. Three dancers, soprano, two comedians, and a sort of Florrie Forde woman. It was terribly 3rd rate and quite the filthiest show I’ve ever seen. It wasn’t for the most part even funny. After the first three numbers I went and found Eric who was on the other side of the theatre and, as he was of the same opinion, we went out and had a meal together.
Eric was telling me that he thinks he will just be able to resist deserting now that leave has been accelerated. He was joking of course, but I know that separation is meaning as much to him as to most of us. There are two…
…of us in this billet have been married only a few months, they seem to think that Eric and I should miss you and Pinkie less than they do. Actually I happen to know that none of them miss their wives as much Darling as I do you. If I don’t see you soon, I think I shall stow away on a Blenheim Bomber. I’ll try though to pick one that is coming home the short way.
I’m going to finish now. Darling with every little bit of my love, every one of my thoughts, and all of me.
Yours (all yours)
Kenneth.
PS Honestly, I don’t think it can be more than 5 weeks now.
February 13th–Finland ask Sweden for military assistance in repelling the Soviet invasion. Neutral Sweden refuses fearing it will draw attacks from both Britain and Germany.
The US Senate approve loans of $20M to Finland, $20 to China, $10M to Denmark and $1M to Iceland.
Background notes:
- The ENSA was the Entertainments National Service Association. They had a reputation for being poor despite many talented performers (including Noël Coward, Terry Thomas, Peter Sellers and Kenneth Connor). Soldiers said their name stood for “Every Night Something Awful”.