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Address:-
MRS KENNETH PENMAN
MAYCOT, 12 COMMONSIDE
KESTON KENT

No 5

Gnr PENMAN 1440280.
SEC 4 194/60 HAA
B.E.F.

April 18th 1940

Darling,

Thank you so much for yours No 2 dated the 12th which I received yesterday with enclosure, which I consider absolutely preposterous. I agree with all you say about it, and also there is no mention about our use of Gorse Cottage side way for coal and refuse as was provided for in our original agreement (thank g. I keep doing it). I will write to Evans and point this out saying that the lease is not to our liking in any respect, and that we have reconsidered our decision, and that we prefer to remain bound by the original document. Meanwhile darling you musn’t feel worried or upset by anything the Bishops may do; I know how you hate anything of this nature but you must realise how I should hate your moving without my help, as for the Bishops I can forsee their feeling our presence very much more than our absence, if we moved we should have to pay a war time rent and sign an agreement which would…

…protect the landlord against conditions in wartime. You will notice that the part of the agreement which refers to damage by fire etc and the suspension of payment of rent, or of part payment, is a clause not usually put in. Another point, after the last war the tenant received a great degree of protection against exorbitant rents under the Rent Act and there is no reason to suppose that the same will not be the case again. All this is supposition of course, but I do really think that the Bishops are likely to find us a very unpleasant thorn in their sides if we stick, and after all with them living where they are and paying the rent to Evans there is no need to have any communication with them at all. If you at any time need any repairs done, the proper course I think is to ask mr Gibson to do it at the same time giving him Bishopss address and asking him to send the account to him. If he ever returns to Gorse Cottage and doesnt cut the grass in the front garden, I’ll have something to say to him the communist bastard, – sorry darling, but his damned sauce makes me feel very hot under the collar. You will be amused, and…

…perhaps a wee bit proud to hear that I was one of five to be selected from the section to go and see a rather special show last night, it was a reward for “exceptional work”. I was naturally quite pleased especially the major came up to visit us on the G.P yesterday morning, he examined my dugout and afterwards came up to me with his two attendant officers, he said “I understand Penman that this command pit is principally your work”, “That is correct sir,” ses I stiffly at attention. “It’s an extremely fine piece of work”, ses the major, “Thank you sir” ses your little boy, curtseying smartly.

The show I enjoyed tremendously. It opened with Jack Hylton and his band with Stinker Murdock. Arthur Askey was supposed to have been there but was unable to get away, the other and the main attraction was Gracie, who was absolutely wonderful; it sounds silly but she gave us all the impression that she thought we were fine, she was very sweet in the things she said about us, she worked tremendously hard singing for about an hour. Stinker came in the stage to introduce her, he…

…said, “Now we have someone who you’ve all been waiting for miss–” and then there was a tremendous roar which went on and on and on, till after about a minute the curtain was still down; “I’m coming” came from off stage and the curtain went up.

Richard Murdoch used quite a lot of Bandwaggon stuff and was I thought very good, he said that naurica came back from her honeymoon the other day, and on being asked how she liked married life said “alright but aint it rude”. Lucy and Basil, the two Bandwaggon pidgeons were, so he said, doing a flight over Berlin the other night, and Lucy said to Basil, pointing downwards “thats where HE lives, visibility was good and they made allowances for wind —” He also told the story about the station master who lost the pea in his whistle and someone gave him a split pea and half the train went out. Stinker had a lot of difficulty with the boys over this story every time he made such observations as the Station master asked the Porter have you got a pea? “No” said the Porter “But I’ll go and ask my wife if she’s got a pea.” His wife of course hadn’t got a pea only a…

…a split pea”, “absolutely filthy”, said Stinker, “its a good job Arthur isn’t here”.

I’ve just been re-reading your letter, when I was talking about Evans and the agreement Darling, I should have said that I haven’t any idea where the old one can be, I was under the impression you had it at mothers and brought it back to Keston with you. I do dearest me think that the way you’ve been keeping the rent up to date wonderfully and I dont think that the Bishops have anything to worry about seeing that receiving the rent monthly they get it earlier than they would if we kept to the agreement and paid quarterly; I’ve just thought, I believe the agreement was in a cardboard dress box with a lot of other receipts and papers.

Will you congratulate Kathleen and her husband for me, I hope they are both well.

I bought an old last war British bayonet the other day from four small boys ten centimes (1 washer) each, it makes a very fine chopper and poker for the billets.

I don’t know whether I’ve ever told you, there is quite a bit of friendly…

…rivalry between the [REDACTED] gun team that man our guns. In the gun pits are racks for ammunition, these racks have covers to keep out the weather and No 1 gun the other day decided to paint the word ammunition on this cover. It was a bit obvious as of course everyone knows what is there, No 2 gun were delighted and responded by hanging a little board on the breech of their gun, “With hole for shell sharp end first” written on it and on the muzzle (other end) “Exit only please open other end”. No 1 gun were quite annoyed.

Immodest little thing is going to say a bit more about its dugout, actually darling any compliments I’ve had are mostly your fault, I’ve been missing you so much that I threw all my energies into the thing, making it occupy all my mind and coming back from the G.P. at night thoroughly ready for bed. I love you so very tenderly Terry dear, I’ve got both your photographs one above the other by my bed and every night when I come back to billets I try to imagine I’m coming back to you, just of old and I say the sort of things inside to them that I might…

…have said aloud long ago. I dont know why I wrote long ago, it seems long ago terribly so, I look forward so much darling to coming home to you for ever. My dearest love to you.

Darling I love you so.

Your own,
Kenneth