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[PASSED] BY CENSOR No. 875

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Address:—

Mrs Kenneth Penman
MAYCOT, 12 COMMONSIDE
KESTON. KENT

B.E.F
S.I.

No. 23

January 29th 1939

My Darling,

It made me so happy to receive your No. 16 this evening when I got in from the Gun Park. I was feeling a bit fed up with things in general, it’s wonderful what a letter from you sweetheart does to me, quite unconsciously I feel quite different. I was very relieved to hear also that you had secured two letters from me.

I had a letter from Auntie Sarah yesterday. I’ve not yet received the cigarettes. I got 120 about a fortnight ago, unfortunately the fools of tobacco people don’t put the name of the sender on the parcel so I can’t tell who they came from. I also had a pair of socks (hand knitted) and a note from Ethel which I shall acknowledge tomorrow; re the sweets from Mr. Wood, as a matter of fact I recorded in my letter of the 6th the safe arrival of the and asked you to thank him for me, as you have not received the letter as yet perhaps I’d better write to him. I was very touched at receiving the parcel it was so very unexpected.

There was a little more news yesterday about commissions in Divisional Orders, it…

…does in part clarify Vernon’s securing good fortune apart from any pull his step father may have in that direction, it is something like this:- No further names of candidates will be accepted for training for commission in the Royal Artillery. Field or AcAc as the training colleges are now full for the time being, it has been remarked that there is a dearth of applications for commissions in the infantry branch, these are solicited etc etc.

In the afternoon I decided I’d go an see Mr Chapple about the news, he assured me that in his view the notice meant only that 20 names would be accepted and that mine already had been, he would however confirm this with the Major in the course of the next few days.

I told him that I was so bored with all the inaction and waste of time and would he recommend me for an infantry commissions (I think actually I would do almost anything to get home to you for a little while darling), he said that I should remember he’d met you and Jill and was sure I wouldn’t ask him to do anything of the sort. If it’s not an unmanly comment to make I think it was rather sweet. So darling I am afraid we shall have to stay a Gunner for a little while longer, it’s not the practice of the 60th to promote men NCOs who are on the lists for…

…higher promotion, it may seem a bit boastful but I haven’t the least doubt that if this were not the case I should have had at least two stripes ‘ere then(?).

Portsmouth I happen to know is one of the many stations devoted to OTCC in the Infantry Branch. There is a possibility that Vernon owes his early recall to the fact that being in a Regular unit there are far fewer men suitable for commissioning than there are in a TA one. I should naturally like to take my commission in the Royal Regt., one can’t belong to it without becoming proud of it. I understand that the course takes five months with an exam at the end of each month of the five. I the event of failure in any one of the exams which I believe pretty stiff, one is returned at once to one’s unit.

We have had a thaw during the last few days, freeing again each night. This has made the roads veritable sheets of ice, about an inch thick, tonight however it is snowing hard again, we welcome the snow as it means the weather is warmer. I am terribly sorry to hear that you are still frozen up, I doubt there is anything that Gibson can do, it is a risky business de-freezing the pipes with a blow lamp which is the usual way, you will of course ask him to send in his bill to the Bishops, there is no…