I Say Rejoice. A memoir of Christopher Benn. By His
Brother. (Faber. 6s.) CAPTAIN CHRISTOPHER BE NN was killed in 1941 when flying on a mission for Military Intelligence in the Libyan Desert, and his brother has written a touching account of his life for his little son, including many recent letters about his Army life. Before the war Benn lived for some time in Germany and gained an insight into European politics, and when war came he was already beginning to have some success at the Bar and was a fearless music critic and happy husband and father. Throughout his letters runs a strong religious strain (Anglican), which is perhaps a little surprising in view of so many public pronouncements on empty churches and the irreligious reputation of his generation. He was obviously a brave and dutiful man—he worried the War Office until he had persuaded them to transfer him from his comfortable job to more active service—and his brother's tribute persuades us of our loss.
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