Letter written during the political turmoil of the Greek occupation period by a manager (Bernard J. Campling - read segment of his wife Maudy’s notes arranged by Helen Leggatt) of the MacAndrews & Forbes Company, based in their Sochia branch, to Mr Hodder (probably Ben Hodder, engineer in this same branch, from at least 1900 - baptismal records).
According to researcher Wallis Kidd: Ben Hodder was the Manager of the Sochia plant also a Captain in the local militia up against the local Turkish war lord in the 1922 troubles, and after 1922 Mr Hodder was declared ‘persona non grata’ and expelled from the new Turkey and never to be allowed back.
From information courtesy of Helen Leggatt: Bernard Campling joined MacAndrew and Forbes in 1912 as an analytical chemist at Sochia (Söke). He was promoted to permanent manager of the factory and district from 1924-1941.
Ben Hodder was the manager of McAndrew & Forbes of Sochia branch, was captain of one of the British torpedo boats which raided the Turkish mainland, stationed on the island of Mandros, spoke several languages including Turkish, Greek, French and German. He stayed in Intelligence with the little motor boats till the end of the First World War.
(Brother Alfred or Rowly) Pengelley was also staff of McAndrew & Forbes. Maudy first met them at Easter 1916. Maudy and Bernard spent two weeks of their honeymoon at the Pengelley’s house in Smyrna in 1918. The house had been closed up as some of the Pengelleys had left in 1914. The British Consul had officially sealed up part of the house. The Camplings got it through the Dutch Consul as the British consul had also left because of the ongoing war.