大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Jonathan Mitchell on behalf of Keith R Thresher and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions

Taken from:
鈥淔 for Fox鈥�
Christmas, Masbree 1944

Lieutenant Thresher supplies this version of Christmas Day spent in a farmhouse by the left section of the Fox Troop 391 Battery.

Christmas eve: Preparations and Thespian Aspirations
We had discussed the idea of Christmas celebrations so many times but the conditions of war made it very difficult to agree on any set plans. So when we realised it was only a few days until the 25th we hastily called a small committee meeting. A few feelers were sent out to the informed circles to judge whether we should remain in the same location over the festive season. Back came the answer, yes, we should remain.

Then came the rush... We decided to have a light mid-day meal and have our Christmas Dinner in the evening and have a sing-song. The villagers were invited and an Xmas Tree would be decorated with presents. Mitchell wrote a short play, Captain Andrews produced another script and all sorts of secret rehearsals commenced. Flash, being the villain of the piece could be seen at all hours of the day and night enacting, with the aid of a mirror, vicious Nazi-like facial expressions. Great news followed. We were to receive tinned turkey, pork, beer and a special rum issue as well as Christmas Pudding. After a month of bully we were all filled with expectation. Mitchell made his usual social contacts and hired a piano for the small sum of two tins of bully, 10 cigarettes, a tube of toothpaste and a smile. He also persuaded a young lady, named Mary, to sing for us.

Christmas Day: At Ease with the Ladies
After a Christmas Eve night-scare of a move (abandoned), Christmas Day dawned bright and clear, with brilliant sunshine. Ernie Wright was the first visitor and, as he had not been up to the front line in so long, greeted every one of us in no form of restrained manner. With duties over and Stand Down given to everyone, including the villagers, we had a right royal old knees-up. One of the civilians was a little too frequent a visitor to the bar so Chuckles Hardy mixed him a lethal concoction he called a 鈥淩ip-Snorter鈥�. Soon the Dutchman was felled and carried home on a stretcher by two very unsteady bearers. The dinner was delicious with Eric Girling, Risley and Harrison doing wonderful jobs as chefs.

The Dutch civilians sat down with us and ate as though they had not eaten for years. After the dinner the punch began to take effect and several of our stalwarts were bowled over like ninepins. Master-of-Ceremonies Mitchell, also slightly under the weather, found it extremely hard to keep order and was last seen ambling around shouting, 鈥淢ary will now sing in English lads, awfully difficult lads! Awfully difficult.鈥� Art Haworth could not stand the touching way in which Mary sang Ave Maria and he turned a sickly green and passed out. Meanwhile in another corner four men were stood around Flash Berry as he wobbled uncertainly and were running bets on who would catch him as he fainted.

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