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Letters Home - December 1944 — Part Two

Xmas here was not very good. The dinner was just satisfying, but not up to our Xmas standard. Our lads brought a piano in to the camp and we were singing all day- and best part of the night too! Plenty of English beer, whiskey, rum, cognac, and brandy was available. We had no entertainment of any kind to celebrate, we even were operational due to Jerry’s push. Xmas eve I was on duty all night with Dennis, after a while we were asked by the Officer to go to our plotting tent to join in for a short while the ‘fun’- this consisted of singing and drinking spirits. Needless to say the Officer’s did not appreciate very much what was going on around them. It was so cold that even I was glad enough to have some spirits in my tea. For us that remained sober it was a melancholy Xmas. Several times during Xmas day I managed to wangle out to see my friends. During the morning they were at Church- being devout Roman Catholics. For Belgium it is a holiday on Xmas, but they celebrate New Year’s Day with more enthusiasm. The best thing about Xmas day was having a good nights’ sleep at their place. Last night I finished duty at 12 o’clock, then let myself in their house with a key and so to bed.

The mail seems to be disorganised considerably. Talk once again centres around leave.

Hope you are all well and safe. Do you still firewatch Dad? Or firewatch at home!

Cheers for now,
Love to you all,

Ray.

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