Christmas Day 1914

December 25^th Friday 1914

Christmas Day.

My first away from home.

At break of day all churches ring their bells and at the same time had a very severe rainstorm and got drenched, not very cheerful, but still it soon cleared and our spirits restored.

Off guard at 9.00am. Paid 7/-. Spratts biscuits, jam and tea for dinner.

We all clubbed round 1/- each to have a good time. Sgt Cornwall and Deakins work hard all day to give us a good feed.

Dinner at 5.30pm. Menu Roast Turkey with stuffing, Roast Beef, Yorkshire Pudding, Greens boiled and baked potatoes, followed by the customary pudding with brandy sauce. Tables then cleared by defaulters.

Alfresco smoking concert afterwards. Plenty of cigars, cigarettes, beer, minerals and fruit to be had.

Each man was presented with a Regimental Pipe and Pouch with crest and 1/6 lb Navy tobacco.

Concert finished at 11.00pm and then we went out to Gospicun and finished the evening there.

December 19th to Christmas Eve 1914

December 19^th Saturday

Off guard at 9.30am. Paid 7/- and waited for dinner. Directly afterwards all of us crossed the harbour by ferry, all happy as sand boys up to any devilry. Went round the bay and bought various little odds and ends. Finished the evening in the wine shops.

December 20^th Sunday

On guard as usual, know my beat like a book, also regular passers by. Prisoners have a singsong, supposed to be Kaiser’s b’day and did not pack up till 2.00am.

December 21^st Monday

Off duty at 9.30am, as there was nothing to do all day, Gael and I went down to the docks and looked over some of the warships being repaired there.

December 22^nd Tuesday

Usual guard again, Maltese are building us stone guard rooms, to replaced the damaged tents. Raining cats and dogs, but we managed to keep a bit dry.

December 23^rd Wednesday

Off at 9.30am. Small mail in, I got a parcel from home and a few letters, also another parcel from Mrs Causton.

December 24^th Thursday

Christmas Eve. On No 5 Guard this time. In the middle of English quarter a Scots woman gives us some jugs of cocoa to warm us up. Germans have another night of revelling. Their hard lot does not seem to trouble them. The natives stay up all night and march all round the town, singing accompanied by banjos and violins.