Christmas in the Trenches December 1915

[Katie]

Prescot Reporter 31st December 1915

THE FIFTHS CHRISTMAS
HOW IT WAS SPENT IN THE TRENCHES
PLUM PUDDINGS AND MUSICAL EVENINGS
“NOT DOWNHEARTED”

We are privileged to publish to-day particulars concerning the programme of the 5th South Lancs on Christmas Day, as written by one of the Fifth on boxing night and received in Prescot yesterday

EXTRA RATIONS

“You want to know” the writer states, what sort of Christmas we had. Well none too good as regards weather, but all right in other respects. Church services were held during the morning, after which we were free for the day. A jolly good dinner was provided. In addition to our usual rations we were allowed half a pound of pork per man. I understand this was provided by Col. Pilkington. The usual cooks looked after the ordinary dinner, but the pork was cooked under company arrangements. Ours was cooked in an old fashioned brick oven which was first filled with straw and wood. This was done under the supervision of the patron of the house, who seemed determined that the Angle terra soldats should not lack a good feed if he could help it.”

“And right royally he worked. The wood and straw on being lit soon made things hum. When the oven was practically white hot, the fire was drawn and the pork pushed in. It seemed a rough and ready method, but the result was A1. Plum pudding we’re also provided. The afternoon was given up to football, and some good matches were played despite the rain.

THE COLONEL LOOKS IN

“The sergeants of the battalion had dinner together in one of the small estaminets (coffee houses) – about fifty sat down and considering the inconveniences which had to be overcome the dinner was a credit to Corporal Thompson and his assistants.
“During the evening the Colonel and Major Norman Pilkington looked in, and he wished the company “the compliments of the season” Col. Pilkington proposed the toast of ‘The King of whom we are proud to serve’. This was honoured with enthusiasm S.M Stevens then proposed the toast ‘Col Pilkington and officers’ which was accorded musical honours, the company singing ‘For they are jolly good fellows’
The hearty manner in which this was sung showed once again the real good feeling that exists between the officers and other ranks of the battalion.

“Then we had songs etc., by Q.M.S Johnson, C.S.M Ray,
C.S.M Povey, Sergt Wilson, Sergt. Garvey, Sergt. Naylor and others, interspersed with popular choruses etc. Next we had a little speech from the battalion Sergeant-major who proposed the toast of “Our sister battalions”. He mentioned the fact that cards had been received from the 1st South Lancs, 3/5th South Lancs. and 10th South Lancs. The evening passed all too quickly, the proceedings terminating at 10.p.m with the National Anthem.
“I did hear that various groups of sergeants had little festivities of their own afterwards, and that one gave a fine exhibition of how to race in a post bag. But as Kipling says, that is another story.
Taking everything into consideration, we had a better time than we had last year at Tunbridge Wells, and that is saying something isn’t it!
“It does not look as though we are downhearted, does it!”

[MaryA]

Lovely, thank you for posting that.

[Katie]

Learn't a bit of French while transcibing. Never been so educated in all my life! Wish I knew who wrote it. But still a great piece of social history for our soldier's

[Stephen Nulty]

CSM Ray, mentioned above, is included on my website at http://www.prescot-rollofhonour.info/al ... t_Ray.html