A BELATED CHRISTMAS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 72, 1 July 1942, Page 6

A BELATED CHRISTMAS

N.Z.E.F. Official News Service CAIRO, April 27. A small hand of men from a field maintenance centre who have just returned from the desert sat down last night to a belated Christmas dinner of tomato soup, chicken and Christmas pudding. On Christmas Day they were busy establishing themselves at Ms us, the farthest point reached by any New Zealand troops during the campaign, except perhaps for the Long Range Desert Group. Their meal on that occasion consisted mainly of bullybeef. Few parts of the battle area are not knoAvn to these men who arc responsible for organising supplies of food, petrol, ammunition and water for the forward troops. They arc also responsible for the despatch of prisoners to the rear. Usually they keep a favourable distance from the battlefield, but such is the rajjidity of movement in desert warfare that once when they had 1500 prisoners on their hands an enemy column approached to within 300 yards. Fortunately the enemy was engaged by artillery and withdrew. Field maintenance centres were frequently established and functioning within an hour of a, reconnaissance o-l the area. The centre was remarkably free from air attack during the five months it was in the desert and there Avere no New Zealand casualties. Christmas parcels from the National Patriotic Fund AA*erc received by the men just before they returned from the desert.