CHRISTMAS AT THE FRONT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1656, 30 December 1916, Page 3

CHRISTMAS AT THE FRONT.

HOW THE NEW ZEALANDERS SPENT IT.

HOT PLUM PUDDINGS,

The following special message has been received from the New Zealand official war correspondent (Captain Malcolm Ross) ;

London, Dc-comb. 28

The New Zealanders are spending their first Christmas in • the front line. In company with the Divisional. General, I walked through it this morning, and found (he men well and happy. They had had their Christmas dinner two days before, but to-day, even in the firing line, they were able to have hot plum puddings. Later, Corps and Divisional Commanders visited the troops in their billets behind the lines, and found (hem sitting down to dinners that would do credit io many countries even in peace time. In one hall 180 men were plying knives and forks lo the music of their own band. Other relays would follow till far on in the afternoon. In other places artillery, engineers, and various units were doing (hemselves remarkably well. They were all enjoying themselves. To each unit (lie Corps Commander addressed a few words of greeting, and was heartily cheered. He told them that if next spring they fought as well as they had done at Gallipoli and on the Somme it would go a long way towards winning the war, and that by next Christmas they might be in New Zealand or on their way there. Everywhere the best of good feeling prevailed. Meantime, our artillery was not idle, but was sending over Christmas puddings of another kind to the German lines. The enemy was strangely silent.

Christmas services and entertainments are the order of the day. Yesterday the division entertained the children of one village. There was a hand, Father Christmas, and many presents. The villagers Avore delighted by tin’s kindly thought. To-morrow wo will entertain 600 children of another A'illage. Greetings have been exchanged with our comrades in Egypt and England, and with those Avho fought beside us at the Somme. Amidst it all our kindest thoughts go far across the seas to relatives and friends in our oavu dear land.