December 25th, 1940 (WEDNESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Scotland: Two former French Martlet Is (Grumman Model G-36A) in service with the Royal Navy's No. 804 Squadron at Hatston in the Orkney Islands, shoot down a Junkers Ju 88A that was attempting to bomb the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow. The two pilots of 804 squadron were Lt. Rodney Harold Power Carver, RN (later DSC, MiD) flying Martlet I BJ562 (Code A) and S-Lt. T. R. V. Parke, RN flying Martlet I BJ561 (Code S:7L). This is the first American built fighter aircraft in British service to destroy a German aircraft in the war. (Ron Babuka, Mark Horan)
ALBANIA: The Greek army in Albania spends
Christmas at the snow covered Albanian front. A few services are held for front
line troops and a convoy of 100 taxis from Salonika which had left a few days
earlier arrives bringing Christmas treats for the troops. Liquor and sweets are
distributed to as many along the front as possible. Dimitry commented on two
nice bottles of liquor which was given to him and his men. They gathered at the
wooden shack in a wooded area near their positions and toasted one another.
Elsewhere on the front when one of the taxis arrived with its cargo of Christmas
goods, the driver (who spoke fluent Italian) offered his services to the Greek
officer in command who ordered him to cross the lines with a flag of truce and
offer the Italians some liquor and cigarettes. The Italians accepted the gift
and the two sides in that area honored a truce on this Christmas Day. (Steven
Statharos)
PALESTINE:
Bethlehem: For the first time in history, Bethlehem is celebrating a darkened Christmas.
While Mussolini's air menace hangs over the city even the windows of the Church of the
Nativity have been obscured by blue. At Jerusalem the Stations of the Cross are dark and
silent.
Despite the blackout, members of the church are determined to make it a Christmas to
remember for hundreds of Empire troops in the city. The Church of the Nativity had been
lit from within by a myriad candles, and the traditional sheep are being roasted in the
fields near the manger.
LIBYA: From "War Dance" Unit History of the 2/3 Australian Infantry Battalion
16th Brigade, 6th Division, 2nd Australian Imperial Forces.
Location: Outside of Bardia, Libia; Christmas Day 1940.
Five Section, of 17 Platoon had moved out before dawn and taken up our position between the Italian wire and the English Arty "o pip" we were guarding. Christmas Day, ----- but no one mentioned it. It was left to that champion hunk of humanity "Bugs" Logan to break the silence with "I wonder what they are doing at home." Everybody was probably thinking the same thing, but "Bugs" just happened to think aloud.
We downed our Christmas dinner, one tin of bully beef between two, a packet of dog biscuits each, and a few mouthfuls of salty water, and settled down to wait for darkness and our relief, when we spotted a patrol coming straight towards us, from the direction of our own lines. It turned out to be Cliff Hillier and his section from A Company. Cliff said "you jokers can go back in; we're here to relieve you." Normally we would have been delighted, but to be relieved at midday, in the middle of no-mans land was a pretty drack effort.
Fortunately Musso's mob must have been to full of cognac to see what was going on, so we got back without receiving a stray shell for a Christmas box. We settled down in our holes which were home sweet home when we weren't guarding the "o pips", but it was not long before we had a visitor. It was the English sergeant named Black from a Bofors gun crew just over from where we were dug in. He said "Pop, me and the lads were thinking about you, all alone out there, so we threw in and bought you this." With that he produced seven cans of Barclay's Beer, seven packets of tobacco and matches, seven packets of biscuits and seven cakes of chocolate. What a gesture ---- all the more on an English soldiers lousy pay. "What's more" said Blackie "we want you all to come over and share our Christmas dinner as soon as it comes up." It's not often I am stumped for words, but when I did finally manage to get the lump out of my throat all I could say was "Thanks Blackie, you are a bloody champion." He replied, "it's a mighty poor show if you can't do something for your fellow man at Christmas."
We shared their dinner over at their gun position; then came back to our own area, feeling downright miserable at not being able to return the wonderful gesture of those champion fellows. Then came the Christmas gift of all, Evan Walker, our platoon commander, who had been left behind on duty in Egypt, appeared in our position, complete with Christmas hampers. Evan announced that he was back with the platoon, and even though there were only seven of us, we persuaded him to give us eight hampers. Blackie had nine men in his gun crew, which meant half a hamper per man. So back we went to repay the "Chooms" hospitality. Sixteen men in a heap, celebrating Christmas, should have made a good target for our opponents, but they didn't bother resuming the war until later in the night.
From a bad start, Christmas at Bardia built up to a joyful ending. I'll always remember Blackie and his crew. We never saw them again, and I have often wondered whether they got through O.K. If they did, I hope their fellow men treat them as kindly as they did us back in Christmas 1940
N. "Pop" Morgan
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
On the 27th of November the 8in cruiser 'Admiral Hipper' leaves Germany and passes into the
Atlantic through the Denmark Strait. On Christmas Day, 700 miles to the west of Cape
Finisterre, she encounters Middle East troop convoy WS5A, one of 'Winston's Specials',
escorted by cruisers HMS Berwick and HMS Bonaventure and accompanied by carrier HMS
Furious ferrying aircraft to Takoradi. In an exchange of gunfire the heavy cruiser HMS
Berwick and two merchantmen are slightly damaged, Hipper is also damaged. 'Hipper' retires and soon reaches Brest.
'Hipper' is the first of the German big ships to reach the French Biscay ports.
(79 and 80)