THE FESTIVE SEASON

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 5, 8 January 1944, Page 6

THE FESTIVE SEASON

TROOPS CELEBRATE

(Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) STH. PACIFIC, January 2. Wherever they were stationed, in the Pacific islands, New Zealand troops celebrated the New Year and the normal cheer of Christmas and New Year week with all the festivity which could be expected in the circumstances. Achieving remarkable results through improvisation, the soldiers treated themselves to a fete of concerts, aquaplaning, boat races, swimming, diving, horse racing, singing, pictures, and eating. Concerts were provided by the Kiwi Concert Party; which has been touring the forward areas in recent months. Wherever suitable stretches of calm sea were available the thrilling sport of aquaplaning behind landing craft, formerly used for the invasion, and now kept busy in maintaining communications, aroused enthusiasm. Native canoes, boats captured from the Japanese, and anything floatable were brought into racing trim for the occasion, and though the times recorded were scarcely up to Henley Regatta standards, the spirit of competition left little to be desired. Horse racing, of course, was generally confined to "dummy horses," dependent for their speed on the casting of dice, though in the Base Camp reinforcement and staff personnel turned on a full-scale meeting, much like those held when the whole Division was further south. Nearer the base, too, hospital units and clubhouse organisers went in for decorative effects, band music, and dances that fittingly celebrated Christmas Eve and the greeting of the New Year. United States supply officers saw to it that New Zealand and American troops lacked as little as possible in the way of festive fare, turkey, steamed pudding, nuts, and chocolate figuring on the menus. Supplemented with Christmas parcels the men had received from home and through the National Patriotic Fund Board, good supplies were adequate. Sick and wounded men of the Third Division back irom the front line enjoyed the New Year's Day race meeting. "Rancid," by "Butter out of Tin." was a popular winner, and "Willie Win," by "Horse out of Breath," which followed "Rancid" home in the fifth and last race of the day, ran true to breeding. Thirty-two horses had been gathered from various owners throughout the district. The staff of Convalescent Depot, running "Relief," by "Leg out of Plaster," produced a horse which covered four furlongs in a little over a minute. The most successful jockey was a former apprentice to H. and A. Cutts, of Riccarton, E. J. Pinn, with two wins. L. M. Pell, brother of the Auckland rider S. Pell, took one race, as did C. L. Goulsbro, who has raced with success at many New Zealand meetings. The totalisator figures were a little more than 7000 dollars.