Christmas Day In Britain Is Free From Air Raids

Northern Advocate, 26 December 1940, Page 6

Christmas Day In Britain Is Free From Air Raids

(Received 10 a.m.)

LONDON, December 25. CHRISTMAS DAY, THE SECOND SINCE THE OUTBREAK OF WAR, COULD SCARCELY BE DIFFERENTIATED FROM ANY OTHER DAY, EXCEPT THAT THE BATTLE FOR BRITAIN, APPARENTLY, WAS TEMPORARILY IN ABEYANCE, NO BOMBS FALLING IN ANY PART OF THE COUNTRY DURING THE NIGHT.

An Air Ministry communique, giving this information, adds: “Thereiwas very little enemy activity yesterday.“

Despite the absence of raiders, shelters were full last night either of people bombed from their homes, or those who have grown to prefer the communal life of the shelters to the solitude of their own homes.

In many shelters Ihe customary gloom was relieved by decorations, holly, mistleto anal spangles predominating.

Hundreds of people whose homes had been wrecked by bombs celebrated Christmas in. shelters, with dinners provided by more affluent persons regularly using the shelters.

It was a depressing Christmas morning in London, the blackout lasting until 8.37 a.m.

A few people in the streets in the* early morning shivered as they waited for infrequent buses, and were heard to murmur: “A merry Christmas, mate,” and then dolefully add: “I wonder when we’ll get another really merry one.” A fe wpeople in the streets in the early morning shivered as they waited for the infrequent buses, and were heard to murmur: “A merry Christmas, mate,” and then dolefully add: “I wonder when we’ll get another really merry one.” A Truce? It is unofficially reported that the German Air Force was instructed to refrain from action over the British Isles on Christmas Day and the day following, unless “compelled to retaliate” for British bombing attacks over Germany, says a cable message from Washington. Traditional Celebrations Following a night without enemy air activity over Britain, and no bombing operations by the R.A.F., Britain herself is celebrating Christmas in traditional manner, even if some details are different. The conventional turkey at many tables has been replaced by chicken or a joint of meat. Many families, homeless through air bombardment, are doing their best to capture a festive atmosphere in the communal centres or shelters. The spirit, however, is unaltered, and they are cheerfully hopeful, but always resolute. Each individual appears to consider the war must be finished in the only possible way—victory over the Nazi threat to the happy British way of life—and with this thought they eagerly awaited the King’s broadcast speech.