A QUIET NIGHT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24491, 27 December 1940, Page 5

A QUIET NIGHT

CHRISTMAS EVE IN BRITAIN ABSENCE OF RAIDERS CELEBRATIONS IN SHELTERS LONDON, Dec. 25. Christmas Day—the second since the outbreak of the war—was scarcely any different from any other day except that the battle for Bri- . tain- was apparently temporarily in abeyance, no bombs.falling throughou*t the country during the night. An Air Ministry communique giving this inform aton adds that there was very little enemy activity throughout yesterday. Despite the absence of raiders, the shelters were full last night, either of those bombed out of their homes or those who have grown to prefer the communal life of the shelters to solitude in their own homes. In many shelters the customary gloom was relieved by decorations, with holly, mistletoe, and spangles predominating. Hundreds of those rendered= homeless owing to bombs celeliVate'dfyn the'shelters'with Christmas dinners provided by the more affluent regular users of the shelters. It was a depressing Christmas morning in . London, the black-oul lasting until 8.37 a.m. The few people in the streets in the early morning shivered while waiting for the infrequent buses.- They' were "heard" "to *■ murmur " Merry Christ:mas, mate," and then dolefully add: " I wonder when we will get another really merrv one." In the meanwhile no truce operated on the other fronts. No church bells were heard at Bardia—only the ..thunder, of heavy, guns., which: for days have been maintaining duels of great