WAR PRISONERS MAKE MERRY

Southland Times, Issue 25704, 13 July 1943, Page 3

WAR PRISONERS MAKE MERRY

CHRISTMAS DAY IN CAMP Details of the celebration of Christmas in a prisoner of war camp in Germany are given in letters which Sergeant Rutherford Brown has written to

his parents, Dr and Mrs Stanley Brown, of Invercargill. Sergeant Brown, who is an accomplished musician, is engaged in teaching music to blind prisoners of war.

In a letter written on November 22 Sergeant Brown shows that, what with preparations for the celebration of Christmas, rehearsal of plays, concerts and his work in the blind school, he has not much time to weary. He does mention, however, how welcome are letters from home. “I do hope for some letters at least for Christmas,” he writes. “That’s the best present I can have.”

11 Referring to his many activities he says: “We have rehearsed every afternoon this week for the third edition of ‘Colonial Capers’ and I am still busy doing the last of the pantomime music. Last Monday night we had the last musical evening of the year in the blind school in which there were violin, flute and piano solos, songs and a 1 recitation. I played a rhapsody by a 1 German composer called Rixner, and c my own ‘Autumn Tints,’ which seemed 1 to go down all right. r “Had the first reading of ‘French • Without Tears’ on Wednesday night. " Well, the concert went off on Saturday ' with a bang as everybody seemed to •’ enjoy it thoroughly. Some even went *, so far as to say it was the best concert I yet. I was in a sketch on the officers’ : mess and in a burlesque school room ■ sketch, as well as playing for all the : singing, and did the two numbers above ’ as a solo, which was very well received. ! At night we had another reading of the • play on the stage, and then had a bridge 1 session. This morning was church and 1 this afternoon we have had an orches- ’ tra practice of the pantomime music, 1 followed by a ‘jam session’, two hours of jazz. I have plenty to keep me ! occupied between now and New Year ' with the pantomime music and the play to learn. Work in the blind school ' goes on as usual with any amount to ‘ do. The most promising pupil is Tom ‘ Wood, of Milton, who does famously ; at anything he takes on.” FIRST FALL OF SNOW ; Sergeant Brown mentions that winter had already come to Germany. “Had our first fall of snow this week—gosh! It’s a bit early isn’t it? Winter is long enough wtihout starting it in autumn,” he says. : .In later letters Sergeant Brown mentions that the blind school had started dancing classes and that in a typing contest for correctness and speed Tom Wood was third. Then in a letter written on December 27 Sergeant Brown gives an account of the Christmas festivities in the prison camp. He writes: “Christmas Day began with a church service followed by sacrament, and then a grand combined dinner of tongue, potatoes, roast and mashed, plum pudding and custard, crackers and squeakers and lots of noise. Talk about a kids’ party! Did a carol service for the other two blocks in the afternoon and repeated for our two blocks on the stage at night. Our blind octette sang ‘Sleep Holy Babe’ and ‘We Three Kings’ really well. Had some fun before and after bed. “Boxing Day was busy, but went over well. Two performances of the pantomime, ‘Snow White and the Seven D.U.’s’ went over with a bang. I was at the piano, but saw most of it and enjoyed it thoroughly. A big, hand- | some Canadian was Prince Charming, a Derby lad was Snow White and the Seven D.U.’s were seven peg legs, and they were a scream. The boys declared it the best show yet.” Though Sergeant Brown does not say so, it is assumed that D.U. stands for Definitely Unfit. KIWIS AT DARTS Writing on January 10, Sergeant Brown says: “As may be expected, the week has been very quiet after the numerous festivities of the previous week. Practically every night has been taken up with a darts tournament in which 16 teams are taking part. We, the Kiwis, who have never played darts, rose to fifth position at one stage. Then we fell to bottom, but last night we had a magnificent come-back, beating the leading team and winning two out I of three matches. “Last Monday the boys built two huge Epstein-like snow figures representing Adam and Eve, but evidently the goddess of snow didn’t like them as she destroyed them overnight. So, undaunted, they built , a large liner with a Red Cross on it to take us home, but she’s still tied up to the docks out there. You would’nt realize it, but there is a crack in almost every concert about The Boat. It is an idol in our eyes. “On Wednesday we had a recital of music for the chef-arzt and oberarzt, the two German doctors here, which proved a great success. The boys packed the hall, which was rather surprising seeing it had been announced as being a classical recital. The band played some reasonably good stuff. The choir did ‘Silent Night’ in English and German, our blind octette sang ‘We Three Kings’ and I sang Schubert’s ‘Ave Maria’ in German. It was a ter- - rific ordeal and I’m afraid I was shaking like a leaf, but after I got through the first verse I felt much better and was much happier after. It certainly seemed to be appreciated anyway.”