Christmas in the Desert 1941

I dug up this card from Ted Sly, ex fighter pilot of 452, 450, 92 and 457 Squadrons. It shows a Western Desert 'banquet' in 1942. It reminded me of his great friend Clive Caldwell's 1941 Christmas in the desert...

December 1941. 250 Squadron, and Clive Caldwell in particular, had been anticipating the arrival of a special Christmas treat. They had had a whip around and made arrangements to purchase a quantity of pork from Alexandria, but, by Christmas Eve, it had not arrived. They still had hopes but, if that fell through, at least they had plenty of liquid cheer as two replacement Tomahawks had arrived with every available space filled with liquor.

As is often the way, the news of the liquor supplies spread along the grapevine and pilots from nearby squadrons turned up and soon the tents were crowded with dusty figures in battle dress, sweaters and Irvine jackets, drinking and chattering away. At about midnight, those still standing raided hoarded supplies and rustled up an impromptu supper.

Christmas Day dawned cold, with rising dust and an overcast sky. Along with a South African fighter squadron, 250 Squadron took off on a sweep of the Haseiat-Agedabia sector. The weather got worse as they progressed and there was no sign of enemy aircraft. Squadron Leader Teddy Morris started to sing Christmas carols over the radio, and carolling soon degenerated into bawdy songs and facetious remarks. Clive Caldwell was not impressed as he thought this would ‘bring the Huns in swarms’. A few enemy aircraft shadowed them and made one or two attacks, but there was no engagement.

 

 

Caldwell landed after 1 hour 40 minutes in the air, full of anticipation for the Christmas pork, but still it had not arrived. There was a report that the pork had actually landed at Msus, which was to be the next landing ground as they advanced westward, and the enemy retreated further. Flying Officer John Waddy volunteered to retrieve it, but he returned empty-handed. By that stage, they had received further word that the pork was definitely now at Msus, so Waddy took off again. He returned an hour or so later with the sad news that it had arrived, but that it had turned green. John Waddy and some of the skeleton crew at Msus buried the pork with due ceremony, and erected a cross on the spot to the effect ‘Here lies 250 RAF Squadron’s Christmas Dinner 1941’. So Christmas lunch, on a cold and windy day, was cold bully and biscuits, well-salted with sand. There was not even something cheering to wet their lips as they had drunk all the liquor the night before. Caldwell and the others in the squadron had settled down for an afternoon of doing nothing, but after a while he, the other Flight Commander and Squadron Leader Morris accepted an invitation from the CO of the nearby anti-aircraft defences. There they shared some very good Scotch and returned at dusk to the news that they had orders for a show at first light on the next morning. So, that was Christmas in the Desert, 1941.

 

And the link to Australians in the Battle of Britain, because Clive Caldwell did not fly in the Battle? Well, Teddy Morris was a veteran of the Battle of Britain, and a one time comrade of Bill Millington in 79 Squadron.