2014 Christmas - Captain Reginald Harriman Heywood

The following is a transcript of a Christmas themed diary entry from Captain Reginald Harriman Heywood. This and many other stories form part of the Australian War Memorial’s Anzac connections project. This major web development project will not only progressively deliver newly digitised collections to the website but also aims to improve search and discovery on the site and to provide ways for people to interact with the collection.

Diary entry 25.12.17 

‘This day last year I was at Sorrento, Vic, and if I remember right it was 100 in the shade. This festive morn: we were awakened at 6.a.m by the 15th band’s carols. Christian &c. till all the instruments froze up. The next item was Holy Communion in an Adrian hut punctuated with 9.2s and an occasional burst of Emma Gees from the front. Then followed the advent of an extra supply of wine at the canteen. This must have gone around by wireless becos’ in 3 mins the sky line was dotted with figures coming from all directions and all converging on the canteen.’

‘You wouldn’t think it possible to have a Merry Xmas in a place like this, would you? Well forget it, no nits and then nothing. Thanks to a good lot of fellows du vin and the Almighty spreading a fog over the landscape we had  Peace, Goodwill and a good time.’

Read more:

Biography of Captain Reginald Harriman Heywood

Related collection items:

Original diary pages of Reginald Harriman Heywood

Transcript of diary of Reginald Harriman Heywood, 1917-1918