APPENDIX "P"

Undated Other pp. 316

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APPENDIX "P"
CHRISTMAS IN THE FIELD.
1944.
SERGEANTS' MESS, 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.
Xmas Eve. We drank; most animal of human pursuits almost, in an atmosphere that the armchair critic (who neither knows nor needs the comfort of such a way of escape from reality) might consider as animal as the appetite we satisfied.
Xmas Day. The raid successfully achieved and completed we dined en masse with a choice of cooked foods, the most tasty of delights in the seasons cakes, meats and poultry, exquisitely spiced and garnished. The high culinary art of our cook had transformed the physical act of eating into a cultured pleasure. This was how one should eat in company. Before me was the long quiet of white table cloth with knives and forks waiting about its border in orderly manner, very clean, very still. The blue and white walls were toned to the season by excellent designs carried out via the medium of greenery and cotton wool. A delectable selection of flowers, extremely artistically arranged, blazed out in their loudest glory and delicately laced the air with their scents. Our champagne held the scent of good wine, amazing. When I had eaten to contentment I poured a glass one-third full of a liquer, delightful, it intoxicated my senses with its tantalizing taste which did not quite harmonise. We became far from that unreal world of war. Here humanity became a warm thing of flesh and Peace and Goodwill as Christ had ordered.

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
* Abbreviations Expanded:
* S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force
* Xmas: Christmas
* Observations about Individuals Mentioned:
* The Unnamed Sergeants: This appendix provides a rare, highly lyrical, and personal account of the emotional state of the Non-Commissioned Officers (N.C.O.s). The writer's prose reflects a deep psychological need for "escape from reality" and the stark contrast between the "unreal world of war" and the "cultured pleasure" of the holiday meal.
* The Cook: While not named on this page, the airmen's account of the same day identifies the cooks as Acting Sergeant MacIntosh and Acting Corporal Brooks. Their ability to provide white tablecloths, "exquisitely spiced" poultry, and artistically arranged flowers in a field setting was described as a transformation of the physical act of eating into a "cultured pleasure".
* Information about the Location:
* Iesi (Jesi) Base: 21 Squadron was based at the Iesi Landing Ground near Ancona, Italy.
* Modern Name: This location is currently the Ancona International Airport (Aeroporto di Ancona-Falconara).
* The Mess Setting: The description of "blue and white walls" decorated with "greenery and cotton wool" (to simulate snow) highlights the effort to turn a temporary military structure into a festive space. Despite being surrounded by a "sea of mud" that had grounded the squadron for most of the month, the interior of the Sergeants' Mess was maintained as a sanctuary of "orderly" cleanliness.
* Historical Theatre Context:
* The "Successful" Raid: The "raid successfully achieved" prior to dinner was a major Christmas Day strike by 12 Martin B-26 Marauder III bombers against the Treviso Engine Sheds. While the mission was a tactical success, it was marred by the loss of two airmen from the Sergeants' own ranks—Warrant Officer Hamilton and Flight Sergeant Evans—who had baled out over the sea during an emergency and were missing.
* Moral and Psychological Relief: The heavy emphasis on alcohol (beer on Xmas Eve, champagne and liqueur on Xmas Day) and the sensory beauty of the table reflects the "Article XV" squadron's need to decompress after the 20-day "Great Stand-Down" caused by the winter mud.
* Operation Interdiction: This Christmas celebration occurred during the height of the Allied campaign to starve the German 10th Army of supplies. The contrast between the "Peace and Goodwill" of the meal and the violent reality of the morning's mission underscores the cognitive dissonance experienced by combat crews in the final winter of the European war.