branch of Christmas Tree. Soon there was a fine pow-wow going on.
Cigars were exchanged for tobacco. Friendship was pledged in socks. The
Germans brought out some beer and the English some rum. Finally, on
Christmas Day, there was a great concert and dance. The Germans were
spruce, elderly men, keen and well fed, with buttons cleaned for the
occasion. They appeared to have plenty of supplies, and were fully
equipped with everything necessary for a winter campaign. A third
battalion, wisely but churlishly, refused these seasonable advances, and
shot four men who appeared with a large cask of what was later
discovered to be beer....

"The Div." were billeted in a chateau on the slope of a hill
three-quarters of a mile above St Jans Cappel. This desirable residence
stands in two acres of garden, just off the road. At the gate was a
lodge. Throughout the winter we despatch riders lived in two small rooms
of this lodge. We averaged fourteen in number. Two were out with the
brigades, leaving twelve to live, eat, and sleep in two rooms, each
about 15 ft. by 8 ft. We were distinctly cramped, and cursed the day
that had brought us to St Jans. It was a cruel stroke that gave us for
our winter quarters the worst billets we had ever suffered.

As we became inclined to breakfast late, nine o'clock parade was
instituted. Breakfast took place before or after, as the spirit listed.
Bacon, tea, and bread came from the cook. We added porridge and
occasionally eggs. The porridge we half-cooked the night before.

After breakfast we began to clean our bicycles, no light task, and the
artificers started on repairs. The cleaning process was usually broken
into by the arrival of the post and the papers of the day before.
Cleaning the bicycles, sweeping out the rooms, reading and writing
letters, brought us to dinner at 1.

This consisted of bully or fresh meat stew with vegetables (or
occasionally roast or fried meat), bread and jam. As we became more
luxurious we would provide for ourselves Yorkshire pudding, which we
discovered trying to make pancakes, and pancakes, which we discovered
trying to make Yorkshire pudding. Worcester Sauce and the invaluable
curry powder were never wanting. After dinner we smoked a lethargic
pipe.

In the afternoon it was customary to take some exercise. To reduce the
strain on our back tyres we used to trudge manfully down into the
village, or, if we were feeling energetic, to the ammunition column a
coupl