Finsbury Rifles: Away from the Western Front. 13th December – 31st December 1916

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December 14, 2017

Celebrating Christmas and Boxing Day 1916

Troops in the Suez Canal Defence Zone were far enough away from enemy lines to be able to celebrate Christmas with gusto. Different entertainment and food all played their part in keeping up soldiers’ morale while far from home.

Many of the battalions in the 54^th (East Anglian) Division had their own concert parties. Open to those who enjoyed devising and putting on shows, they often included satirical sketches that poked fun at army life in the Middle East as well as ever-popular performances of music hall songs.

Suez Canal Defences. Concert Party of the 1/11th London Regt. 162nd Infantry Brigade, 54th East Anglian Division at Ashton Post, 1916. © IWM Q57742

Locations ASHTON and SALFORD Date 13/12/16

Routine as usual. Specialist classes; work on defences GOC South Section. Capt Troup returned from hospital. Visit of GOC

Locations ASHTON and SALFORD Date 14/12/16

Routine as usual. Specialist classes; work on defences. GOC B section inspected Lewis gun teams.

Locations ASHTON and SALFORD Date 15 to 16/12/16

Routine as usual. Specialist classes; work on defences. Lt Adjutant AL Garraway returned to duty from 16^th Brigade.

Locations ASHTON and SALFORD Date17/12/16

Divine service and usual duties.

Locations ASHTON and SALFORD Date 18 to 21/12/16

Routine as usual. Specialist classes; work on defences

Locations ASHTON and SALFORD Date 22 to 23/12/16

Routine as usual. Specialist classes; work on defences. GOC B Subertion visited.

Locations ASHTON and SALFORD Date 24/12/16

Routine as usual. Divine service.

Locations ASHTON and SALFORD Date 25 to 26/12/16

Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Both days observed as holidays. Lieut Holgers to hospital 26.12.16 from ASHTON

Locations ASHTON and SALFORD Date 27/12/16

Routine as usual. Specialist classes; work on defences. 2^nd Lieut Grundy 1/10 London Regt reported for duty as attachment. Lieut Morgan and MARGOLIOVITCH 1/10 London reported for duty on attachment.

Locations ASHTON and SALFORD Date 28 to 30/12/16

Routine as usual. Specialist classes; work on defences

Locations ASHTON and SALFORD Date 31/12/16

Divine service as usual. Routines. Capt F S HAMMOND reported for duty. Orders as to move received.

Suez Canal Defences. Men of the 162nd Infantry Brigade, 54th East Anglian Division, impersonating a camel and camel man at a fancy dress competition. Christmas morning, 1916. Ashton Post. © IWM (Q 57771)

One response to “Finsbury Rifles: Away from the Western Front. 13th December – 31st December 1916”

Away from the Western Front : 25th – 26th December 1917. | Friends of Islington Museum

August 9, 2018

[…] The battalion’s arrangements for Christmas 1917 were a far cry from the warmth and hilarity of the seasonal celebrations of the year before. […]

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