To the Editor, Amman Valley Chronicle,
The following letter has been received by his parents from Sergt. Herbert Williams, 9th Service Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, B. E. F., France, dated January 2nd : —
“Just a line to let you know that I am getting along quite all right. The weather here has been very wet lately, and the ground is very muddy, so it is not pleasant now.
We spent Christmas very quiet, but not so bad as I expected it to be. We had plenty to eat, and every man had a Christmas pudding given him, so they enjoyed themselves all right.
We were in the firing line Christmas night, and it was a sight worth seeing. The Germans seem to be in jolly good spirits; they had lit up a lot of trees in a wood at the back of their trenches with different coloured lanterns, and they had big bonfires lit all along their lines. They kept shouting and singing all night, and wishing us a ‘Merry Christmas.’ They were shouting to us to come over towards them halfway, but we had orders not to leave our lines so we sat on the parapet looking at them enjoying themselves.
The both sides never fired that night, so it was quiet safe to walk about on top of the trench. We left the trenches on New Year’s Eve for a few days’ rest, so now we have got time to clean ourselves, because we were all covered with mud. Some of the Welsh Regiments have been in our trenches for instruction.
I have not come across any Ammanford boys yet, although they are not far from us. No doubt I will come across them some day. I must conclude now as I have very little news at present, so I wish you all a Happy New Year.”
