19 BBC Godfrey Talbot christmas with 8th Army

Well that carol came from some of the men of the 8th Army and it was sung from the borders of triple it in here.

We are here, we just pulled off the coast road that goes along there towards Cirti and ultimately to triple it and over by our recording trucks have come on to men of the 8th Army and they are led by a corporal I can see them there and great coat and thin head things

carrying out as we just heard and they have just been having a bit of a sing song. recorded this bit of it. As a matter of fact, they've been singing all kinds of songs with a bit of difficulty in getting them to sing a carol at all, to be quite honest. And I don't

want you to get the impression that the eight-timey is just having a nice picnic and is going gaily singing carols up the coast road after Rommel. They're not at all. They're too far too busy fighting this war and a grim enough business it is and all this STEM and very desert and they're very little time for singing it's all. We are a good way at the moment behind

and our forward troops who certainly won't be going about caroling tonight. And Christmas, although it will be remembered and celebrated in the desert, won't to be quite honest be an affair of thumb-putting and manic crackers and parties and good feasting for the men of the 8th Army.