Pte Robert Lawlor (Coldstream), 22nd Battalion: Writing to his family in Coldstream he states: ‘I fired my very first shot of the Great War on Christmas Day 1916 with a Lewis Gun’.
Pte Charles Mortomore (Lilydale), 37th Battalion: Is awarded the Military Medal for his actions on this night. His recommendation states: ‘At Armentieres on the night 25th/26th December, 1916, while acting as a scout, he displayed great daring in getting through the enemy wire and obtaining information preparatory to a raid on the enemy trenches. When the scout next to him was wounded he carried him back across No Man’s Land to our lines, and then returned to his work. When a party of the enemy commenced repairing the damaged wire, he watched from a distance of five yards, and sent back information which proved of great value to our raiding party’.
Trp Bert Hutchinson (Lilydale), 4th Light Horse Regiment: In camp in Egypt. In a letter to his future wife, Jessie Mackenzie of Yalca, Vic – ‘The first Christmas in Egypt was very quiet but this year we had a good time. We sent to Cairo for flour currants and cakes, also received some gifts from the Australian Comfort Fund. We had half a sovereign in the pudding and the coin was not found until the following day as we had more pudding than we could eat. Christmas was not a very merry one for those in Australia but let us hope we will all be home in time for the next although the outlook is not very promising. I often wish the war was over’.