"The following interesting account of the manner in which Christmas Day was celebrated in De Aar, Cape Colony, has been sent to us by Sergeant P. Craven, of the Welsh Regiment, now in South Africa: - About 12.30 p.m. a party of 90 school children, each carrying a wreath, headed by the drums and fifes of the Coldstream Guards, marching to the tunes of "Scots Wha Hae" and "The Flowers of the Forest," left the Carnarvon-hall (which is the public-hall at De Aar) and proceeded to the cemetery. On arriving at the cemetery the band formed up on the right of the graves. Each child stood behind the grave of a soldier who had died for his country. Mrs. J. R. Cuthbert, who is one of the representatives at De Aar of the Loyal Women's Guild, addressed the children and bystanders as follows: - "Children, I want to tell you in a very few words why you are putting these wreaths on the graves of our dear dead soldiers. It is for two reasons - first, for the sake of their loved ones far away across the sea, who this Christmas Day must be thinking with aching hearts of their lost ones. It is such a little act to come every year on this day and decorate the soldiers' graves, but it means so much to those bereaved ones in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales to know some one is thinking of them and doing what they cannot do in memory of their lost ones. In the second place it is because a society has been formed in Cape Town called the Loyal Women's Guild, and one of the greatest objects of this society is to teach you, our children, to reverence the memory of the men who made you citizens of a united South Africa. You will have to thank them for the privilege of being subjects of the most glorious Empire in the world. Now, I want you to lay very lovingly and tenderly your wreaths down on these last quiet resting-places of our brave dead." The hymn appointed by the society, "Abide with me," was then played. A pause of a minute or two ensued, and then the ever-thrilling notes of the "Last Post" were sounded over the graves by the buglers of the Coldstream Guards. After that "God Save the Queen" was sung, led by the band. It was the grandest and most heart-stirring scene I have ever witnessed. There were several soldiers gathered around the graves with tears stealing down their manly, sunburnt faces, their hearts too full to speak. On the band playing "God Save the Queen," every soldier came to attention and kept his hand at the salute until the last note had sounded. And so ended the touching scene. It will be of interest to the inhabitants of Cardiff to know that the late Sergeant-major Murphy, 3rd Welsh Regiment, is buried in this cemetery; also that the graves of the men of the Welsh Regiment at Petrusville were also decorated. There are 91 officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of different corps buried here.
The letter was written at De Aar Camp on December 29, and Sergeant Craven adds that several privates of the 1st and 3rd Welsh are buried there."
Evening Express, 22nd January 1901
