Historical information

The A.I.F.= The Australian Imperial Force and this newspaper was supplied free to the troops of the Australian Army Canteens Service. This issue is dated Saturday 22nd December 1941. It includes advertisments for businesses in Cairo and Alexandria; Egypt, Palestine and Syria.
Page 2 includes a poem titled "This Holy Night" by Pte C.M. Walker; two sonnets by Rupert Brooke; a poem, "Waiting Dreams" by Pilot Officer J.A. Henderson RAAF and a poem by Lieut. David McNicoll AIF Abroad Air Mail - Palestine.
Page 3 includes a message from General Sir Thomas Blamey, an article on the part women would increasingly play as a consequence of the emergency war policy; an advertisment for tobacco specially packed for overseas forces.
Page 4 includes an article on Australian coastal cities being ready for raids.
Page 5 includes an article about the Commonwealth of the Philippines and their defense which until 1946 lay with America. General D Macarthur was the Commander In Chief in the Philippines. Germany's "secret Weapon" legend.
Page 6 includes "Dancing Dan's Christmas"; "Bluey and Curley" comic strip.
Page 7 includes article "Rommel's Armoured Might Lies Strewn Over Libyan Sands"
Page 8 includes an article: "All In Fun" - a revue - has begun a tour of Australian camps in Palestine and Syria.
Page 9 includes articles "War Will Revolutionise Air Services In Australia"; a list - Greek Awards To AIF Officers and a cartoon by George Aria titled 'Jonah '.
Pages 10&11 "Christmas 1941" - messages from prominent people: Mr Winston Churchill; The Govenor General (Lord Gorrie); The Prime Minister (Mr Curtin); Mininster for the Army (Mr Forde). Also photos of army operations and traditional family Christmas time.
Page 12 &13 Articles regarding sport under the heading 'Australian Sporting Digest'.
Page 14 A story - "The Gift of the Magi" - an O Henry Christmas Story. Also a greeting from Myer's of Melbourne and Adelaide to all Myer Men in the AIF
Page 15 An article where General Blamey reassures Australia about its capability of defence.
Page 16 A description of a battle by Australian sloop "Parramatta" with HMAS "Auckland" against enemy planes whilst they were escorting a merchant ship with a cargo of petrol during the Battle of Tobruk
Page 17 & 18 Pages under the title 'ACK-I-FOOFS' (Articles submitted by soldiers: The real Rat of Tobruk - a rat trained by L/Cpl Jack Kneeshaw which he named "Goebbels"; poems and cartoons.
Page 19 "Women of War" - photos of women at work filling in for men who have gone to war.
Page 20 Xmas Greetings 1942-1942 - a 1942 Calendar signed by 14 members of the AIF, some with messages and including their Army Number.

Physical description

Twenty pages of news supplied free to the troops by the Australian Army Canteens Service.

Inscriptions & markings

The last page is a calendar for 1942 with personal inscriptions and greetings of servicemen. Some inscriptions have I.D. Numbers ( VX35435 W. Johnston; QX20753 of Carmody ; VX40449 ; VX39637 N. Powell; VX32054 Blue Ernistson?; N?X23234 W.Cummins; VX