CCaarroollss,, PPlluumm PPuuddddiinngg,, BBeeeerr aanndd BBuulllleettss TTHHEE CCHHRRIISSTTMMAASS A snapshot taken by a British officer Men of 2nd Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders busy constructing a breastwork, completely showing German and British troops unmolested by the Germans, in front of their trenches. The German line is in front of the trees on the This depiction of the Truce, entitled left. It was the temporary cease-fire of the Christmas Truce that allowed these repairs, in the Rue du “The Light of Peace in the Trenches on fraternising on the Western Front Bois trenches, near Grande Flamengrie Farm, to take place. Lieutenant Ian Stewart, of the 2nd ”, was first published in during the Christmas truce of 1914. Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, recalled how there was a “certain amount of friendly TTRRUUCCEE 11991144 the British press on 9 January 1915. (HMP) (ww1images) backchat with the Saxons opposite, mostly about being made to work so hard by our bosses”. (HMP) During Thursday, By the following day a number of British and completely out of the trenches, our people “Two of our men then threw their equipment our boys said, ‘If he can do it, we can do it’, killed during the First World War. Statistics German soldiers found themselves in No ignited a they had brought, off and jumped on the parapet with their and we all jumped up.” taken from these would seem to suggest 24 , the Man’s Land in an act of fraternisation that put it on the wall [parapet] and with bells hands above their heads. Two of the that for the whole of the month of December For 29-year-old Private Ernest Holden, not weather across the Western has given rise to the legend that is the ringing ... Between the trenches, the hated Germans done the same ... They met and 1914, Christmas Day was one of the worst in Christmas Truce. At Fleurbaix British soldiers and bitter opponents meet around the shook hands and then we all got out of the that far from Private Frank Richards in France and . Indeed, on that day Front turned cold but dry, soon realised that the flickering lights on the Christmas tree and sing Christmas carols.” trench. They were Saxons and some of them trenches in the Frelinghein-Houplines sector, forty-one British soldiers were killed in the Truce was a thought-provoking event: “It writes Martin Mace. German side of the line were not the muzzle could speak English. By the look of them action. Only eight days throughout the flashes of rifles, but Christmas tree lights. What began on Christmas Eve, increased on their trenches were in as bad a state as our seemed very strange to go out and clasp whole month saw worse losses. The Saxon soldiers came out into No Man’s Christmas Day itself. At daybreak, soldiers own. One of their men, speaking in English, your enemy by the hand and wish him a As the day wore on, in some Land with their Christmas trees, lit by on both sides left their trenches. They shook mentioned that he had worked in Brighton Merry Christmas. It made one wonder why The unofficial Truce often ended just as it areas of the front British candles, and started a slow walk towards the hands, wished each other “Merry Christmas”, for some years and that he was fed up to the we were at war at all.” had begun: by mutual agreement. Captain British. The latter did likewise. Gradually, and exchanged experiences, such as how to neck with this damned war and would be C.I. Stockwell, of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, in soldiers were astonished to cope with the plague of lice. For some, however, there was little sign of trenches near Ploegsteert Wood, recalled hesitatingly, both sides met, and exchanged glad when it was all over.” any Christmas Truce. Eventually reaching the see Christmas trees with cigarettes or even, to the surprise of the how, after a truly “Silent Night”, he fired Private Frank Richards was serving in the Private Frank Sumpter was serving in the rank of Brigadier General, Alexander three shots into the air at 08.30 hours on British, cigars. Some on each side had 2nd Battalion . In the Johnston had arrived in France in August candles and paper lanterns photos of their loved ones with them, and London Rifle Brigade: “We heard the . He then climbed on to the trenches near Ploegsteert, he would later Germans singing ‘Silent Night, Holy Night’, 1914 as the signals officer for 7 Infantry parapet. A German officer who had given appearing on enemy showed them to one another, a simple act recall how he turned down a day of rest out Brigade. Christmas Day found his unit in the which was to be repeated many times the and they put up a notice saying ‘Merry him some beer the previous day also parapets. Later that of the line so that he could “see what would Christmas, so we put one up too. While they trenches near Kemmel: “It had frozen hard in appeared on the German side of No Man’s next day. happen”. He noted that the first tangible the night and the country was white with evening, and through the were singing our boys said, ‘Let’s join in’, so Land. Both men bowed, saluted, and “It sounds hardly credible what I now report, signs of the Truce came on the morning of we joined in and when we started singing, hoar frost ... We did not get shelled all day, climbed back into their trenches. night, the singing of carols, but it is pure truth,” wrote Josef Wenzl, of Christmas Day when a couple of Fusiliers they stopped. And when we stopped, they but there was a little sniping and we bagged stuck up a board with the message “A Merry six of their snipers who I think were drunk.” A few moments afterwards, Stockwell heard hymns and popular songs the Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment 16, started again. So we were easing the way. to his parents on 28 December 1914. “The Christmas” on it. The Germans opposite did Then one German took a chance and jumped the German fire two shots into the air. Then, likewise. In 1921 His Majesty’s Stationery Office in his words, “the war was on added to the atmosphere. British waved to us. Gradually, they came up on top of the trench and shouted out, published lists of those who died or were ‘Happy Christmas, Tommy’. So, of course, again”.

The wooden cross, erected by the Khaki A contemporary artist’s depiction of the British and German troops photographed in No Man’s Land in the Bridoux-Rouge Banc Chums in 1999, commemorates the Christmas Sector, 25 December 1914. The British troops are from the Northumberland Hussars, Christmas Truce, 25 December 1914. (HMP) Truce of December 1914. This memorial can be 7th Division. (HMP) found not far from Ploegsteert Wood. (HMP) 22 The War and Peace Revival 2014 www.thewarandpeacerevival.co.uk 23