On the outbreak of World War I in 1914, most believed it would be concluded by Christmas. Patriotic teenage men were keen to join the army as soon as possible as they presumed they would miss out on the action. However, history has confirmed that their confidence was misdirected as the war would not finish right up until 1918. The German advance was stopped at the 1st Battle of Marne and the drive for the sea started out as the Allies and Germans both dug in. It was the start of the trench warfare of the Western Front.
The outcome was lines of trenches running from the North Sea to Switzerland along a 440 mile front. The battle lines moved very little as a war of attrition broke out. Initial trenches weren't well constructed and were liable to collapse. Even by trench warfare standards, 1914 was pretty lousy. As winter neared, the infantry on the front line realised that the war would not be all over by Xmas after all.
The Western Front ran through Belgium and France with infantry from France, Belgium and Great Britain guarding a number of sectors. In certain positions, the German trenches were less than 30 yards away. Being in such close proximity allowed the infantry to shout at their opponents or even display signs. On the German belt buckles was the inscription "Gott Mitt Uns" (God is with us). The British reply was "We've got mittens too". Some of the shouting matches were a bit more black humour. A volley of shots would bring the shout "Missed" or "Right a bit".
Even so, it was these exchanges that laid the foundations of a number of surprising moments along the Western Front on 24th December 1914. The Germans celebrate Xmas on the 24th as opposed to UK and France who celebrate on the 25th). The weather had improved a lot and on the 24th, the sounds from the German trenches were completely different. They began singing carols and put Christmas Trees on their trenches. Men started calling to each other and finally, some embarked into no mans land where they talked and exchanged cigarettes, food and souvenirs. Stories of the truce may differ as there were actually several truces throughout the lines. They were predominantly in the parts manned by the British as the Germans were occupying Belgium and French land so the Christmas spirit was less in evidence amongst these men.
The Christmas Truce of 1914 was unofficial but as many as 100,000 soldiers were thought to have been involved. As well as fraternisation, the chance was also taken to reclaim and bury the fallen. One of the most famous parts of the truce was the football match between the British and Germans. There are lots of conflicting tales concerning the match with an array of finals scores. This would suggest there were quite a few games at various places.
The length of time the truce lasted also varied but generally, it was over on Xmas Day. Typically, hostilities started again by mutual understanding. In one case, on the morning of the 26th December 1914, Captain Stockwell of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers fired into the air and stood above the parapet. His opposite number in the German trench also stood up, they saluted and stepped down. Captain Stockwell heard the German fire a couple of shots into the air and World War I resumed. Of course, the Xmas Ceasefire was very much against the wishes of British commanders and in the subsequent years, artillery barrages were ordered for Christmas Eve.
In 2008, a plaque to the Xmas Truce on the Western Front was unveiled at the village on Frelinghen and was the first memorial to the incidents of Christmas 1914. The legacy the truce left behind is substantial with a multitude of books being published and it was also the inspiration for a number of songs.
About the Author:
During World War I, fighting on the Western Front was horrific yet in spite of this, British and German soldiers still found time to be human for a short time in December 1914.
