One hundred years ago this week the First World War experienced a spontaneous Christmas Truce.
Combatants along a stretch of the Western Front left the trenches, laid down their arms and met as people on common ground that had been no man’s land, and would soon be again.
Against orders, these men of shared European ancestry, faith, and traditions brought some humanity into what proved the most profane and savage warfare the world had ever seen. Many who took part in the Christmas Truce didn’t live to see another yuletide. But many others did live to write about it and tell their grandchildren about it face to face.
Much has been written about the famous Christmas Truce of 1914, so I will simply recommend the following websites:
This first site is dedicated to a British soldier from Scotland, created by a decedent, and it has a very nice post related specifically to the Christmas Truce. The solider, John Minnery saw considerable action, yet survived the war and other military operations that followed it.
http://johnminnery.blogspot.com/2014/01/1914-christmas-truce.html
And here is a site created specifically around the Christmas Truce and its commemoration and lots of interesting personal accounts, from both sides, and details about the legendary football match, which broke out between some of the soldiery. It also has some good links for further reading
http://www.christmastruce.co.uk/
See John McCutcheon’s song Christmas in the Trenches. Truly a classic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJi41RWaTCs
steve