nfh249 Posted 4 December , 2014 Share Posted 4 December , 2014 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-30296660 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 4 December , 2014 Share Posted 4 December , 2014 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-30296660 Extremely interesting to have a first hand written account of the Truce, and also quite amazing was the report that General Congreve won the Victoria Cross during the Second Boer War and his son Billy also won the V.C., making them the only instance of a father and son in the same regiment to be awarded the V.C. Thanks for sharing. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 4 December , 2014 Share Posted 4 December , 2014 "I was invited to go & see the Germans myself but refrained as I thought they might not be able to resist a General" - Wise decision I would imagine! Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wade Posted 4 December , 2014 Share Posted 4 December , 2014 Tremendous find, I hope a lot more letters come to light in the next few weeks as the Christmas Truce centenary comes around. There's been a great deal of discussion (some of it pretty heated) on either side about what happened and it would be great to see more contemporary evidence of the various truce events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 5 December , 2014 Share Posted 5 December , 2014 It's interesting to see that he doesn't appear to disapprove of events particualrly either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 5 December , 2014 Share Posted 5 December , 2014 Which Battalion is he refering to playing football further North? Due to lack of punctuation is that what he says? Looks like 1st RB. And in his part of the truce they were shooting at each other all day? TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewThornton Posted 5 December , 2014 Share Posted 5 December , 2014 It is 1st Battalion, The Rifle Brigade, TEW, but they were part of 11th Brigade, 4th Division, rather than his own brigade (18th in 6th Division). He may have heard the story from the Rifle Brigade officers he met later during the day, as mentioned in the letter. The details he records from his visit to the 1st North Staffords tie in with the many accounts written by soldiers from all ranks about the truce in their sector. However, as I have stated in a previous thread, an extract from the letter, mentioning the sniper, has appeared in print before as it was quoted on Pages 96 and 97 in "Armageddon Road" - A VC's Diary 1914-1916, by Terry Norman, published in 1982. Also, in other versions of the article published in various newspapers (the BBC have done a bit of background research), it gives a misleading impression of where Congreve was that day and what his role was. but I think these reports have been based on a press release from Staffordshire County Council as far as I can make out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tharkin56 Posted 5 December , 2014 Share Posted 5 December , 2014 I read an account on the truce, the German had shot and an officer and buried him unknown on the truce they described his features, rank etc and handed over the cross to the english who inscribed his name and handed back the cross to be placed on his grave. The dates tie in with Captain Askew http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/873994/ASKEW,%20HENRY%20ADAM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
German IR 169 Posted 7 December , 2014 Share Posted 7 December , 2014 Great account, thanks for sharing. John Rieth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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