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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

"Sanitetspause" - Evacuation truce at Grandcourt


Beechhill

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I stumbled over this the other day. I've read about mutual "understandings" across No-mans-land, but on the hour and including artillery? Was this normal? 

 

"... den mærkværdige indretning kaldet ”sanitetspause”.

Den varede fra 8 til 10 om formiddagen og var vist opstået ved en stiltiende overenskomst. Så tav artilleriet på begge sider, og de sårede kunne uden at blive beskudt blive bragt bagud over åbent terræn ledsaget af et Røde Kors flag."

 

"... The strange contraption called 'Sanitetspause'. 

It lasted from 8 to 10 in the morning, and apparently came from a silent mutual agreement. Thus the artillery on both sides went silent, and the wounded could, accompanied by a Red Cross flag, be brought back across open land without coming under fire."

http://denstorekrig1914-1918.dk/20-december-1916-mere-troestesloest-havde-fusilierne-endnu-ikke-set/

 

Edit: The story is from Dec. 1916. 

Edited by Beechhill
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Nice to know that now & then compassion & mercy took over even at the front. One can hope that among those whose lives were saved by this agreement went on to have productive lives & benefitted humanity in some way.

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55 minutes ago, SiegeGunner said:

Is this an original work in Danish or a translation from another language?

It's from a Danish source. The website usually borrows and quotes from published memories/diaries and war diaries related to Danes that served under a German flag, but this post seems more "processed" than most. BUT looking at the wording of my quote, I think it's to be considered as a primary source. I can contact the publisher for further information. 

 

/Dan 

 

Bonus: the website posts (and has posted) excerpts of letters, diaries etc. day by day from Danes "caught" in ww1 centenually (is that a word?). Well worth a visit if Google Translate lives up to its purpose. 

Edited by Beechhill
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