Christmas Day in the trenches as recorded in the personal diaries of those who were there

[A Lancashire Fusilier by Proxy]

With Christmas almost upon us, I thought that I would start this thread, in the hope that others might chip in with other extracts from personal diaries.

My grandfather, Norman Hall was lucky enough to spend only one Christmas in the trenches, despite enlisting in September 1914 and surviving to the end of the war (in 1914 he was still training, in 1916 he was in England recovering from being wounded, and in 1917 he was lucky enough to be home on leave). On Christmas Day 1915, however, Norman's battalion, the 2/5th LF, were in the front trenches at Thiepval, where Norman, then aged 23 and a temporary Captain, was Acting CO of "Z" Company.

Much has been written about the Christmas truce in 1914, and the entry in Norman’s memoir for Christmas Eve 1915 mentions a special order from Sir Douglas Haig:

"The order was to this effect: There was to be no fraternising between the Germans and ourselves, troops in the Front Line were to be extra vigilant, and the GOC in Chief desired that troops should be especially active with small raids and worry the Boche during the Christmas period. He relied on all troops to carry out the spirit of this order."

Here is Norman’s account of events on 25 December 1915, quoted from the published version of his memoir, A Lancashire Fusilier’s First World War. Although the whole memoir was written after the war (based among other things on contemporaneous letters and pocket diaries), to me, being familiar with the entire memoir, this extract could only have come from relatively early in the war, with its youthful reference to uncomplicated family Christmases back home, and its simplistic joy at achieving a direct hit on the enemy, no doubt the latter being the combined result of satisfaction at having at last been given effective weapons and a feeling that their unit was carrying out the order of Sir Douglas Haig to the letter. Later entries in the memoir have a more mature and nuanced tone. Even here the reflection contained in the penultimate paragraph is a telling one.

25 December 1915

I wakened up at about 6.00am, and had a jolly good wash and shave. I went round the Line. Kenders and Moffatt were both out, and as cheery as usual. I sent in my usual reports and then had breakfast. It didn’t feel a bit like Christmas Day, and naturally I often wondered about them all at home. It rained during the morning.

I got a message from HQ to say that our Artillery would shell various points of the German defences starting at 1.30pm. Thiepval village was included. We were evidently going to deliver a few Christmas presents to the Germans – made specially for him in England. The thing that pleased us most about the shoot was the fact that 8 inch guns were to fire into Thiepval. This was certainly a Christmas Day surprise – and a very welcome one – for we had only had 4.5 inch and 4.7 inch Naval Guns up until now. At last England had actually made some decent sized guns and we were going to give the Boche a sample of what he had given us for some time, without any reply from our side.

Our Christmas Day lunch was a poor do, as the ration was short – fancy, on Christmas Day of all days – so we had to be content with bully beef. How about this compared with Turkey or Goose!! Also the mails didn’t arrive so we didn’t get any Christmas Cards. I kept a look out for Father Christmas – but I don’t think he knew where the trenches were – at least he didn’t arrive!

Kenders, Moffatt and I went round and told the men about the 8 inch guns, and we anxiously waited for 1.30pm. Then they started. We all stood on the fire step to watch. The first shell didn’t do any damage. But the second big fellow got a direct hit on a house in Thiepval, and the men all cheered with delight. It really was great to feel we were letting the Germans have it in the neck. Meanwhile the 18 pounders, or “pant splitters”, as Bloy always called them, devoted their attention to the German Front and Support Line. This went on for two hours without a stop; and no retaliation. Then the Germans started, and he gave us quite as much in return. Fortunately he was about 30 yards over our heads, so didn’t hit anybody. When this started I had gone to my dug out to send a report off. Luckily the CO wanted me on the ‘phone so I went to the Signallers’ dug out near mine to speak to [him]. What luck he wanted me just at that particular moment, for while I was out of my dug out he dropped a shell right on my little home which came through the roof at one corner and burst inside. Just one of those many “might have beens”. I found the nose cap of this shell and kept it as a souvenir – the only present I got from the Boche. He also very unkindly hit a tree which fell right across the path to my home, and, not content with that, blew in my private latrine. He really gave us a very rapid half hour. Can people imagine that in England this day people had been singing “Peace on Earth – goodwill to men”? There didn’t seem much of that spirit with us.

The rest of the day passed quietly.

[genegwf]

Well written! I always enjoy reading soldiers personal accounts of what they lived through.

I arrived in Vietnam a week before Christmas in 1969, I can fully relate to the words Captain Hall wrote.

Merry Christmas to all, 

Gene

[Alan24]

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to buy the BWM of Driver 711174 William Cook RFA – Bolton Artillery. I already had a lot of information of Bolton men who served with my great grandfather through correspondence with @brianmorris547. Brian had alerted me to the book ‘Fallen in the Fight’ by Neil & Sue Richardson.

In this book is a copy of a letter written by William Cook and published in the Farnworth Journal.

Below is an extract of this letter telling of his Christmas experience in Gallipoli, December 1915.

“On Christmas day we could hardly hear a thing, only the birds, and when I got to the bottom of the gully on my way to the beach for the battery rations I could hear the band playing ‘Christmas Awake’. I had a feeling I cannot describe. I felt so lonely and so much in need of those dear to me at home, and I could have easily cried. I passed a lot of graves, and thought those poor fellows will be absent for the first time perhaps at their table at Christmas.

I went on to the ASC to see Stanley Walker and we talked about the time we were killing beef at Fieldings the year before. Then the guns began to roar and the Turks were bombarding us and trying to get the crater back. I thought they would have been quiet that day. We had a dinner of bully beef stew and a small piece of plum pudding which touched us very much. It was much the poorest Christmas I ever had in my life.“

William Cook died of wounds in France two years later.

Edited 23 December , 2022 by Alan24

[A Lancashire Fusilier by Proxy]

19 hours ago, genegwf said:

I always enjoy reading soldiers personal accounts of what they lived through.

Me too, I find eye witness accounts of those who were there totally absorbing, even when the subject matter may sometimes seem mundane

@Alan24 I knew that there would be some sad stories. Thank you for sharing the reflections of William Cook, who lives on through his words.

Tricia

[brianmorris547]

On 23/12/2022 at 10:13, Alan24 said:

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to buy the BWM of Driver 711174 William Cook RFA – Bolton Artillery. I already had a lot of information of Bolton men who served with my great grandfather through correspondence with @brianmorris547. Brian had alerted me to the book ‘Fallen in the Fight’ by Neil & Sue Richardson.

 

Alan

Are you sure it was me who alerted you to the book. I can not recall reading Fallen in the Fight.

This old post refers to Sgt Tom Cook 710032 who was k in a 07/09/1917. In 2009 IPT inadvertently gave him the number of William. The Bolton Artillery memorial only shows names not numbers but the website gives the correct numbers for both Thomas and William.  

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/129564-search-for-thomas-cook-1914-1917/#comment-1234741

For interest William is named in the Bolton Journal 04/06/1915 in "Rally to the Flag" as enlisting into the Reserve Brigades of 3 East Lancs RFA (Bolton Artillery). He was one of ten reinforcements who disembarked in Gallipoli on 11/11/1915 direct from England and were posted to 19 Bty. The AF B 103 in the WO 364 record of 710980 Robert Gavan shows that he was another. They embarked at Devonport on 28/10/1915. Robert is named in Rally to the Flag in the Bolton Journal 14/05/1915.

The Farnworth Journal is available in Bolton Library History Centre  so in the New Year I will try and find the original letter.

Brian

 

 

 

Edited 2 January , 2023 by brianmorris547
typo

[Alan24]

13 hours ago, brianmorris547 said:

Alan

Are you sure it was me who alerted you to the book. I can not recall reading Fallen in the Fight.

It was way back in 2014! I eventually tracked down my own copy.

The letter was published in the FJ on 21 Dec 1917. This was two weeks after his death so I suppose it was part of an obituary from the family.

 

Edited 24 December , 2022 by Alan24

[brianmorris547]

Ah yes it was a Bolton Library publication not a book. I remember now. 

Brian

[brianmorris547]

 

On 24/12/2022 at 09:03, Alan24 said:

It was way back in 2014! I eventually tracked down my own copy.

The letter was published in the FJ on 21 Dec 1917.

I had a look in the Farnworth Journal this morning. The report covers half a page. The Library is out housed at the moment so I could not print the page but I got the piece where he mentioned Christmas. I got a picture of him for the record. 

Brian

[Alan24]

4 hours ago, brianmorris547 said:

 

I had a look in the Farnworth Journal this morning. The report covers half a page. The Library is out housed at the moment so I could not print the page but I got the piece where he mentioned Christmas. I got a picture of him for the record. 

Brian

That's wonderful Brian, especially to see the photo.

I'd love to get a full copy of the article at some point, should you be in a position to obtain a print out. 

Alan. 

[brianmorris547]

19 hours ago, Alan24 said:

 

I'd love to get a full copy of the article at some point, should you be in a position to obtain a print out. 

Alan. 

It might be some months before the Library moves back to it's proper location but I'll have a go next week. 

Looking at the other names in the report, Dvr Keighley, Sgt Lomas, Dvrs Ruston, Harper, Fiddiman, Bilsborough and Rawlinson and their Officer Mr Shelley.

There ia a Driver Willie Keighley 700853 but I think it is more likely to be Gnr Mornington Keighley MM 710279 of B/211 Bde whose MM is mentioned in the 211 Bde WD October 1917. Search for Mornington Keighley in the Western Front Forum and it will bring up the page on the East Lancs Div RFA thread where I posted details of his MM. He was a Gunner later Corporal not a Driver.

Mr Shelley is 2/Lt W H Shelley who joined 42 Div AC from Base on 19/10/1917 (WO (95/2649/3) and was posted to 211 Bde the following day. Not mentioned in the October 1917 WD of 211 Bde. 

Possibles for the others. 710059 Sgt James Lomas, 711097 Dvr Wilfred Rushton, 711083 Dvr William Harper, 711498 Dvr Arthur Fiddaman and 710997 Dvr Thomas Rawlinson. 

Brian

Edited 4 January , 2023 by brianmorris547
typo

[mancpal]

If you Google “1916 linen trench map” it will take you to a GWF thread relating to CSM JB Hill DCM of the QWR.

If you scroll down you will find the diary of the aforementioned (written post war) including his Christmas 1914 memories.

The whole of his memoir is on the same thread and makes interesting reading though finishes at the Somme. He survived the war

Simon

[A Lancashire Fusilier by Proxy]

Thank you Simon, I was very interested to read the diary of J.B. Hill DCM. A direct link to the thread is here https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/225553-july-1916-linen-trench-map/ 

I note that you refer to it as both a diary and a memoir. I suppose that probably the latter term is the more correct, as it was written after the war, though our family has also always called my grandfather's memoir "Grandpa's diary", even though he wrote it after the war from 1919 onwards, expanding upon what he had recorded in letters home and pocket diaries. Do you know when J.B. Hill wrote his diary, and why? As you say in that other thread, it is a pity he didn't write more.

Tricia

 

[mancpal]

I’m afraid I don’t know when he wrote it. As mentioned he went right through the war (1914 star and clasp) ending with the rank of CSM. During the 2nd war he was an ARP warden in London.

Sorry I can’t add more,    J.B. Hill has always been a bit of a mystery within his family.

Simon